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CEBU <\/span>\u2013 ASEAN has to prepare for a new normal of economic disruptions and shocks by pursuing broader and deeper regional cooperation, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at the ASEAN Summit on May 8. <\/p>\n He called on the grouping to double down on integration, strengthen energy security in the region and bolster intra-ASEAN supply chains, especially for critical goods such as foods. <\/p>\n This will bolster the region\u2019s resilience against events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the US Liberation Day tariffs and the current Middle East conflict, he added. <\/p>\n \u201cThe realities of the global economy going forward are that there will be more disruptions, more shocks, and more volatility,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIn this environment, ASEAN must do more to strengthen our collective resilience.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The implications of the Middle East situation<\/span><\/a> have topped the agenda at the biannual meeting held in Cebu amid a national energy emergency in the Philippines.<\/p>\n South-east Asian countries, which import much of their oil from the Gulf, have been among the hardest hit by the energy supply crisis caused by the war in Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n Opening the summit at the Mactan Expo, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said the increasingly volatile situation in the Middle East has threatened the lifestyles, livelihoods and lives of people in the region.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the past months, each of our countries has had to make adjustments, to modify our approaches. So we come together now to study those adjustments, to find the best approaches, to face the future together,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Speaking later at the same plenary session, PM Wong extended his condolences to member states that have lost citizens to the conflict.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all hope the crisis will end soon, but we have to be mentally prepared that the impact will be with us for some time,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In the meantime, ASEAN can double down on integration, and one concrete measure is to swiftly ratify the upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) so that it can enter into force within the year, he said.<\/p>\n At a time when it is tempting for countries to put up more barriers and turn inwards, doing so will give investors confidence that ASEAN is integrated and determined to work together in times of crisis, he said.<\/p>\n ATIGA includes crisis-related provisions and commitments on trade in essential goods, such as food and medical supplies.<\/p>\n PM Wong said ASEAN member states can leverage these mechanisms to work closely together during times of shortages or emergencies.<\/p>\n He added that the regional trade pact should be treated as a base, calling on ASEAN countries to go even further.<\/p>\n Like-minded countries can come together on other agreements that will provide mutual support as well as give assurances of open markets and no export restrictions even in times of shortages, he suggested, saying that the ASEAN economic ministers can expedite these measures.<\/p>\n The grouping should also strengthen energy security through the swift ratification of the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA)<\/span><\/a>, which was recently renewed in 2025, he said.<\/p>\n The agreement sets out a framework for the sharing of petroleum during emergencies, and PM Wong said it would give member states more tools to respond during energy crises.<\/p>\n Similarly, APSA should be treated as a base and not be the be-all and end-all, he added.<\/p>\n He noted that ASEAN ministers and officials have been discussing various ideas, including the possibility of a regional fuel stockpile, and said this should be encouraged.<\/p>\n Additionally, the grouping should speed up the realisation of the ASEAN Power Grid, which will allow member states to trade surplus electricity and share reserve capacities.<\/p>\n PM Wong said this will build resilience against future supply disruptions and external shocks, while powering the region\u2019s growth in a more sustainable manner.<\/p>\n ASEAN is aiming to achieve a fully integrated regional electricity grid by 2045.<\/p>\n Another thing it can do is to strengthen intra-ASEAN supply chains, especially for critical goods like food, said PM Wong.<\/p>\n As a major production centre, the region accounts for almost 10 per cent of global agricultural exports and should tap this inherent strength to meet the needs of its people, he added.<\/p>\n The upgraded ATIGA reduces non-tariff barriers to food trade and encourages the exchange of food safety information, and can complement existing efforts such as the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve and the ASEAN Food Security Information System, he said.<\/p>\n PM Wong added that even as member states deal with the crisis, it is important to keep alive the spirit of ASEAN solidarity. <\/p>\n That is why Singapore helped to bring back citizens from other ASEAN countries when it repatriated its own citizens from the Middle East in the early days of the conflict, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to assist where we could, just as how our ASEAN family had lent a hand to Singaporeans in previous crises,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n In the years ahead, ASEAN must also work closely to achieve its community-building agenda, he said. A significant milestone in this effort is the adoption of the Cebu Protocol, the first ever amendment to the ASEAN Charter to reflect the membership of Timor-Leste.<\/p>\n