Originally scheduled to be held from 3 to 9 October 2020, but due to the COVID-19 situation in the Philippines, the Games had to be cancelled as there was no other choice.

[6] The withdrawal of Brunei's hosting rights were also due to the country's lack of sporting facilities, accommodation, and preparation of their athletes.

[10] However within the same month, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) addressed the POC that it is withdrawing its support for the Philippine hosting of the 2019 Games, saying that government decided to reallocate funds meant for hosting to the rehabilitation efforts of Marawi, which was left devastated following the Battle of Marawi.

[14] During the closing ceremony of the 2017 ASEAN Para Games in Kuala Lumpur, the symbolic ASEAN Para Sports Federation council flag was handed over by Malaysian Paralympic Council President SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin to the Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (PPC) president Michael I. Barredo.

Then-Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano is serving as the chairman of the 10th ASEAN Para Games organizing committee.

[17] Malaysia formally protested the move, saying that postponing the games, affected their preparations for the competition including concerns over bookings for members of their delegation.

[4] However the PSC on April 29 withdrew funding for the Games following a directive from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases to defer sporting events in the Philippines until December 2020 and the government's call to redirect resources to deal with the pandemic.

Prior to the postponement of the games to March 2020, about 1,500 athletes are expected to participate with Thailand sending the biggest delegation.