ASEAN ChairIt is the most inauspicious time for the Philippines to take the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. As ASEAN Chair in 2026, the Philippines faces challenges balancing our South China Sea problems with regional unity, managing internal political pressures, navigating great power competition and addressing the Myanmar crisis without clear consensus. It will also be a challenge to progress on ambitious economic integration goals, articulated in 1992 with the signing of the Framework Agreement on Enhancing ASEAN Economic Cooperation, which established the goal of an ASEAN Free Trade Area. ASEAN will have to carefully navigate the treacherous waters of Big Power rivalry in the region, preferably as a regional bloc. Our ASEAN Chair duties will be made more difficult by our lack of credibility.

Source: Philippine Star December 30, 2025 16:46 UTC