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President Marcos Pushes for an "ASEAN Maritime Center" in the Philippines Amid South China Sea Tensions

Article by F. Palafox

Published on May 11, 2026 7:00 PM


President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has called for the establishment of an ASEAN Maritime Center in the Philippines, framing it as a response to the increasingly “unreadable” situation in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.¹ ⁶ Speaking at a press conference in Cebu on May 8, 2026, the President argued that a regional maritime hub would help coordinate ASEAN’s response to maritime disputes and non‑traditional security threats.¹ ² ⁵ President Marcos emphasized that the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea carries a large share of global trade and that freedom of navigation must be preserved, which he described as a core rationale for the proposed center.² ⁸


The initiative emerged during the 48th ASEAN Summit, where ASEAN leaders reportedly reached a unanimous consensus on establishing such a maritime coordination body in the Philippines.⁷ ⁸ President Marcos stated that the Philippines is offering to host the center, highlighting the country’s extensive coastline and frontline exposure to West Philippine Sea and South China Sea disputes.¹ ⁷ He also clarified that the ASEAN Maritime Center is not intended to confront any particular country, but rather to serve as a neutral platform for maritime cooperation and policy coordination among ASEAN member states.¹ ⁸


The proposal comes amid ongoing tensions over overlapping maritime claims in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea, where China’s expansive “nine‑dash line” still overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.³ ⁴ ⁵ Recent incidents, including Chinese Coast Guard vessels blocking Philippine resupply missions to the Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in 2026, have intensified calls for ASEAN unity and collective maritime monitoring.⁵ ⁸ President Marcos has linked the maritime center to broader efforts to push for a legally binding ASEAN–China Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, arguing that stable rules under international law are essential for regional peace.⁵ ⁸


The Philippines has also been modernizing its coast guard and navy, with support from security partners such as the United States and Japan, as part of its strategy to uphold rights affirmed by the 2016 arbitral award under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).³ ⁶ ⁸ President Marcos reiterated that the ASEAN Maritime Center would treat UNCLOS as the primary legal framework governing maritime policies and activities in the region.² ⁸ Analysts note that locating the center in Manila could strengthen ASEAN’s collective response to issues such as illegal fishing, piracy, and maritime accidents, while still operating within the bloc’s consensus‑based decision‑making culture.³ ⁹


Despite the political agreement in principle, President Marcos acknowledged that ASEAN has yet to set a concrete timeline for the center’s operational launch, underscoring the need to develop a detailed institutional framework for its functions and governance.⁷ ⁸ He urged swift progress, warning that delays could leave the region more vulnerable to accidental escalation and pressure on key shipping routes.⁶ ⁸ As ASEAN navigates between great‑power competition and internal diversity, the proposed ASEAN Maritime Center in the Philippines may become a test case for whether the bloc can institutionalize effective, rules‑based maritime security cooperation.³ ⁹


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Notes:



² ASEAN Maritime Centre needed given 'unreadable' South China ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIaMamDvtC8





⁶ PH offers to host proposed Asean Maritime Center | The Manila Times https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/05/09/regions/ph-offers-to-host-proposed-asean-maritime-center/2339891


⁷ Asean Maritime Center to be established in PH - Marcos https://globalnation.inquirer.net/321997/marcos-on-asean-maritime-center/amp



⁹ Evaluating the Role of Regional Expert Network in Regional Security Institution Building: ASEAN-ISIS and the Establishment of the ARF https://www.kjis.org/journal/view.html?number=1&spage=103&volume=7

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