CEBU - In a year marked by maritime troubles and fracturing alliances, ASEAN’S theme for 2026, “Navigating Our Future, Together”, unveiled in November 2025, has turned out to be uncannily prescient in echoing a much-needed clarion call.

Over May 7 and 8 in sunny Cebu, leaders and senior officials from the 11 South-east Asian states took turns at the ASEAN summit to repeat calls for closer links to tackle the multitude of challenges ahead. In the wake of an effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that has drastically disrupted the oil trade, ASEAN leaders also issued a declaration on maritime cooperation, pledging to ensure the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.

Amid the deepening energy crisis that has led to a spike in inflation across the region, particularly in Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam, leaders are also urging the grouping to step up energy resilience. In particular, there has been a growing urgency to push for the ratification of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA) and to operationalise t...