LIVE UPDATES: 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul arrives in Cebu on Thursday, May 7, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.

Anutin has been prime minister of Thailand since September 2025. Thailand is one of the five founding members of ASEAN, establishing the bloc in 1967 along with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore.

Anutin is set to meet with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet later on Thursday. Thailand and Cambodia are locked in a border dispute.

Screenshots from ASEAN Philippines 2026 YouTube stream

Leaders from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines meet in Cebu on May 7, 2026, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. convenes a special summit of the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area or BIMP-EAGA. 

The economic cooperation program was established in 1994 to “spur development in remote and less developed areas” in the four countries.

Nagtagbo na ang mga lider sa Association of Southeast Asian Nations sa probinsya sa Cebu para sa 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings karon May 6 to 8, 2026.

Tutukan sa maong nag-una nga miting sa mga lider sa karon tuig ang usa ka importante nga isyu: ang epekto sa gubat sa Middle East sa Southeast Asia ug ang mga lungsoranon niini sa tibuok kalibutan.

Live ang report ni Bea Cupin ug Tatiana Maligro gikan sa ASEAN International Media Center sa Mactan World Museum sa Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong arrives in Cebu on Thursday, May 7, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.

Wong has been prime minister of Singapore since May 2024, and also its finance minister since May 2021. Singapore is one of the five founding members of ASEAN, establishing the bloc in 1967 along with Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

Screenshots from ASEAN Philippines 2026 YouTube stream

Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrive in the Philippine province of Cebu on Thursday, May 7, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. The summit proper, to be attended by leaders of the bloc’s member states, is set for Friday, May 8.

Philippine Trade Secretary Cristina Roque urged trade and foreign ministers of ASEAN countries to strengthen coordination to ensure a stable energy supply and to reduce price pressures within the region.

In her opening remarks at the ASEAN joint foreign and economic ministers meeting on Thursday, May 7, Roque noted that the impact of the Middle East situation does not fall neatly between geopolitics and global trade.

“We should focus on a few clear priorities: strengthening coordination to stabilize energy supply and manage price pressures, addressing risk to food security and supply chain disruptions early, and ensuring that our businesses, particularly the MSMEs, are supported so they can continue to operate and to grow,” she said.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrives in Cebu on Thursday, May 7, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.

Prabowo, a retired military officer, has been president of Indonesia since October 2024. Indonesia is one of the five founding members of ASEAN, establishing the bloc in 1967 along with Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

Screenshots from ASEAN Philippines 2026 YouTube stream

In convening the ASEAN Joint Foreign and Economic Ministers’ meeting in Cebu, Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro said the US and Israel’s war on Iran has “blurred lines between political and economic…affecting the lives of people across ASEAN.” 

She adds that following the 48th ASEAN Summit slated on May 8, the bloc aspires for a leaders’ statement that is “not just a unified position but…the foundation of our response to future crisis.” 

“As we have witnessed in the past, ASEAN has weathered all types of crisis…by learning into our values or coordination, openness, and unity…to prioritize support for each other. Our region has proven that we can go further and attain more together rather than as individual states,” she added. 

ASEAN’s response to the economic crisis triggered by hostilities in the Gulf will be the focus of the bloc’s first leaders-level meeting in 2026.

The foreign ministers and economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations convene jointly in Cebu on May 7, 2026, ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit or the first time the bloc’s leaders will meet with the Philippines as chair.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim arrives in Cebu on Thursday, May 7, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings.

Anwar has been prime minister of Malaysia since November 2022. Malaysia is one of the five founding members of ASEAN, establishing the bloc in 1967 along with Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

Screenshots from ASEAN Philippines 2026 YouTube stream