Timor-Leste PM Xanana Gusmão vows to promote Cebu after heritage tour
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Fresh from attending the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Cebu, Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão toured Cebu City’s historic landmarks on Saturday and pledged to promote the city in his country after immersing himself in Cebu’s centuries-old heritage sites.
Gusmão was welcomed by city officials, including Mayor Nestor Archival and Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña. He first stopped at Cebu City Hall, then visited Magellan’s Cross, the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, and Fort San Pedro as part of a cultural tour following the regional summit in Lapu-Lapu City.
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During the visit, the Timor-Leste leader personally draped local officials with tais, a traditional handwoven cloth from Timor-Leste that symbolizes culture, respect, and friendship.
Asked by reporters whether he planned to promote Cebu in Timor-Leste, Gusmão immediately answered in the affirmative while pointing to the image of Magellan’s Cross on his summit lanyard.
“Of course,” he said.
When asked if he enjoyed the heritage tour, Gusmão said Cebu’s historical sites offered visitors a glimpse into the past and the region’s shared history.
“Of course, because we can look at the past, we know the history was made,” he said.
His visit highlighted Cebu’s role not only as host of this year’s Asean Summit but also as one of the country’s major cultural and historical centers.
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially became the 11th member state of Asean in October 2025 after completing a two-decade bid for membership that began in 2011.
The country first secured observer status in 2022 before formally joining the regional bloc during the 47th Asean Summit in Malaysia.
Gusmão attended the 2026 summit alongside leaders from nearly all Asean member states. Myanmar remained the only member state that did not send its top leader and instead designated its Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs as representative.
Dax Imperial, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Asean Office, earlier confirmed that 10 heads of state and government attended the summit in Cebu.
“We are guided by the leaders’ decision […] Because of the situation in Myanmar, the decision is for the representation of the Permanent Secretary [of Myanmar],” Imperial said earlier.
The Philippines chaired this year’s summit, which Cebu hosted under tightened schedules and cost-saving measures amid global oil and supply chain disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The Marcos administration compressed the usually weeklong summit into a two-day gathering while shifting several meetings online to reduce costs, according to DFA officials.
Energy security figured among the priority agenda items discussed during the summit.
Timor-Leste, whose capital sits in Dili, has a population of around 1.4 million and uses the US dollar as its currency. The Southeast Asian nation recognizes Tetum and Portuguese as its official languages.
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