MESSAGE OF

THE SECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

MA. THERESA P. LAZARO

ON THE OCCASION OF THE COMMEMORATION OF THE

58TH FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY OF THE

ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS

08 August 2025

Pasay City

The Department of Foreign Affairs joins the entire region in celebrating the 58th Founding Anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). On this occasion, we reaffirm the Philippines’ enduring commitment to regional solidarity and cooperation, peace, progress, and shared prosperity, which are the very principles enshrined in the Bangkok Declaration by ASEAN’s founding members.

For more than five decades, ASEAN has served as a vital platform for its Member States to engage in dialogue and cooperation across the three pillars: political-security, economic, and socio-cultural. ASEAN  has evolved into the center of our regional architecture, expanding its convening power to include dialogue partners and address both regional and global challenges.

The Philippines remains committed to promoting a people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN, one that delivers real and tangible benefits to its citizens. These include students who have access to  quality education through ASEAN scholarships, communities that   receive  timely assistance through coordinated disaster response, MSMEs that  flourish  through regional trade and investment agreements, and tourists who enjoy greater mobility across ASEAN Member States, among others. These are clear examples of how regional cooperation directly impacts the lives of our people.

Next year, the Philippines will assume the ASEAN Chairship for 2026. This presents a valuable opportunity for our country to help shape ASEAN’s priorities. We look forward to contributing to the region’s collective future, one that is peaceful, secure, and prosperous. END