The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) successfully convened the Southeast Asian Space Leaders’ Forum on 19 November 2025 at Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu.
This was held on the sidelines of the 31st Session of the Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF-31), which took place from 18 to 21 November 2025, and was co-organized by PhilSA, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
The Forum served as a strategic platform for Southeast Asian space leaders to exchange insights on emerging trends, shared challenges, and future directions in space science and technology applications (SSTA). It also enabled participating countries to showcase their national space activities and exchange perspectives on strengthening regional and international cooperation in SSTA.
Discussions focused on three priority areas shaping the region’s space future. Space Safety, Security, and Governance emphasized the importance of sustainable space activities, effective space debris mitigation, enhanced space situational awareness, and closer international collaboration. Space Economy examined global trends, enabling policy environments, and the expanding role of public–private partnerships in leveraging space science and technology for economic growth. Space Workforce highlighted the need to invest in education, skills development, and youth engagement to build a resilient and future-ready space sector.
The Forum featured insights from distinguished speakers representing the Secure World Foundation, the Australasian Centre for Space Governance, the Australian Space Agency (ASA), Azerbaijan Space Agency (Azercosmos), and SpaceBased Limited, complemented by country representatives from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Opening the session, Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez, Officer-in-Charge of PhilSA, welcomed participants and emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to regional cooperation in space. This was followed by a message from Dr. Leah J. Buendia, Undersecretary of the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippines’ National Chair to the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI).
Key takeaways from the Forum emphasized the shared recognition that regional and global cooperation is essential to addressing emerging challenges. Discussions highlighted that space activities are integral to human progress and that innovation and resilience must be prioritized in developing the space economy. The importance of a strong public–private synergies to democratize access to space through sustained government–industry partnerships, as well as the foundational role of space literacy and education in developing a skilled workforce to advance the sector.
The Forum concluded with a message from Dr. Tran Tuan Ngoc of Vietnam, Chair of the ASEAN Sub-Committee on Space Technology and Applications (SCOSA), who emphasized the need for collective regional action to ensure Southeast Asia’s success in its space endeavors.
Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez, Officer-in-Charge of PhilSA, delivers the welcome remarks.
Dr. Leah J. Buendia, Undersecretary of the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippines’ National Chair to the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation (COSTI), delivers a message through a recorded message.
Country Reactors from Brunei, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam
(L-R): Dk Siti Saihalina binti Pg Hj Ibrahim of Brunei, Ms,.Norizan Abdul Patah of Malaysia, Dr. Myo Thant of Myanmar, Dr. Gay Jane P. Perez of PhilSA (Philippines), Ms. Tiana Desker of OSTIn (Singapore), Dir. Norizan Abdul Patah of GISTDA (Thailand), Mr. Leonel da Costa Xavier of Timor Leste, and Dr. Tran Tuan Ngoc of Department of National Remote Sensing (Vietnam)
Panel 1 speaker: Ms. Krystal Azelton, Secure World Foundation
Panel 2 speaker: Ms. Emeline Paat-Dahlstrom, SpaceBased Limited
Panel 2 speaker: Mr. Fuad Aslanov, Azerbaijan Space Agency (Azercosmos)
Panel 2 speaker: Mr. Enrico Palermo, Australian Space Agency (ASA)
Panel 3 speaker: Dr. Cassandra Steer, CEO, Australasian Centre for Space Governance
Panel 3 speaker: Ms. Shaanti Shamdasani, S. ASEAN International Advocacy & Consultancy (SAIAC)
Director Noelle Riza D. Castillo, Space Policy and International Cooperation Bureau of PhilSA, delivers the synthesis.
Dr. Tran Tuan Ngoc, Director General of the Department of National Remote Sensing (Vietnam) and ASEAN SCOSA Chair, delivers the closing remarks.