The Philippines, serving as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), is still finalizing its plan to lead a humanitarian mission to Myanmar, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

“At the moment, preparations are still ongoing so it’s hard to pinpoint with certainty the exact dates, but we are working towards finalizing it,” DFA spokesperson for ASEAN Affairs Dax Imperial said on Wednesday.

The DFA in July said the ASEAN chair’s special envoy on the Myanmar situation, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, is looking to lead the mission in the fourth quarter of 2026.

At that time, it said the plan is to expand access to aid “in areas in need of assistance” in Myanmar, a proposal it said “gained the support of all stakeholders.”

Lazaro earlier said permits “will be asked from the junta government,” and that the mission would be in coordination with the ASEAN Humanitarian Centre based in Jakarta and several other international organizations, including the United Nations.

In the upcoming ASEAN Summit in November, Imperial said the leaders present will also “come up with the decision on the implementation” of the Five-Point Consensus or 5PC.

The peace plan serves as the core regional framework that ASEAN uses to deal with the crisis in Myanmar. (PNA)