President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his intervention during the Special Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) via video conferencing on April 14, 2020 (9:00 AM, Manila time).
In his message, the Philippine Chief Executive encourages his fellow ASEAN Leaders to improve and expand the regional bloc’s existing mechanisms that cover public health emergencies, emphasizing the need to establish a vital and concrete early warning system and plan for pandemics in the region.
Likewise, he calls on the ASEAN Member States to further strengthen regional cooperation such as ensuring the supply chain connectivity and the smooth flow of goods within the region to maintain food security, as well as work in solidarity to overcome the threats posed by COVID-19 throughout Southeast Asia.