Next month, US President Donald Trump will go to Manila to attend the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Meetings. Claire Castro, a spokesperson for Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., confirmed the scheduled visit on Wednesday but did not offer any other information. Prior to his journey to China for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Shenzhen, the White House had previously announced that Trump would be visiting the Philippines. The APEC Summit in China is set for November 18–19, while the ASEAN Summit is set for November 15–17. For the ASEAN conference, Marcos has designated November 16–18 as special non-working days in the National Capital Region.
Marcos and Trump last had a face-to-face meeting at the White House in July of last year to talk about trade, defence cooperation, and bilateral relations. On July 23 of this year, they spoke over the phone about regional security issues, particularly the South China Sea, as well as economic developments. In November 2017, Trump made his first trip to the Philippines as president during his first term. There, he met former President Rodrigo Duterte in Manila and attended the ASEAN 50th anniversary banquet.
Renato Reyes Jr., president of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, a left-wing, multi-sectoral political alliance in the Philippines, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that “Trump’s image and effigy will burn in the streets of Manila the moment he steps foot on Philippine soil. The chief imperialist and fascist will get the fiery welcome he deserves. No red carpet welcome, only red banners of protest for the warmonger who plunged the world deeper in crisis.”Trump would face protests for escalating the global crisis through his assault on Iran, just as he did during his previous trip to the Philippines, Reyes continued.
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