Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress

The world is changing fast, and ASEAN is caught in the middle. As global power shifts continue to affect the regional order, what does this mean for Southeast Asia and ASEAN as an institution?

Join the conversation in Session 4 "ASEAN in a Changing World: What Does It Mean for Us?" at the ASEAN for the Peoples Week 2026, taking place on Friday, 8 May 2026, from 14:35 to 15:35 Cebu Time at the Monte Carlo Ballroom, Mövenpick Hotel Cebu, the Philippines.

Register now for ASEAN Community Town Hall via aseanforthepeoples.org. You can also watch it live on our website — see you there!

The Asia Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation is glad to partner with the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia in holding the ASEAN Community Town Hall, part of a series of activities under the ASEAN for the Peoples Week. The event will be held on the sidelines of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu. The Town Hall will be held in Movenpick Hotel in Mactan Island from 9AM-5PM. It is free and open to the public. Please register at the link in the poster below.

Last week, Pathways Research Fellow Lucio B. Pitlo III joined the 2025 Boao Forum for Asia Sub-Forum on the South China Sea held in Hainan, China. He joined participants from Mainland China, Taiwan, Australia, Cambodia, Canada, Germany, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. Thanks to the organizers, National Institute for South China Sea Studies, China Oceanic Development Foundation, Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, and Boao Forum for Asia Secretariat, for the kind invitation. Photos courtesy of Beijing Scroll, China Daily and fellow Filipino participant and youth leader Hugo Santos.

Sad to see the open rift between the Philippines’ top two leaders which may affect their ability to steer the country amid domestic and external challenges. Economic managers have to do more to reassure investors that the noise does not undermine the country’s fundamentals. The heated exchange exposes the fragility of political alliances formed during elections. The unfolding drama also expose the dominance of political families and the lack of institutional political parties in Asia’s first constitutional democracy. That the feud comes just two years into President Marcos’ 6-year term bode stormy times ahead for his government. This may also affect Vice President Duterte’s bid to succeed him. Pathways Research Fellow Lucio B. Pitlo III shares his views with Indonesia's SEA Today.