The Philippines’ ASEAN 2026 Chairship: Steering the Region toward Greater Resilience, Connection, and Change
ASEAN is home to nearly 700 million people and is now the world’s 5th largest economy and on track to become the 4th largest by 2030. Photo credit: ADB.
Themed 'Navigating Our Future, Together,' the 2026 chairship is rooted in ASEAN’s founding values of peace, stability, and inclusive growth.
The Philippines is chairing the ASEAN annual meetings this year, at a time when the region stands at the crossroads of unprecedented opportunity and evolving global challenges.
Home to nearly 700 million people, ASEAN is now the world’s 5th largest economy and is on track to become the 4th largest by 2030.
In its update of the economic outlook for the region as of December, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) raised growth forecasts for Southeast Asia for 2025 and 2026 to 4.5% and 4.4%, from 4.3% in both years, citing resurgent exports and sectoral growth for some economies. Some economies face constraints from high household debt, slowing investment, and infrastructure bottlenecks. Still, the region remains resilient, ADB said. However, it cautioned against downside risks from global uncertainty, climate-related disruptions, and domestic political developments. Prospects depend on sustained policy support and flexible economic strategies.
People-centered
In the chairship's official website, the Philippines vowed to steer the region toward “greater resilience, deeper connection, and meaningful change” while placing people at the center of progress.
Themed “Navigating Our Future, Together,” the 2026 chairship is rooted in ASEAN’s founding values of peace, stability, and inclusive growth.
“This theme captures both our vision and our conviction—that ASEAN’s strength lies in unity, and that together, we can chart a future that is peaceful, prosperous, and people-centered,” said Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the launch of the country’s ASEAN chairship in November. “It envisions a forward-looking ASEAN—one that embraces innovation, leverages its diversity, and equips our people for the challenges that we face today and tomorrow.”
He said the Philippines will steer the region guided by three central priorities: peace and security anchors, prosperity corridors, and people empowerment. “These will direct ASEAN’s efforts to strengthen dialogue and cooperation on regional security, deepen economic integration through innovation and sustainability, and uplift the lives and resilience of our peoples.”
In the chairship website, the Philippines committed to champion peace and regional stability through dialogue, adherence to international law, and strengthened cooperation on emerging and non-traditional security threats. To build prosperity corridors, it committed to greater economic integration, digital transformation, and inclusive and sustainable development that benefits ASEAN’s people. It vowed to empower ASEAN's people by fostering social inclusion, protecting vulnerable groups, and promoting a sense of shared identity and community.
Deploying AI
In his speech, President Marcos highlighted the role of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), in advancing all three pillars.
He said harnessing AI will strengthen ASEAN’s capacity not just to respond to security challenges, but also drive the region’s transition into a digitally empowered community that is inclusive. “By promoting the safe, ethical, responsible, equitable, and sustainable adoption of AI in all areas such as trade facilitation, digitalization, and innovation, we aim to enhance regional competitiveness, support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and unlock new opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth,” he said.
AI can also help enhance healthcare, education, and youth empowerment to broaden access to essential services and cultivating creativity for the next generation. He also wants ASEAN to deploy AI to advance the silver economy, fostering a more connected, resilient, and age-inclusive community.
Over the past 3 years, AI has emerged as an innovative solution to address various challenges, whether in manufacturing, health care, and finance. An ADB publication released in 2024 said AI has the potential to serve as a key driver of growth and innovation. “However, this can only be fully realized if sufficient investments are made not only to effectively harness the technology but also to empower teams to become competent in responsibly leveraging AI to augment decisions and enhance productivity and efficiency,” said ADB Information Technology Department Chief Information Officer and Director General Stephanie King-chung Hung in the publication’s introduction.
“AI is still in the nascent stages of development, which makes this the best time for us to test, experiment with, and learn different ways we can use AI in different contexts,” she said.
In a meeting in December, President Marcos and ADB President Masato Kanda discussed the bank’s support for the country’s chairship, including helping ASEAN with artificial intelligence readiness and deployment, regional connectivity and integration, and other priorities.
ADB is planning a comprehensive package of support to help the Philippines deliver regional outcomes.
"ADB is committed to support the Philippines in elevating ASEAN's ambition to become more competitive, resilient, and sustainable," said Mr. Kanda. "We look forward to working together on the success of ASEAN 2026.”
