THE Philippines’ hosting of this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit gives the private sector a chance to cascade benefits to citizens of all member states of the regional bloc.
Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean-BAC) chairman Jose Ma. Concepcion III made the remarks during the 10th Joint Economic Briefing of European business chambers held in Makati City last Feb. 12.
“The bottom line is to make growth inclusive; to inspire every Asean citizen that they, too, can move up the chain of prosperity,” Concepcion said.
The Go Negosyo founder said that part of the goal is to bring Asean closer to ordinary Filipinos through large-scale job fairs and mentoring programs held alongside the summit’s activities.
Most of the summit’s high-level meetings will take place in the second half of the year, including the 49th Asean Leaders’ Summit from Nov. 10 to Nov. 12 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
“The goal of Asean will not work if we cannot reach the last micro-entrepreneur and give help and inspiration to them. 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.
Concepcion said he plans to bring the high-level discussions outside of the boardrooms and convention halls, and closer to the masses.
Among his plans is to livestream the Asean Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) in malls nationwide through Go Negosyo’s latest initiative, Trabaho@Negosyo.
It is a mall-based program that combines a job fair alongside free entrepreneurship mentoring.
He explained that job generation and the development of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are interdependent, since MSMEs generate more than half of the country’s jobs.
Upskilling the labor force, meanwhile, can lead to high-quality jobs, enabling people to earn more and build the capital and skills to eventually start their own businesses.
Concepcion also emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships in achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.
The Philippines’ chairmanship of the Asean-BAC will champion pro-people initiatives by empowering entrepreneurs, creating jobs, and ensuring that economic growth, he said.
“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 AI integration, and stronger trade and supply chain connectivity,” Concepcion said.
“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,” he said.
Concepcion also said the Philippines continues to deepen its trade ties with Europe through free trade agreements (FTAs), 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 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.
