Villamor Air Base, Pasay City
September 4, 2023
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. delivers his departure statement before heading to Jakarta, Indonesia to participate in the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits from 5-7 September 2023.
Carrying the theme, ‘ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,’ the Summit is a follow-on to the May Summit held in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia that aims to accelerate the momentum of the ASEAN Community building process. Leaders from the ASEAN Member States and Dialogue Partners will exchange views on key regional and international issues, build consensus on matters of mutual interest and provide policy direction for the ASEAN Community in the years to come.
The Chief Executive will continue to uphold and promote the country’s interests in the regional bloc by highlighting advocacies in strengthening food and energy security, harnessing the potential of the digital and creative industries as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and addressing the impacts of climate change, among others.
President Marcos Jr. will continue to emphasize the Philippines’ efforts to protect migrant workers in crisis situation and combatting trafficking in persons especially with the use and abuse of technology.
Likewise, he will continue to promote a rules-based international order including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) especially in the South China Sea. The Philippines continues to uphold and exercise freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea in accordance with international law.
Furthermore, the President will hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Cambodia, Vietnam, South Korea and Timor Leste.
