Manila, Aug. 26 -- The Philippines will push for stronger regional integration and resilience as this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as it seeks to help accelerate economic growth across the region, Malacanang said Wednesday.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed the findings of the Philippine Institute of Development Studies (PIDS) recognizing ASEAN's growing economic and strategic weight and its potential to strengthen the bloc's position as a global power.

"So, the President welcomes the recognition, the findings of PIDS. And ASEAN aims not only to maintain that gain, but it should accelerate the economic growth even further," Castro said in a Palace p...