MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. returned to Manila on Wednesday after participating in the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Philippine Airlines Flight 001 carrying Marcos touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at around 3 a.m.

In his arrival message, the President said that during his engagements in the ASEAN, he reaffirmed the Philippines’ unwavering commitment to strengthening bilateral, regional, and inter-regional ties, as well as in advancing peace and the rule of law, cooperation, and sustainable development.

“The Summit was once again an opportunity to discuss among our fellow ASEAN Member States and partners how we should navigate our futures together. This amidst the various geopolitical and economic challenges that we face nationally, bilaterally, regionally, and globally,” Marcos said.

Among the central issues discussed during the summit were “significant international issues and emerging challenges,” including the West Philippine Sea

“I reaffirmed that the Philippines will continue to defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea, in accordance with international law,” Marcos said.

“We continue to strengthen our partnerships with all countries who share our values and our commitment to peace and the rule of law.”

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Marcos said the summit also discussed the impact of the imposition of unilateral tariff measures, which pose a threat to a region as economically integrated as the ASEAN.

“We welcomed the progress in trade and customs, sustainable investment guidelines, mobilization of green financing, multilateral power trade, support to micro, small, and medium enterprises, and sustainable tourism, mining, and agriculture, among others,” he said.

The Philippine leader also held bilateral talks with the leaders of Lao PDR, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Kuwait at the sidelines of the Summit.

“We reaffirmed commitment to strengthen bilateral relations and further advance cooperation on many fields of mutual interests such as defense, maritime, trade, human resource and development, and education,” Marcos Jr said.

During these bilateral meetings, the President said that he explored with other heads of state active ways to boost private sector investment, as well as possible cooperation on advanced technologies, AI, and the digital space.

“I emphasized that welfare, safety, and progress of Filipinos working and living overseas is of paramount importance to my administration,” he said.

“In all my bilateral engagements, one thing is clear:  we have to continue to cooperate and to work together to navigate a future that presents us with many opportunities together with many challenges.”

Marcos then expressed his gratitude to Malaysia for its successful hosting of the 46th ASEAN Summit.

“As the 2026 Chair of ASEAN, the Philippines looks forward to building on the gains of Malaysia’s Chairship and carry ASEAN forward as we “navigate our future together,” the President said.