Jakarta. ASEAN has called for uninterrupted passage through the Strait of Hormuz, as its chair Manila draws attention to the food catastrophe that can result from the waterway's prolonged closures.

Southeast Asian leaders, including President Prabowo Subianto, have gathered in Cebu for a summit amid the months-long war in Iran.

Speaking at the plenary session, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mentioned ASEAN’s “serious concerns” over the escalation of conflict, and its damage to energy and essential goods flows.

“Against this backdrop, we come together guided by ASEAN’s longstanding commitment to peace and the collective positions expressed by each ASEAN member state,” Marcos told the live-broadcast conference on Friday.

“... [including] the restoration of safe, unimpeded, and continuous transit passage in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The horrors stemming from the Hormuz standoff are not limited to oil price hikes. The trade disruptions had “quickly affected food prices and supply, especially fertilizers, and subsequently the welfare of our people”, according to Marcos. 

Manila wants to see stronger intra-ASEAN trade while highlighting the need to build capacity to fortify food systems.

Like all ASEAN meetings, the leaders proceeded to continue their discussions behind closed doors. Prabowo is expected to deliver Indonesia’s national statement, but the government will likely publish an overview of Jakarta’s stance later.

Marcos’ comment came not long after the US and Iran traded fire in the Strait of Hormuz despite a ceasefire, with each side claiming the other had shot first. About a third of the world’s fertilizer supply transits through the narrow waterway. The World Bank expects its fertilizer index to skyrocket 31% in 2026 as the clashes drag on. At home, Indonesia is slashing the price of its subsidized fertilizers by 20%. 

On food, Indonesia’s senior economic minister Airlangga Hartarto had recently told reporters that the group was mulling setting what he called “strategic food reserves” ahead of the Cebu talks. These reserves will also help ASEAN safeguard its crops against the drier conditions of El Niño. Airlangga signaled that members will jointly stockpile food supplies -- including rice -- so they can help one another. 

The Southeast Asian grouping already has a regionwide rice reserves mechanism in partnership with China, South Korea, and Japan. This mechanism, known as the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR), has existed for more than a decade, with its agreement inked in 2011.

The fighting erupted after the US and Israel launched wide-ranging strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran quickly retaliated with drones that also hit US allies in the Gulf, on top of blocking the Strait of Hormuz. Two Indonesian oil tankers are also still waiting for their Hormuz passage.

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