MANILA: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reminded foreign ministers of Southeast Asia and other countries that peace can only be achieved if it is “built patiently, sustained collectively and nurtured intently” as he hosted a gala dinner for top diplomats in celebration of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation’s (TAC) 50th anniversary.
Marcos hosted the gala dinner at Malacañang on the last day of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ meeting in Manila, where ministers from the regional bloc’s partner countries were also invited.
The reception also comes after the regional bloc’s foreign ministers met in an “inaugural high-level conference of the high contracting parties” to craft “practical and mutually beneficial cooperation” guidelines that “are more than just the procedural document,” Marcos Jr. said in his speech.
“These milestones are not simply chapters in ASEAN’s history and by extension to you nation’s rich chronicles,” the President said.
“They reflect the Philippines’ enduring belief that peace is never achieved by chance. It is built patiently, sustained collectively, and nurtured intently,” he said.
Marcos also looked back at how his father, former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was among the five Southeast Asian leaders who gathered in Bali, Indonesia to forge the TAC in 1976.
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“The treaty was signed around the common table where the leaders of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand chose to sit together at a time of immense global rivalries and tensions,” he said.
“That table became more than just the setting of a historic ceremony. It became the symbol of a region choosing cooperation over confrontation. It became the center of Southeast Asian diplomacy where perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation were planted,” he said.
“It was a statement of confidence in our region’s future, a conviction that despite our differences, Southeast Asia could build security through mutual respect and cooperation,” he said.
The enduring cordial and amicable relations among Southeast Asian nations should be celebrated, especially with the “successful conclusion of those discussions but also the friendships and partnerships that make such dialogue possible in the first place,” the Philippine President said.
“Throughout the day, you have worked together in the spirit of cooperation. You exchanged views with candor, listened to one another with respect and explored practical ways to strengthen the TAC in response to the challenges of our time,” he said.
“Perhaps that is one of the most endearing legacies of the TAC: It’s ability to convene a community of nations together,” he said.
“May this evening remind us that every enduring partnership begins with a conversation; everlasting friendship with mutual trust; and every meaningful cooperation with a simple willingness to sit together to listen to one another and seek common ground.”
Meantime, the Philippines also launched commemorative stamps to mark the 50th anniversary of the TAC during the Palace event, with Marcos noting that the Philippines only produces limited edition seals “for occasions that the nation believes should be remembered.”
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