Just two days after his vice president walked away from office, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto touched down in Manila on Saturday night for the 49th ASEAN Summit.
Stepping out of the presidential aircraft wearing his signature khaki safari shirt and traditional black peci cap, Prabowo arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay as regional leaders gathered to tackle pressing diplomatic hurdles, the Jakarta Globe reported. Philippine Education Secretary Sonny Angara, along with Indonesian Embassy officials, welcomed the president with an honor guard and a traditional dance performance, according to Kompas.
The diplomatic trip comes at a turbulent moment for Jakarta. Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned as vice president following intense political pressure over a school diploma scandal.
“The president can run the government both from within and outside the country,” Legal Affairs Minister Yusril told reporters in Jakarta, adding that communication remains easy through phone calls and that cabinet ministers will maintain normal government functions.
Beyond the domestic political shuffle, Prabowo faces immediate regional scrutiny in Manila over transboundary haze from forest and peatland fires that have degraded air quality across Southeast Asia in recent months. Philippine and Malaysian officials have pushed to place the environmental crisis high on the summit agenda, noting that previous smoke plumes have drifted far enough to force remote learning in Philippine schools.
The 49th ASEAN Summit runs from November 15 to 17, 2026, under the theme “Navigating Our Future Together,” with discussions expected to cover regional connectivity, energy security, and Timor-Leste’s ongoing integration into the bloc, according to ANTARA News. Following the talks in the Philippines, Prabowo is scheduled to travel to Shenzhen for the APEC Summit and trade talks with Xi Jinping.
