ASEAN-BAC vows to make regional growth more inclusive
Published Feb 22, 2026 01:55 pm
ASEAN Business Advisory Council chair Joey Concepcion bats for an inclusive ASEAN during his speech in an economic forum in Makati City on Feb. 18, 2026. (Go Negosyo)
The private sector arm of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is pushing to make the region’s economic gains more inclusive, saying prosperity should not be limited to big businesses and the wealthy.
Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), said the group’s 2026 chairmanship is guided by the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together: Advancing Prosperity For All.”
“My goal is to make this ASEAN more inclusive,” Concepcion said in an economic forum on Feb. 18.
“They say it’s just for the wealthy and powerful businessmen; that is not so,” he added.
Focus on agriculture, youth, women, digital economy
Concepcion said ASEAN-BAC has identified priority areas that directly affect ordinary citizens, including agriculture and food security, creative industries, youth development, women’s economic empowerment, and digital and artificial intelligence integration.
ASEAN-BAC serves as the region’s principal private sector advisory body, providing business insights and recommendations to ASEAN leaders and acting as a platform for engagement between policymakers and the business community.
By focusing on sectors that generate jobs and expand opportunities, Concepcion said the council aims to ensure that economic integration translates into tangible benefits for communities.
Bringing ASEAN closer to the people
To make ASEAN-related activities more accessible, Concepcion said key ASEAN-BAC events will be broadcast through LED screens in major malls across the country.
“The fourth quarter will be the finale for ASEAN, and we want to bring the event closer to the people because they will not be able to access the event area, which will be locked down for security,” he said.
“We will beam the activities in all the malls through LEDs as they happen and as we hold the Trabaho at Negosyo activities,” he added.
The initiative will be supported by “Trabaho at Negosyo,” a job fair and entrepreneurship mentoring program under Go Negosyo, the non-profit Concepcion founded in 2005 to promote entrepreneurship among Filipinos.
He noted that micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) account for more than half of the jobs generated in many economies, making them key drivers of inclusive growth.
Taking ASEAN beyond Metro Manila
Concepcion also said inclusivity would extend to hosting ASEAN-related meetings outside the National Capital Region to boost tourism and local economies.
“President Marcos has requested that all meetings be held in different parts of the country,” Concepcion said.
He noted that the 105th ASEAN-BAC Meeting and the 27th Joint Business Council Meeting were recently held in Nasugbu, Batangas, with upcoming events planned in Puerto Galera, Boracay, and Oslob.
“We want the ASEAN delegates to see how beautiful the islands are,” he said.
Concepcion stressed that inclusive economic growth remains central to ASEAN’s integration efforts.
“The only way we can solve poverty is to make our economies inclusive, and the private sector is committed to that as we pursue regional economic integration,” he said.