ASEAN Leaders Hold 48th Summit in Cebu to Address Global Energy and Food Disruptions

More than 20,000 delegates from 11 ASEAN member countries arrived in Cebu province on Tuesday for the 48th ASEAN Summit, the first leaders-level meeting under the Philippines' 2026 chairmanship. The gathering, set for May 6 to 8, centers on the bloc's response to the United States and Israel's war on Iran, which has disrupted global oil and food supplies. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Described the summit in Mactan Island as a 'bare-bones' event, narrowing discussions to oil supply, food supply and prices, and migrant workers' welfare. ASEAN leaders will converge on Mactan Island from May 7 to 8 to address these priorities. The Philippines, as chair, had asked the 10 other members in late March whether to postpone the May meeting amid the escalating crisis.

'The consensus that we came to is that it is precisely now that we must coordinate our efforts,' Marcos stated then, just days after declaring a year-long national energy emergency for the country. The war's effects have hit Asia hard, particularly through the almost total closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Up to 84% of crude oil and 83% of liquefied natural gas destined for Asia passed through the strait before the first strikes against Tehran in late February 2026, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Vessels had enjoyed transit passage there under international law until those strikes began. The Philippines relies heavily on Middle East oil, including crude processed at its sole refinery operated by Petron Corp. or petroleum products from the Gulf refined in nearby Asian countries.

Asia ranks among the regions most affected by the strait closure, exacerbating Southeast Asia's energy vulnerabilities flagged by the International Energy Agency in 2024. 'The crisis underscores the structural vulnerability of Southeast Asia’s energy dependence on distant and volatile supply regions,' stated authors Sreeparna Banerjee and Abhishek Sharma in the report.

Fears of food shortages stem from disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and broader Gulf area, as farming depends on petroleum-based fertilizers tied to global supply chains. The leaders' plenary at the summit will target energy security for the bloc, stabilizing food security, and ensuring the safety of ASEAN nationals.

The leaders' retreat will allow exchanges on regional and international issues, with a specific emphasis on managing oil supply and price volatility from geopolitical tensions, plus lessons from the recent crisis.

3% of the world's migrant workers, with nearly half—47%—in the services sector, per the International Organization for Migration's 2025 Asia-Pacific report. The Philippines sends the most labor migrants from Southeast Asia globally, followed by Indonesia, based on 2020 IOM data featured in ASEAN's 2024 Migration Outlook.

Cebu last hosted an ASEAN summit in 2007 under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, when the Cebu Declaration established the bloc's three pillars: economy, security, and socio-cultural communities.

Before that declaration, ASEAN operated under just two pillars—economy and security. For 2026, the ASEAN Economic Community is chaired by Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, the Political-Security Community by Foreign Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, and the Socio-Cultural Community by Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian.

All three communities have already convened at least once ahead of the Mactan summit.

2 million Filipinos per the 2024 census, stands as the country's most vote-rich province and a hub for trade and culture in the Visayas. The local language, Bisaya, is spoken in at least 16% of Philippine households, though many residents also speak English and Filipino fluently.

ASEAN summits have occasionally narrowed to singular focuses, as in 2020 when Vietnam chaired amid the COVID-19 pandemic and meetings shifted online due to travel restrictions.

The Philippines aims to finalize a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea with China before 2026 ends. The Armed Forces of the Philippines has taken over leadership of the ASEAN Observer Team at the Cambodia-Thailand border. Myanmar's recent election saw junta chief Min Aung Hlaing win the presidency, complicating the bloc's approach.

In 2021, ASEAN leaders agreed not to engage directly with Myanmar's junta leaders; Naypyidaw remains represented by its Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.