MARCOS INVITES JESSICA SANCHEZ TO ASEAN SUMMIT
The decision by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to invite Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez to perform at an ASEAN Summit event is more than a scheduling detail in a diplomatic program. It highlights how contemporary leaders increasingly use culture and celebrity to soften the image of multilateral gatherings that are often perceived as technical or remote from ordinary citizens. Sanchez, who gained international recognition through a popular talent show, carries a form of soft power that can resonate with both domestic and regional audiences. Her presence at an ASEAN-related function signals an attempt to connect the formality of diplomacy with the emotional appeal of popular culture. In doing so, the Philippine government appears to be leveraging a familiar strategy: using cultural figures to frame international events in more accessible terms.
Cultural performances have long been part of diplomatic protocol, but the prominence of global entertainment personalities in such settings has grown in recent decades. Hosts of major summits routinely showcase national artists as a way of expressing identity, hospitality, and creative achievement. For a country like the Philippines, whose diaspora and cultural exports are central to its global image, inviting a Filipino-American artist underscores themes of transnational identity and shared heritage. It also subtly acknowledges the role of overseas communities in shaping perceptions of the country abroad. When such artists perform on regional or global stages, they become informal ambassadors, embodying narratives of talent, resilience, and cultural hybridity.
The use of celebrity at high-level events, however, raises broader questions about priorities and public messaging. On one hand, integrating a popular figure into an ASEAN Summit can help humanize discussions that typically revolve around trade, security, and regional coordination. It can generate public interest in a forum that might otherwise be ignored by those not directly engaged in policy. On the other hand, there is a risk that the spectacle overshadows substance, encouraging citizens to focus on personalities rather than the outcomes of negotiations. Governments must therefore balance the appeal of star power with the responsibility to communicate clearly about the issues being discussed and the decisions being made.
For ASEAN as a regional organization, cultural elements like this invitation also speak to its ongoing effort to foster a sense of community among diverse member states. Beyond formal communiqués and joint statements, shared cultural experiences can help reinforce the idea of a regional identity that transcends national borders. When a host country highlights one of its most visible cultural exports, it is also engaging in a kind of regional storytelling—showcasing how its own narratives fit into a broader Southeast Asian tapestry. This can complement institutional efforts to deepen people-to-people ties, promote tourism, and encourage cross-border collaboration in the creative industries. In that sense, a single performance becomes part of a wider project to make regionalism more tangible to ordinary citizens.
Ultimately, the invitation to Jessica Sanchez should be seen as one small but telling detail in how diplomacy is evolving in the age of global media. Leaders now operate in an environment where images and performances can travel faster than policy briefings, shaping perceptions long before official documents are digested. If used thoughtfully, cultural showcases at summits can help bridge the gap between elite negotiations and public understanding, drawing more attention to regional cooperation. The test for any government is whether such gestures are accompanied by transparent communication about the summit’s goals and outcomes. As the Philippines hosts and participates in these gatherings, its challenge will be to ensure that the music enhances, rather than distracts from, the deeper work of diplomacy.
