President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. returned to Manila early Wednesday following his three-day participation in the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

During the summit, the President announced that the Philippines will chair the regional bloc in 2026.

In a statement upon his return, Marcos said the summit served as “an opportunity to discuss among our fellow ASEAN member states and partners how to navigate our future together amidst various geopolitical and economic challenges.”

"We discussed significant international issues, the emerging challenges that not only impact our peoples and our nation, but also the entire region, especially the West Philippine Sea," Marcos said.

Without referring to any specific country, Marcos underscored the Philippines’ determination to protect its sovereignty and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea “in accordance with international law.”

“We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with all countries who share our values and our commitment to peace, stability, and economic progress,” Marcos said.

Marcos reaffirmed ASEAN’s collective commitment to a rules-based, open, and transparent multilateral trading system, citing ongoing upgrades to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement, amendments to free trade agreements, and the continued utilization of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

“These agreements will provide transparency, stability, and predictability, key foundations for building confidence among businesses and investors, and for sustaining ASEAN's role as a driver of regional and global growth,” he said.

On the sidelines, he held bilateral meetings with leaders from Cambodia, Canada, Thailand, Japan, the European Union, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Nations Secretary-General, focusing on cooperation in security, defense, maritime affairs, climate action, trade, investment, agriculture, and people-to-people relations.

Marcos expressed gratitude to these leaders for supporting the Philippines’ upcoming ASEAN chairmanship in 2026. He also extended appreciation to Malaysia, the 2025 ASEAN chair and host of this year’s summit, for successfully organizing the event.

Malaysia formally turned over the ASEAN chairship to the Philippines for 2026.

“As the 2026 chair of ASEAN, the Philippines looks forward to building on Malaysia’s theme of inclusivity and sustainability as we navigate our future together,” Marcos concluded.