Disaster resilience and energy security will be key priorities at the 2026 ASEAN Summit in Cebu, which will be chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
Acting Presidential Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said ASEAN member-states are expected to strengthen cooperation on early warning systems, rapid humanitarian response, and support for communities affected by natural disasters.
He said the move aims to ensure that events such as volcanic activity, including the recent unrest in Mayon Volcano, do not worsen the impact on vulnerable communities, but instead push for stronger, people-centered resilience strategies across the region.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has also directed government agencies to provide medical assistance and conduct clearing operations in affected areas in Albay following ash emissions from Mayon.
The Philippines earlier proposed the Manila-ASEAN Strategic Protocol for Emergency and Comprehensive Transformation (Manila-ASPECT), a framework designed to improve disaster coordination, data sharing, logistics, and cross-border response among ASEAN members.
Energy security will also be high on the summit agenda, as rising fuel prices driven by tensions in the Middle East continue to affect Asia.
“With the impact of the Middle East tension, bearing heavily on Asia… leaders have refocused the agenda to include discussions on energy security and a unified response to mitigate negative effects on individual member states,” said Gomez.IMT
