The Philippines is pushing Association of Southeast Asian Nations to move from setting economic agendas to implementing concrete measures as the region confronts supply-chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions and uncertainty in global markets.
Ahead of the ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting and related sessions in Manila from Sept. 19 to 22, Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary Allan Gepty said the bloc needs to turn long-term commitments into policies, programs and projects.
“So, as we begin this week, our focus is on progress and implementation. We want to move forward on ASEAN’s new economic agenda,” Gepty said at a press briefing.
The meetings come as ASEAN begins implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the ASEAN Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026-2030. Nine of the Philippines’ 19 priority economic deliverables fall under the economic ministers.
A key item is the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which aims to establish common regional rules covering cross-border e-commerce, paperless trade, electronic payments, data protection and artificial intelligence.
ASEAN is also working toward an ASEAN Semiconductor Roadmap that would identify priorities for technology, investment and talent, potentially strengthening the region’s role in global chip supply chains.
Trade diversification will also be high on the agenda, with ministers reviewing trade negotiations and upgrades involving India and South Korea, discussing modernization of the ASEAN-Japan agreement and working toward substantial conclusion of the ASEAN-Canada free trade agreement.
“Our trade agreements have to keep pace with the way businesses operate today,” Gepty said, pointing to the need for rules that strengthen supply chains and help ASEAN companies compete in shifting global markets.
The agenda reflects a more implementation-focused phase for ASEAN, with digital integration, semiconductor capacity and wider trade links emerging as practical responses to a more fragmented global trading environment.
