ASEAN leaders to arrive in PH starting Nov. 14 for 2026 summit

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ASEAN leaders are expected to begin arriving in the Philippines on Saturday, November 14, 2026, ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday.

DFA Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier “Dax” Imperial, spokesperson for ASEAN affairs, said that international delegates have started arriving as meetings among senior officials begin Friday.

“Ang pinakamahalaga po dito ay yung pagpupulong ng mga leaders. So asahan din po natin na yung mga leaders, especially ng ASEAN, ay dadating na po sila simula bukas,” Imperial told GMA News’ Unang Balita in an interview.

(The most important thing here is the leaders' meeting. So let's also expect the leaders, especially from ASEAN, to arrive starting tomorrow,” Imperial told GMA News' Unang Balita in an interview.

The foreign ministers' meeting is scheduled for Saturday, while the meetings of ASEAN leaders will take place from November 15 to 17.

The Philippines is also expecting leaders from ASEAN dialogue partner countries to attend the gathering.

Imperial said the ASEAN National Organizing Council (NOC) assured the government that authorities were ready to address identified security concerns.

These include ensuring the safety of visiting delegations, addressing cybersecurity threats, and protecting facilities that will be used during the summit.

Imperial said the country is 100% ready to host the summit, citing preparations that began as early as 2025 through a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach. —Joviland Rita/ VAL, GMA News