The Philippines will bring some of the world’s biggest business names, regional policymakers and Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie to Manila on November 11 for a summit focused on how Southeast Asia can protect economic resilience, accelerate digital transformation and ensure growth reaches smaller businesses and underserved communities.
Organized by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines, the 2026 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit carries the theme “Resilient and Rising.”
The gathering comes as ASEAN’s more than 700 million people and 70 million micro, small and medium enterprises face mounting pressure to adapt to economic volatility, rapid technological change and persistent gaps in financial inclusion.
Among the featured business leaders are SM Investments Corp. Vice Chairperson Teresita Sy-Coson, Ayala Corp. Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, ACMobility CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, Mastercard Chairman Merit Janow, Mastercard Vice Chairman Jon Huntsman, and ASEAN-BAC Philippines Chairman Joey Concepcion.
Government and regional business representation will include Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Trip.com Group CEO Jane Sun, Shangri-La Group Chairman and CEO Kuok Hui Kwong, Google Regional Managing Director Nitin Gajria, and OpenAI Regional Managing Director Sandhya Devanathan.
Jolie, known for her humanitarian work, will be joined by Filipino Broadway star Lea Salonga and entrepreneur Kylie Verzosa among the summit’s featured personalities.
Discussions will span digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, financial health, MSME financing, sustainable tourism, the creator economy and regional economic integration.
For Philippine businesses, two major regional initiatives are expected to figure prominently: the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which seeks to facilitate cross-border digital trade, and the ASEAN Power Grid, which aims to strengthen regional electricity connectivity.
The discussions will explore how technology, financing and regional cooperation can translate economic expansion into more jobs, stronger small businesses and wider economic opportunities.
The summit also gives the Philippines, which holds the ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, a platform to bring business and policy leaders together as the region pursues deeper economic integration and more inclusive growth.
