At ASEAN Summit, Lawrence Wong tries halo-halo, dons Philippine Barong Tagalong

12 May 2026, 10:34 · The Independent

SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong shared a short video clip of his time at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit held in Cebu, the Philippines, from May 7 to 8.

In it, PM Wong can be seen trying out the popular local dessert halo-halo, a mixture of shaved ice, evaporated milk, and various sweet toppings layered together, and warmly greeting various leaders from Southeast Asian countries, including Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

PM Wong and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos were seen in matching Barong Tagalog, and the Singapore leader’s wife, Loo Tze Lui, donned a Filipiniana dress as well.

“A little halo-halo, a lot of hellos. ASEAN gatherings are all about good conversations, practical cooperation, and a shared sense of purpose,” wrote the Prime Minister in the caption to his video, which he posted on Instagram and TikTok.

In keeping with the theme, the background music for the video was a song from the Filipino group BINI, which has grown more popular after a Coachella appearance last month.

Although the tone of PM Wong’s post was upbeat, the meetings themselves dealt with serious matters, especially the fuel crisis that has badly affected much of the region.

The summit, originally planned for five days, was reduced to three, and over 600 face-to-face meetings that had been scheduled in preparation for the summit had been moved online to cut costs.

“The recent crisis is a stark reminder of how vulnerable our economies remain to sudden shifts in the international order and, consequently, the global economy,” the Philippine President said in his opening statement.

While the bloc has renewed its pursuit to ratify an energy pact, the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), how it will immediately help countries already in the midst of a crisis is unclear, and while Mr Marcos spoke of a strong consensus to ratify APSA, a Foreign Policy report pointed out that details as to coordination, stockpiling, and implementation are yet to be worked out.

In attendance at the Summit as well was Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Vivian Balakrishnan.

“Developments in the Middle East have implications far beyond the region: rising energy prices, supply chain disruptions, and growing uncertainty are already being felt in Southeast Asia. The Summit is a timely opportunity for us to discuss how ASEAN can respond collectively to these challenges,” he wrote in a social media post. /TISG

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