The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) has expressed strong support for proposed amendments to the Magna Carta for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), while stressing that reforms must deliver concrete benefits such as improved access to financing and more favorable loan...
Taking a cue from the executive, House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has announced that the Philippines ' hosting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) meetings this year will be scaled down by limiting in-person activities to the General Assembly in October and the Interface...
All preparatory meetings leading to the summit of all Southeast Asian leaders in Manila will now be held online, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026 organizing council, ordered. Recto, in a memorandum dated March 26, ordered all...
President Marcos said that the Philippines ' hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in May will still push through despite the ongoing war in the Middle East. It will proceed as scheduled, Marcos said, but will only be a "barebones ASEAN Summit," stressing that it...
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste is asking the national government to limit to ₱10 billion its expenditures for the Philippines ' hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit this year. Leviste said this move alone would generate savings of...
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Tuesday, March 24 the Philippines can take advantage of its hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit to secure regional solidarity in light of the global uncertainty over energy supply due to the Middle East conflict. Escudero...
Senate leaders have expressed support for studying the possible postponement of the Philippines’ hosting of this year’s ASEAN Summit as part of efforts to cut government spending and redirect funds to address the impact of rising oil prices. Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III said that...
Citing a neighboring country 's steady tourist arrivals, President Marcos admitted that the Philippines needs to catch up in boosting its tourism. Speaking during the inauguration of the Mactan Expo in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu, on Monday, March 16, Marcos said the country 's tourism industry...
Top and ranking diplomats from all Southeast Asian countries held a special meeting on Friday, March 13, to tackle the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as the Philippines, the chair for this year 's regional bloc, hopes to be "the last crisis of this magnitude." Department of Foreign...
The EU-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) is seeking stronger regional measures against illicit trade, saying the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship presents an opportunity to solidify support among member countries. In a report titled "Driving ASEAN Action Against Illicit Trade" submitted to the...
The Philippines called for stronger regional cooperation on disaster response as it led a key Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting that, for the first time, included representatives from the health sector. Department of National Defense (DND) Assistant Secretary for International...
The Philippines is setting the pace in regional sustainable tourism as the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) gathered tourism leaders and stakeholders to discuss best practices and long-term strategies. DOT OIC-Director Alex Macatuno said the initiative highlights the...
