WNAM REPORT: The Philippines will host a scaled-down summit of Southeast Asian nations, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Friday, adding the bloc will work to “coordinate” its response to the impact of the Middle East conflict.
“We have consulted with our counterparts… The consensus that we came to is it that it is precisely now that we must coordinate our efforts,” Marcos told reporters, according to the Philippines News Agency.
Manila is the current chair of the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and has scheduled the first summit of the bloc’s leaders for May 7-8 in Cebu province. Marcos said the gathering will allow leaders to discuss “what do we do in the future, what do we do for the rest of the year, how can we help each other, and what is the ASEAN position regarding all of these shocks that are coming our way.” Describing the upcoming summit as “very barebones,” he said leaders will focus on oil, food supplies and prices, and migrant workers’ welfare.
The Philippines was the first country to declare a national emergency to address energy disruptions caused by the Middle East conflict. The Southeast Asian nation imports 90% of its oil, $16 billion worth in 2024, from the region.
Regional escalation has continued to mount since the US and Israel launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, so far killing over 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Tehran has retaliated with waves of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets, inflicting casualties and infrastructure damage while disrupting global markets and aviation.
