MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday said discussions at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will include efforts to develop a collective and constructive regional response to the newly announced U.S. tariff measures.

Speaking before his departure for the two-day summit, Marcos said he had already initiated talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim on how the regional bloc should address the tariffs imposed by Washington.

“We have already made informal consultations with our fellow member states and their representatives with the Chairman, PM Anwar, on this subject as it is something that we have to discuss and it is something that we have to respond to,” the President said.

Marcos emphasized the importance of acknowledging the varying economic contexts across ASEAN in crafting a unified response.

He added that the bloc must “find a way to find consensus amongst the disparate situations that the different member states are operating under.”

The President reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to regional cooperation, as well as the welfare of both Filipinos and the Southeast Asian community.

Marcos also vowed to advocate for an ethical and responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) framework that is aligned with ASEAN values.