QUEZON CITY, May 19, 2026 — The Philippines convened the Ad Hoc ASEAN Defence Senior Officials’ Meeting (ADSOM) Working Group (WG) virtually on May 18, 2026, bringing together defense officials from ASEAN Member States to advance preparations for upcoming engagements and discuss progress of initiatives under the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting framework.
The meeting was led by Department of National Defense (DND) Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Marita I. Yoro in her capacity as ADSOM WG Chair.
Discussions focused on the implementation of the ADMM Work Programme 2023–2026 and proposed initiatives aimed at strengthening confidence-building and practical defense cooperation among ASEAN Member States. The Philippines presented several proposed initiatives, including in the areas of people-to-people exchanges among future defense leaders, enhancing complementarity with other ASEAN-led defense and security mechanisms, and the nexus between maritime security and emerging technologies.
The Working Group also deliberated on draft joint declarations and statements for adoption during the 20th ADMM and the 13th ADMM-Plus later this year.
The ADSOM WG meeting underscores the Philippines’ continued commitment to strengthening ASEAN Centrality, advancing practical defense cooperation, and fostering a responsive and forward-looking regional security architecture through sustained dialogue and collaboration.
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