MANILA (UPDATED) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. left for Tokyo on Friday afternoon to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations -Japan Commemorative Summit, his last foreign trip for 2023.

Marcos arrived in Tokyo at around 6 p.m. (Philippine time).

Marcos said the summit, which marks 50 years of friendship and cooperation between ASEAN and Japan, presents “an opportunity for the Philippines to affirm its position on current international issues and advance Philippine interests.”

“It is also an opportunity to welcome the conferment of Comprehensive Partner Status to Japan, ASEAN’s trusted and reliable partner in peace, economic development, and community-building,” the President said in his departure speech at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

During the summit, Marcos said he would highlight the evolution of the ASEAN-Japan relationship, “particularly in shared commitment towards peace and security, trade and investment, food security, climate action, energy security, supply chain resilience, infrastructure development, and now, connectivity.”

“I shall reassure ASEAN Member States and Japan that as permanent country coordinator for ASEAN-Japan Economic Relations, the Philippines will always continue to shepherd ASEAN initiatives and projects with Japan not only to co-create a region of economic prosperity, but also an inclusive society that is ready for the future,” he said.

The President will also participate in the Asia Zero Emission Community or AZEC Leaders Meeting, where he will apprise AZEC Partner countries of Philippine initiatives to promote a clean energy transition.

“I will thus invite AZEC Partners, Japan included, to invest in the Philippine Renewable Energy Industry to achieve not only the intention of the AZEC, but also the overall goal of the Paris Agreement,” he said.

Marcos said the Commemorative Summit would feature three sessions, each with a particular focus within the ASEAN-Japan framework.

“The first session will take stock of Japan’s contribution to ASEAN’s community-building efforts, as well as Japan’s consistent support for ASEAN Centrality and the rules-based international order,” the President said.

The second session will feature “Heart to Heart” Partnership across Generations, where leaders will “recognize Japan’s commitment and steadfast initiatives in promoting friendship and camaraderie amongst the peoples of ASEAN and Japan to include the Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths (JENESYS) Program.”

Meanwhile, the last summit program will be on Co-Creation of Economy and Society of the Future where the President said he would bring the Philippine economic team led by Secretary Fred Pascual to participate in talks.

Marcos is set to return to the Philippines on Dec. 18.

Malacañang said Vice President Sara Duterte would serve as government caretaker while the President is in Japan.

• PH, US, Japan to strengthen trilateral cooperation after China’s ‘dangerous’ actions
• War-displaced Japanese descendants in Philippines visit Okinawa