Coconut Palace, Pasay City
August 8, 2025
The Philippines joined its fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member Countries in commemorating the 58th founding anniversary of the ASEAN, celebrating its vital role in promoting economic growth, social progress and cultural development.
In an interview, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary Hellen De La Vega, Director-General for Operations of the ASEAN 2026 National Organizing Council (NOC), shared brief insights on the significant impact being felt in the Philippines as one of the ASEAN Members, as well as the country’s vision when it assumes the Chairship in 2026, aligned with the national agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
“Halimbawa po sa ating political security, now we really have enjoyed regional peace and stability because of that Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia that binds us together. Dahil meron po itong mga prinsipyo about mutual trust, about good neighborliness among countries. And then ‘yung pang mas diretso pong impact sa ating mga kabuhayan is of course we are given access to grow together as an economic community involving the 650 million citizens of ASEAN,” she said.
“During our watch, we wanted to see how we can navigate our future together… Let’s try to understand anong klaseng journey na po ang ginawa natin from 1967 and to understand the place of the Philippines in this scheme of things of finding or navigating our path towards a better future,” Undersecretary De La Vega added.
The ASEAN Day Celebration 2025 held at the Coconut Palace in Pasay City featured performances from El Gamma Penumbra, the internationally acclaimed Filipino shadow play group known for their creative storytelling and powerful visual artistry; the award-winning De La Salle University (DLSU) Chorale, which has proudly represented the country in festivals and competitions across Europe and Asia; and KAIA, a five-member Philippine pop group that embodied the spirit of Filipino youth at the ASEAN-Korea Music Festival held in Laos and at the ASEAN-India Music Festival.
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