MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines should ensure that economic cooperation among member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) must remain both business and people-centric.
Asean Secretary General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn on Wednesday said this was one the three critical areas for the Philippines to consider to ensure a successful chairmanship in 2026.
Kao shared his thoughts in a video message to participants and guests of The Manila Times Economoc Outlook Forum.
"This focus is crucial for sustaining inclusive growth and ensuring that integration delivers tangible benefits: creating quality jobs, empowering MSMEs, building resilience and narrowing development he gaps across the region," Kao said.
"By keeping enterprises competitive and people at the center of policymaking, Asean reinforces its relevance, credibility and unity in a rapidly evolving global economy," he said.
Kao also said Asean "must act in a more coordinated way to address increasingly complex cross sector challenges as we begin implementing the Asean Community Vision 2045."
He also said "the value of Asean economic agreements depends on their practical impact."
