ASEAN Maritime Center in PH pushed — DFA's Lazaro

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — The Philippines is seeking to house a maritime center that will be used by Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-states to enhance maritime security in the region.

Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said this on Thursday, during the 31st ASEAN Political-Security Community Meeting, which she chairs.

During the meeting here, Lazaro underscored the need to strengthen maritime security and cooperation among ASEAN member-states.

“Equally vital is the need to advance maritime security and cooperation. As a region linked by our seas, the maritime domain remains central to our pursuit of stability and prosperity,” she said.

“It is in this context that the Philippines underscores the importance of the ASEAN Leaders' Declaration on Maritime Cooperation, recognizing the multidimensional nature of maritime issues and underscoring the importance of enhancing coordination among [ASEAN member-states],” she added.

Lazaro said a key aspect of the cooperation is the proposed establishment of the ASEAN Maritime Center in the Philippines.

The Philippines is the chair of ASEAN for 2026.

Lazaro said that the country’s vision for ASEAN remains: to have a peaceful, stable, and secure region based on the fundamental principles as enshrined in the ASEAN Charter, the UN Charter, and principles of international law.

“This commitment now comes at a profound importance amid recent developments confounding the global geopolitical landscape,” she added.

ASEAN 2026 spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial said Wednesday that ASEAN is seeing good developments regarding negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) on the South China Sea.

The proposed Code of Conduct aims to set some rules to prevent the intensifying disputes in the South China Sea from worsening into an armed conflict that could involve the United States—a treaty ally of the Philippines—and other Asian countries at odds with China.

The negotiations, however, have suffered delays and have dragged on for more than a decade.

In its bid to deliver a COC by its 2026 target, the Philippines has increased the frequency of talks between ASEAN and China, holding monthly in-person and virtual meetings. — RSJ, GMA News