Europe-PH News

ASEAN's private sector leadership in 2026 will aim to bring the benefits of ASEAN economic growth to everyday ASEAN citizens.

“The bottom line is to make growth inclusive; to inspire every ASEAN citizen that they, too, can move up the chain of prosperity,” said Jose Ma. Concepcion Ill, chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), as business leaders, govemment officials, and members of the European business chambers convened last February 12, 2026 at the Makati Shangri-La for their 10th Joint Economic Briefing. Here, the private sector, goverment, and development partners engaged in dialogue on regional cooperation and_ intemational partnerships. This year's forum highlighted the country’s economic outlook, trade developments, regulatory reforms, and investment potential, especially as the Philippines assumed the chairship of ASEAN in 2026.

Speaking before senior business leaders and executives from European and Philippine companies, representatives of European chambers, goverment officials, diplomats, and development partners during the forum, Concepcion anchored his address to the body with the message that progress is sustainable only if itis indusive.

“The goal of ASEAN will not work if we cannot reach the last micro entrepreneur, and give help and inspiration to them,” he said. ‘This ASEAN hosting has to be inclusive; we have to inspire people and make them know that they are part of the entire business community, no matter how small they are,” he said.

Moreover, Concepcion said he plans to bring the high-level discussions outside of the boardrooms and convention halls, and closer to the masses. He plans, for example, to livestream the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) in malls nationwide.

During the forum, Concepcion announced the launch of Go Negosyo’s newest program, Trabaho@Negosyo, a mall-based program that combines a job fair alongside free entrepreneurship mentoring. Go Negosyo is the non-profit founded by Concepcion in 2005 to advocate for entrepreneurship among Filipinos.

Concepcion explained that job generation and MSME development are interdependent, as IMSMEs generate more than half of the country’s jobs. Upskilling the labor force, meanwhile, can lead to high-quality jobs, enabling people to eam more and build the capital and skills to start their own businesses.

Concepcion also emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving sustainable and inclusive growth. To guide its 2026 chairship, ASEAN-BAC built upon the overall theme of ASEAN by including the goal of shared progress in its theme, “Navigating Our Future Together: Advancing Prosperity for All." ASEAN-BAC acts as the primary platform for the private sector to engage with policymakers, advocate for economic cooperation, and advance ASEAN’s integration agenda.

Concepcion said that the Philippines’ chairship of the ASEAN-BAC will champion pro-people initiatives by empowering entrepreneurs, creating jobs, and ensuring that economic growth creates real opportunities for every Filipino.

ASEAN-BAC’s 2026 chairship will be built on four strategic pillars: People, Planet, Platform, and Productivity, highlighting initiatives on MSME empowerment, women and youth development, food security and green growth, digital and Al integration, and stronger trade and supply chain connectivity. These efforts aim to convert policy into action, driving competitiveness while securing inclusive and sustainable growth across the region.

“Our biggest challenge now is to scale up our MSMEs so they can contribute more to the Philippine economy, it is the way to create the path of prosperity, and we can make it more vibrant if we make it inclusive,” Concepcion said.

The Philippines continues to deepen its trade ties with Europe through free trade agreements, improved investment frameworks, and reforms that enhance ease of doing business, with the country’s. strengths in manufacturing, innovation, and human capital seen as key drivers of stronger global partnerships.

The 10th Joint Economic Briefing event was jointly hosted by the Belgian-Filipino Business Chamber, British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Dutch Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in_the Philippines, Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Swiss Chamber of Commerce, German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.