The year ahead offers the Philippines an opportunity to shape the regional agenda at a critical moment. On Jan. 1, Manila assumed the annually rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which empowers the Philippines to set the agenda and convene the regional bloc on issues it believes are of top concern. As the country’s role as chair comes with intense scrutiny, it also carries a real risk of underperformance. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration