DTI plans ‘major business matching’ during Asean meetings
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in 2026 will be leveraged to stage initiatives aimed at helping local firms expand regionally and draw in foreign investors.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the country’s Asean chairmanship could serve as a platform for a “major business matching” exercise that would bring together regional government officials and business leaders to explore areas of cooperation.
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Specifically, the Department of Trade and Industry plans to link Filipino entrepreneurs with Asean trade ministers during their first meeting under the Philippines’ chairship.
This is slated March 11-13 at the Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City.
Roque told reporters that the DTI is also hoping Asean member states would bring business delegations to the Philippines to explore investment and expansion opportunities.
While the DTI has not singled out specific industries for the business matching, Roque said the agency will highlight sectors where the Philippines is competitive, including renewables, minerals, semiconductors, the creative economy and women-led enterprises.
Priorities
The DTI will lead seven of the 18 priority economic deliverables for the summit. Many of these will be coordinated with the Board of Investments and the Bureau of International Trade Relations.
These include completing negotiations for the Asean-Canada free trade agreement, passing a digital economy framework and establishing the Asean Center of Excellence for Creative Industries.
READ: PDP gaps weigh on Philippines’ competitiveness in Asean
Business leaders have also welcomed the potential gains from the Asean chairship. Jose Ma. Concepcion III, chair of the Asean Business Advisory Council, earlier said that the Philippines “cannot lose the chance” to rebuild the country’s reputation and improve investor confidence following corruption controversies.
Asean member states account for a significant share of the Philippines’ trade, which reached $40 billion in 2022. Singapore, Vietnam and Indonesia are among the country’s top trading partners within the region.
One of the Philippines’ strongest sectors is semiconductors and electronics, with exports reaching $49 billion in 2023, around 30 percent of which went to Asean production networks. INQ
