DND ASSISTANT SECRETARY MARITA I. YORO LEADS PHILIPPINE DELEGATION TO ASEAN DEFENSE SENIOR OFFICIALS’ MEETING (ADSOM) WORKING GROUP

28 January 2025 – Department of National Defense Assistant Secretary for Strategic Assessments and International Affairs Marita I. Yoro led the Philippine delegation to the ASEAN Defense Senior Officials’ Meeting Working Group (ADSOM WG), held from 20 to 24 January 2025 in Penang, Malaysia. The meeting, themed “ASEAN for Security and Prosperity,” focused on the effort to realize the ASEAN-MALAYSIA 2025 Presidency agenda and gathered the delegations to formulate strategic directions in strengthening defense cooperation for regional security and stability.

The Embassy’s Defense and Armed Forces Attaché, Colonel Joel A. Lobitaña, was part of the Philippine delegation and joined Assistant Secretary Yoro in a bilateral meeting with Brigadier-General Wong Shi Ming, Director of the Defense Policy Office of the Ministry of Defense of Singapore, on 21 January 2025. During the meeting, they discussed the Philippines' upcoming ASEAN chairship in 2026.

On 22 January 2025, following the ADSOM WG session, Assistant Secretary Yoro paid a courtesy visit on YBrs. Tuan Azhar bin Mohamad Yusof, Division Secretary of the Policy and Strategic Planning Division of the Ministry of Defense of Malaysia. The meeting discussed Malaysia's ongoing ASEAN chairship and the Philippines' upcoming chairship in 2026. END