MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines opened a series of high-level meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) this week, combining diplomacy with cultural diplomacy as it seeks to shape the region’s social policy agenda while highlighting Filipino heritage, officials said.
Serving as ASEAN chair for 2026, the Philippine government is hosting the 35th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting and related gatherings from March 2 to March 5, bringing together ministers and senior officials from the bloc’s member states in Makati City. The meetings are being led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Philippine agency responsible for the ASEAN socio-cultural pillar.
Philippine officials said the gatherings aim to strengthen cooperation on issues affecting the region’s nearly 700 million people, including family resilience, youth development, social protection, and disaster preparedness.
Cultural Diplomacy Alongside Policy Talks
Beyond policy discussions, the Philippines is using the meetings to showcase its cultural identity. Delegates are expected to participate in curated heritage and gastronomic tours and attend performances of traditional Filipino music and dance.
“The richness of Filipino culture will also be highlighted through curated gastronomic and heritage tours and traditional performances,” said DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene B. Dumlao during a press briefing.
Officials described the cultural program as part of the Philippines’ effort to welcome regional partners with what Dumlao called “the spirit of unity,” reflecting the country’s broader diplomatic approach to its ASEAN chairmanship.
A People-Centered ASEAN Agenda
The week’s events include three major meetings: the 40th Senior Officials Committee for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (SOCA) Meeting, the High-Level ASCC Council Forum, and the 35th ASCC Council Meeting, where ministers are expected to adopt policy frameworks addressing social development across Southeast Asia.
The discussions are framed under the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together,” which emphasizes a more people-oriented regional cooperation model.
Rex Gatchalian, the Philippine social welfare secretary and current ASCC chair, is leading the ministerial talks, with Masagos Zulkifli of Singapore serving as vice chair. Delegations from all ASEAN member states — including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam — as well as observer state Timor-Leste and the ASEAN Secretariat, are participating.
Addressing Regional Social Challenges
ASEAN officials say the meetings come at a time when the region faces overlapping challenges — from climate-related disasters and food insecurity to digital risks affecting younger generations.
Philippine officials have urged ASEAN to confront what they described as “complex and interconnected problems” that could deepen poverty, displacement and social vulnerability across Southeast Asia.
Among the initiatives under discussion are proposals to strengthen regional family-development networks, expand opportunities for aging populations through a “silver economy,” and improve digital resilience and safety for young people increasingly reliant on online technologies.
The meetings are expected to conclude with the adoption of several regional frameworks intended to guide ASEAN’s social policies in the coming years.
A Broader Regional Role
For the Philippines, the meetings mark an early milestone in its ASEAN chairmanship — a role that carries growing geopolitical significance as Southeast Asia becomes one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions.
By hosting the ASCC gatherings, Manila hopes to reinforce ASEAN’s vision of a region where economic integration is matched by stronger social cooperation.
“Our priority,” Dumlao said, “is to empower individuals, families and communities — because empowering people is the foundation of ASEAN’s success.”