Top US, ASEAN investors forge pact to support PH chairmanship priorities

Two major investor groups from the United States and Southeast Asia have signed an agreement in support of the Philippines’ key priorities on trade, digitalization, and food security as the current chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Signed on March 3 by Herminio Bagro III, US-ASEAN Business Council’s Philippines chief representative, and Jose Ma. Concepcion III, chairman of the ASEAN-Business Advisory Council, the memorandum of understanding establishes a coordinated platform for engagement between the private sector and the Philippine government that is aligned with Manila’s chairmanship theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together.”

“The Philippines assumes the ASEAN chairmanship at a pivotal moment for the region,” said Bagro in a joint statement by the US-ABC and ABAC that was sent to GMA News Online on Saturday.

“As ASEAN moves from frameworks to implementation, the private sector must be a reliable partner in delivering measurable outcomes—particularly in sustainability, health, digital transformation, and supply chain resilience,” he said.

For Concepcion, the Philippines’ leadership of ASEAN this year is an opportunity to demonstrate that business and government “can move from dialogue to delivery.”

“Through this partnership with USABC, we are building a structured platform where private sector solutions directly support national priorities and regional integration. This is about ensuring ASEAN remains competitive, resilient, and future-ready,” Concepcion said.

The Philippines currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the 11-member regional bloc. ASEAN groups the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Timor-Leste.

It will host two ASEAN leaders’ summits in May and November and ministerial meetings, including the annual expanded regional security forum that includes their dialogue partners, such as the US, Japan, China, Australia, Russia, and South Korea.

USABC and ASEAN-BAC Philippines last week held the first session of their roundtable discussion series, which focused on sustainability and food security.

Present were senior government officials, US companies, development experts, and policy advisers to examine the intersection of food systems, environmental sustainability, and public health across ASEAN areas, which, according to the two groups, needed “urgent coordinated action.”

"Food security and sustainability are often treated as separate policy conversations, but the private sector sees them as deeply connected,” said Bagro.

As partners of the government, Concepcion said their groups will ensure that these critical issues will be strategic priorities as he stressed that business solutions help drive inclusive growth across the region.

Upcoming sessions will focus on sustainable supply chains and logistics, the digital economy and workforce development, and artificial intelligence, they said. — VBL, GMA Integrated News