Marcos: ASEAN leaders fully agree on creating maritime center in PH

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday said leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have reached a broad consensus supporting the establishment of an ASEAN Maritime Center in the Philippines.

Speaking at a press conference here following the 48th ASEAN Summit here, Marcos said the concept and principle behind the proposed center were “fully agreed on” by ASEAN member-states.

“There was a very wide consensus amongst all members,” Marcos said.

“We proposed the idea. We are offering the Philippines to be the home of that center,” he added.

The proposed ASEAN Maritime Center was earlier included in the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation adopted during the summit.

Marcos said the initiative aims to strengthen coordination on maritime concerns across Southeast Asia, particularly ensuring freedom of navigation, maritime safety and peaceful transit in the South China Sea.

“What we are working for is the continued freedom of navigation and the peaceful navigation in the South China Sea,” the President said.

He noted that a large portion of global trade passes through the South China Sea, making maritime stability critical not only for ASEAN but also for the broader global economy.

Marcos cited recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz caused by tensions in the Middle East as an example of how conflicts affecting key maritime routes could severely disrupt trade and supply chains.

The President said the maritime center is not intended to confront any specific country but would instead serve as a regional platform for coordination on maritime security, illegal fishing, smuggling, human trafficking and monitoring vessel traffic.

He added that ASEAN member-states still need to finalize the framework, funding structure, operational mandate and organizational setup of the proposed center.

Marcos said ASEAN countries currently conduct maritime monitoring individually, but the planned center seeks to create a more cohesive and coordinated regional mechanism to avoid duplication and strengthen cooperation.

The Philippines has consistently pushed for adherence to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in the South China Sea, including features in the West Philippine Sea that are well within Manila’s exclusive economic zone.