President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leaves Sunday (Dec. 11) for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on board Philippine Airlines PR 001 for the 11^th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit Meeting on Dec. 11-14.

Accompanying her are former President Fidel V. Ramos, who has been designated as RP eminent person for the ASEAN charter; Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye, Philippine Ambassador-designate to Malaysia Victoriano Lecaros, and Presidential Adviser for Mindanao and Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO) chairman Jesus Dureza, who is also the signing minister for the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The other senior officials in the presidential party are Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Sonia Brady, RP senior economic official for ASEAN Ramon Vicente Kabigting, and Davao Oriental Representative Corazon Malanyaon, chairperson of the House EAGA affairs committee.

The President is expected to reiterate to her fellow ASEAN leaders the Philippine proposal for joint cooperation against terrorism, inter-faith dialogue, and focus on other important matters such as investments, energy security and the use of the South China Sea as an area of cooperation.

The President will also join other leaders in the historic signing of the declaration on the establishment of an ASEAN charter, the declaration of the East Asia Summit, and the declaration of the ASEAN +3 Summit.