HARNESSING Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technologies as well as the commemoration and the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) will be among the highlights of the Philippines’ hosting of the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit, according to President Ferdinand Marcos.
The chief executive made the announcement during the national launch of the country’s hosting of the Asean Summit next year at the Foro de Intramuros, Manila, last Friday.
With the theme of ‘Navigating Our Future, Together,’ Marcos said the Summit next year aims to come out with a unified position on the use of AI to address ‘evolving security challenges,’ disaster response, healthcare, education, youth empowerment, and enhancing businesses.
‘By promoting the safe, ethical, responsible, equitable and sustainable adoption of AI in all areas such as trade facilitation, digitalization and innovation, we aim to enhance regional competitiveness, support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and unlock new opportunities for inclusive and sustainable growth,’ Marcos said.
However, he said, ‘AI will not replace human touch,’ but only augment the capacity of workers.
During the Summit next year, the Philippines will also celebrate the 50th anniversary of the TAC, which, Marcos said, played a crucial role in fostering international cooperation and dialogue in the last five decades.
Through the commemoration, he hopes it will promote peace and stability through dialogue, adherence to international law, and enhanced cooperation on traditional and non-traditional security issues.
Under the Philippines’ chairmanship of Asean, Marcos said he is also making a breakthrough in finally ending the civil war in Myanmar. The armed conflict in the Southeast Asian country erupted following a military coup in 2021.
He appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro as the Philippines’s Special Envoy of the Chair on Myanmar to facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
‘We are confident that she shall bring a constructive, principled, and inclusive approach to supporting the people of Myanmar, guided by her mandate and the Five-Point Consensus, as we work together towards peace, stability, and reconciliation,’ he said.
Marcos said conferences for the 2026 Asean Summit will be held in Manila, Cebu, Bohol, Boracay, Laoag, Iloilo, Tagaytay, and Clark to showcase the country’s diversity and culture.
‘Together, these venues tell the story of a nation that mirrors Asean itself-diverse yet united, traditional yet forward-looking, and increasingly future-ready through innovation and through technology,’ he said.
The unity, he said, will also be reflected in the Asean Philippines 2026 logo and stamp, which were also launched on Friday.
The new logo features an image of a rice stalk with grains representing the 11 members of Asean, a weave pattern to show their merging cultures, as well as a wave and balangay to reflect the theme of the Summit next year.
Prior to attending the launch of the 2026 Asean Summit, Marcos also met with world-renowned actor George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, an international human rights lawyer, in Malacañang to discuss how to strengthen press freedom and the potential of AI to broaden access to justice.