Duterte: ASEAN will overcome pandemic through cooperation

President Duterte and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar expressed optimism that ASEAN will continue to address the challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Duterte emphasized the importance of cooperation among member-states in overcoming the crisis, noting that addressing the pandemic with 'friends' transforms the burden into an opportunity for a more resilient Southeast Asian region.

ASEAN was established on August 8, 1967, and now consists of ten member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.

The Philippines currently has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in ASEAN at 122,754, followed by Indonesia with 121,226 cases.