With the goal of easing traffic congestion and allowing the implementation of security measures in connection with the event.
Through Proclamation No. 1447, the Malacañan Palace declared a three-day period this November as special non-working days in the National Capital Region.
The dates are from November 16 (Monday) to November 18 (Wednesday), which will be dates when delegates from around Southeast Asia are expected to descend to Manila for the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits.
The said directive, ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, is said to be a “necessary” move to ease traffic congestion and allow the implementation of necessary security measures.
The ASEAN’s 2026 national calendar also lists several ASEAN-related meetings in Metro Manila in November, including the 16th ASEAN Maritime Forum on November 17 and the 14th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum on November 18.
Among the venues confirmed for this summit are the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and the recently reopened Coconut Palace in Pasay City.
Meanwhile, prior to this, Cebu hosted the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits last May, where regional leaders came together discuss matters in critical areas such as energy and food security, and the war between the United States and Iran.
