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DTI chief says PH open, ready to be Greater Bay Area's strategic partner
DTI chief says PH open, ready to be Greater Bay Area's strategic partner
HONG KONG - Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque said here on Tuesday, June 30, that the Philippines is open and ready to be the Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) strategic partner of choice in entering the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market.
“To our partners in the Greater Bay Area: my message is simple: the Philippines is open, ready, competitive, and built for your success. Let us combine the financial and technological capabilities of Hong Kong and the GBA with the young, exceptionally skilled, and digital-native workforce of the Philippines. Together, we can build supply chains that turn green compliance and technological integration into an absolute market advantage,” Roque said.
In her keynote address at the GBA-ASEAN Summit 2026 organized by the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the DTI chief invited regional leaders to look at the Philippines as ASEAN’s natural gateway to the Greater Bay Area.
“The Philippines is uniquely positioned to be your co-engineering partner of choice. Under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., I am proud to share that we are witnessing a record-breaking era for Philippine trade,” she stressed.
She said that in 2025, Philippine exports surged by 15.4%—hitting an all-time high.
“We carried that momentum straight into this year: January 2026 by 7.9%, February by 8%, March by 20.4% and April by 6.3%.
This growth demonstrates the strong demand for Filipino products and services, particularly in critical sectors like semiconductors, electronics manufacturing services, renewables, and strategic port infrastructure,” she added.
“With our strategic location and highly adaptive workforce, we offer a welcoming platform for GBA enterprises looking to establish or expand their presence in the fast-growing Southeast Asian market,” she added.
She said the summit’s theme, "Gateway to growth–Forging high-level ties between the GBA and ASEAN," resonates with the Philippines’ shared aspiration for a vibrant and interconnected region.
“Our vision is a mutual and powerful alignment: pairing the GBA’s immense capital, world-class R&D, and advanced manufacturing capabilities with the Philippines’ greatest competitive assets,” Roque said.
She added that the Philippines is a “maritime, demographic, and digital bridge built for the decade ahead.”
“We meet during a period of complex global challenges, and we are learning one fundamental truth: resilience is no longer built in isolation. It must be co-engineered,” she stressed.
The DTI chief said the dialogue is also very timely as the Philippines chairs ASEAN this year.
“During our chairship, our priority economic deliverables (PEDs) will cover a diverse range of areas of trade, such as energy, creative economy, MSMEs, agriculture, strategic trade management, digital transformation, as well as ASEAN’s efforts to advance the sustainable and green agenda.
“With the Philippines as ASEAN chair, we are committed to further expanding ASEAN-Hong Kong relations, which will provide an avenue for growth of the whole of ASEAN and the GBA,” she said.
One key aspect of this regional growth is the conclusion of the Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) which the Philippines hopes to sign by November.
“By accelerating the implementation of DEFA, we will unlock new opportunities in e-Commerce, digital trade, data governance, and innovation, creating a seamless digital marketplace between our two regions.
“Through our Foreign Trade Service Corps with 29 trade attaches all over the world and 21 DTI offices including our Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC), we stand ready to connect you with prospective business partners in the Philippines,” Roque said.
She emphasized that the Marcos administration has consistently championed an open and business-friendly economy.
“As a result of this, President Marcos Jr. will go down in history for having secured the most expansive trade network, bringing our total to 18 Free Trade Agreements either in force or undergoing active negotiation,” she said.
“Through the CREATE MORE Act, we have prioritized fiscal incentives for strategic investments. With our Green Lanes for Strategic Investments, we are fast-tracking approvals for high-impact projects. And through Republic Act No. 12252, foreign investors can now secure private land leases for up to 99 years, guaranteeing a stable, secure, and long-term operating environment,” she added.
Roque was joined by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region John KC Lee, Vice Prime Minister
and Minister of Tourism and Environment of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, South China Morning Post Publisher Ms. Tammy Tam, the Chairman of the Hong Kong-ASEAN Foundation, Mr. Daryl Ng, and other ministers from ASEAN.