CEBU, Philippines, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to make a push here for community building of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the 12th summit of the regional group, her aid said on Wednesday.

    As chairperson of the ASEAN summit this time, Arroyo will arrive here on Friday to begin her "very busy" work until Jan. 15,a presidential aid told reporters.

    According to her schedule, Arroyo will attend the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East Asia Growth Area Summit shortly after her arrival, discussing means to enhance investments, human resources development, use of natural resources and security environment in the area.

    On the same day, Arroyo will welcome the heads of state of the 10 ASEAN member countries and six dialogue partners to be followed by informal meetings among the visiting leaders.

    She is expected to meet with Timor-Leste Prime Minister Jose Ramos Horta on Friday night on accession of the former Portugese colony to ASEAN.

    Timor-Leste is scheduled to sign the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit.

    "The Philippines hosts the ASEAN summit at a time that the whole region is taking stock of the present and planning ahead for the future," the President said in a statement.

    A safer and more secure community, more open and equitable trade, cooperation in the field of energy development, and poverty reduction are all concrete goals of the "continuing integration" for ASEAN, Arroyo said.

    "One Caring, One Sharing Community," is the summit theme chosen by Arroyo, stemmed from the notion of three pillars of ASEAN -- Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community.

    Leaders of 10 ASEAN countries -- Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are to converge in the Philippine city of Cebu this week for the annual ASEAN summit.