As the Philippines takes the regional helm, the message from the private sector is blunt. Do not waste the spotlight.
At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum in Makati, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to use the remaining years of his term to galvanize both government and business. The country’s chairmanship of ASEAN, he argued, is a rare platform to reposition the Philippines in the eyes of investors and neighbors alike.
“The Philippines—we—should take advantage of this year, where we are the center, to really sell our country,” Zobel said. “Show what capabilities we have, make ourselves visible, and use it to build momentum around a new Philippine story.”
The appeal goes beyond optics. Chairing ASEAN is not simply about hosting summits and issuing joint statements. It is a chance to demonstrate coherence at home while advocating deeper regional integration abroad. Zobel urged the Philippines to expand engagement and draw more partners into the ASEAN sphere, strengthening both trade and strategic ties.
His challenge to the President was direct. “It’s a great opportunity for him to light a fire under all of us, business and the public sector, and really work in unison to recreate something special,” he said.
That unity becomes more urgent against the backdrop of slower growth last year. Zobel pointed to infrastructure gaps as a material drag on the economy, noting that weaknesses in this area can pull down gross domestic product by as much as one percentage point. “We should grab the bull by the horns and say infrastructure is important,” he said.
The remedy, in his view, is a more muscular push for public private partnerships. Clearer rules, consistent regulation, and a firm commitment to the rule of law would unlock long term private capital for roads, airports, energy, and digital networks.
“If we can use the problems that we’ve had to turn that around and really give the PPP structure a much bigger push, then you get positive momentum out of a slightly difficult period,” Zobel said.
The chairmanship offers visibility. The harder task is execution.
