President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has broadened the scope of the May 6 to 8 holiday declaration to include two more cities in Cebu, as part of preparations to ensure the smooth and orderly conduct of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in the province.

Under Proclamation 1239, signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto by authority of the President, Cebu City and Mandaue City have been added to the list of areas where May 6 to 8 are declared special non-working days in connection with the government's hosting preparations.

The new issuance amends Proclamation 1238, signed on May 4, which had earlier covered only Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova.

According to the latest proclamation, Cebu and Mandaue were included after both were identified as primary operational hubs and transport corridors for arriving ASEAN delegates.

"In order to alleviate traffic and to allow the host country to secure the safety of participants in the said event, it is necessary to declare 06-08 May 2026 as special non-working days also in the City of Cebu and in the City of Mandaue," read Proclamation 1239, which was signed on May 5.

The expanded coverage is meant to ease traffic, reinforce security measures, and allow the seamless coordination of summit-related activities across the host areas.

The Philippines is hosting the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings under a recalibrated approach, with non-essential activities scaled down to manage costs in light of global supply pressures tied to tensions in the Middle East.

Malacañang earlier disclosed that around 650 ministerial and senior official meetings under the 48th and 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits will be conducted online instead of in person, as part of efforts to streamline preparations while keeping the substance of discussions intact.

Despite the adjustments, the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Cebu on May 8 to 9 will push through as scheduled, with the agenda expected to center on regional energy security, food security, and migrant workers' concerns.

The Philippines last hosted the ASEAN Summit in 2017.