Philippine Ambassador Chairs 328th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee in Tokyo
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano (6th from the left), with the Heads and Representatives of the ASEAN Missions in Tokyo, at the conclusion of the 328th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee in Tokyo (ACT) held on 16 February 2026 at the Official Residence of the Philippine Ambassador. Also in the photo is the ACT’s guest speaker, Ambassador Takio YAMADA (7th from the left), Executive Director of the Japan Institute for International Affairs Center for Global Outreach and Special Ambassador for the promotion of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC).
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano chaired the 328th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee in Tokyo (ACT) on 16 February 2026 at the Official Residence of the Philippine Ambassador.
Ambassador Garcia-Albano led discussions on key topics, including the outcomes of recent meetings of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) held in the Philippines.
The Philippines is the Chair of ASEAN in 2026, guided by the theme, “Navigating the Future, Together.”
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Mylene J. Garcia-Albano chairs the 328th Meeting of the ASEAN Committee in Tokyo (ACT) held on 16 February 2026 at the Official Residence of the Philippine Ambassador. The Philippine Embassy will serve as ACT Chair until June 2026.
The 328th ACT Meeting was attended by the Heads and Representatives of the eleven (11) ASEAN Missions in Japan. The Committee exchanged views on developments impacting Southeast Asia’s engagement with Japan, and discussed key initiatives and activities for the year ahead.
The Heads and Representatives of the ASEAN Missions in Tokyo gather for the 328th Meeting of the ACT on 16 February 2026 at the Official Residence of the Philippine Ambassador.
Guest speaker Ambassador Takio Yamada, Japan’s first-ever Ambassador to ASEAN and currently Special Ambassador for the promotion of the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), as well as Executive Director of the Japan Institute for International Affairs – Center for Global Outreach (JIIA-CGO), shared his reflections on the evolution of ASEAN-Japan relations. He highlighted the significance of 2026, which marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia and the 10th anniversary of Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision.
Guest speaker Ambassador Takio YAMADA addresses the Heads and Representatives of the 11 ASEAN Mission in Japan on 16 February 2026.
The ASEAN Committee in Tokyo is one of the fifty-five (55) ASEAN Committees in Third Countries that have been established under Article 43 of the ASEAN Charter, with the aim of promoting ASEAN’s interests and identity in the respective host countries and/or international organizations.
The ACT operates on a six-month rotating chairship, with the Philippine Embassy serving as Chair until June 2026.
