PBBM to attend 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will attend the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 26 to 28, 2025, with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III designated as caretakers of the Philippine government.

He will participate in leaders-level meetings, including the East Asia Summit, and witness the admission of Timor-Leste as the 11th member state.

Key agreements to be signed include the Second Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade.

The summit will address regional peace and security, including the situation in Myanmar and economic uncertainties.

Discussions on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea will continue, with the Philippines aiming for an effective, substantive, and legally binding agreement.

The Philippines will assume the ASEAN chairmanship for 2026, a year earlier than initially scheduled, as Myanmar will not be allowed to helm due to its junta leadership.

President Marcos Jr. will be accompanied by DFA Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, Trade Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque, Social Welfare Secretary Rexlon Gatchalian, and Acting Communications Secretary Dave Gomez.