Philippines Lines Up ASEAN Meetings Ahead Of November Summit
MANILA, Sept 13 (Bernama-PNA) -- The Philippines will host a series of high-level ASEAN meetings in September and October in the lead-up to the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in November, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported.
Among the major September activities are meetings on economic integration and disaster resilience, with several events to be held in Metro Manila.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will lead the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meetings and Related Meetings from Sept 14 to 22, gathering regional economic ministers and counterparts from the bloc’s key economic partners to advance regional economic integration and cooperation, discuss global economic developments and move forward the Philippines’ priority economic deliverables under its ASEAN chairship.
Outcomes and recommendations from the 58th AEM and Related Meetings will help inform economic discussions at the November summit.
Business and stakeholder activities from Sept 17 to 21 will include the ASEAN Creative Industries Expo by Malikhaing Pinoy (ASEAN MPEx) 2026 and the ASEAN MSME Summit, highlighting MSMEs and the creative economy as drivers of innovation, job creation and inclusive growth.
The Office of Civil Defence (OCD) will lead the ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience (AMCDR) 2026 on Sept 15 and 16, while the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) will lead the ASEAN Peace Education High-Level Conference on Sept 22 to 23.
Under the theme “Peace Education for Shared Futures and Enduring Cooperation", the ASEAN Peace Education High-Level Conference will bring together policymakers, educators, youth, civil society and development partners to advance peace education as a strategic enabler of sustainable peace, resilience and cooperation in Southeast Asia.
For women and gender development, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) will lead and co-host three major regional events from September to October under its ASEAN Committee on Women Chairship, focusing on women’s leadership, women, peace and security, and the care economy.
The 4th ASEAN Women Leaders’ Summit will be held Sept 29 to Oct 1 under the theme “Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity in the ASEAN Region". It is expected to produce a Joint Ministerial Statement on Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity, setting shared gender-equality commitments toward ASEAN’s post-2025 vision to 2045.
The ASEAN Conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) will follow on Oct 6 to 8, co-led by PCW and OPAPRU, while the ASEAN Conference on Investing in Care will be held Oct 28 to 30 in Metro Manila.
The WPS conference is expected to generate recommendations for ASEAN’s review of its WPS agenda, while the care economy conference will launch the ASEAN Guidance Note on Strengthening the Care Economy.
The Department of Tourism (DOT) will host the ASEAN Tourism Ministers’ Retreat (ATMR) on Sept 29 in Manila, providing an informal, high-level platform for tourism ministers to discuss emerging challenges, opportunities and strategic directions for regional tourism.
The ASEAN Tourism Investment Showcase, held alongside the retreat, will connect ASEAN member-states with investors, financing institutions and development partners. Its outcomes will contribute to the Investment Outlook and provide inputs for the November ASEAN Leaders’ Summit.
In October, the Department of Energy (DOE) will lead meetings from Oct 5 to 9, while OPAPRU will hold activities from Oct 6 to 9.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will lead the 20th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime from Oct 19 to 21 in Manila.
The Department of National Defence (DND) will host the 20th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings on Oct 28 and 29 in Cebu.
The meetings will advance the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship priorities and deliverables, with their outcomes feeding into the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in November.
-- BERNAMA-PNA
