MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be in Singapore from April 26 to 28 to attend the 32nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

He is slated to participate in two events, the working dinner on April 27 and the Leaders’ Retreat on April 28, Foreign Assistant Secretary Helen dela Vega said in a Palace press briefing on Friday, April 20.

This will be Duterte’s first ASEAN Summit after his chairmanship of ASEAN last year. 

A bilateral meeting between Duterte and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is being arranged, said Dela Vega.

Two other ASEAN leaders have requested for a meeting with Duterte but Dela Vega declined to identify them.

Singapore’s theme for this year focuses on ASEAN resiliency and innovation. Thus, there will likely be emphasis on topics like city development, sustainable urbaniization, connectivity among ASEAN cities, and technology to aid development of the region.

Duterte is also set to speak to the Filipino community in the city-state. There are some 180,000 Filipinos living in Singapore, said Dela Vega. – Rappler.com