Finance Secretary Frederick Go strongly pitched for ASEAN becoming a critical hub in supply chain, taking advantage of the Philippines strategic location at the center of Indo-Pacific trade flow and global shipping routes.
Go said in a keynote address at the ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum 2026 on Tuesday in Makati to officially kickoff the Philippines 2026 ASEAN Chairship.
“The Philippines sits at the center of Indo-Pacific trade flows and global shipping routes, making the region a critical hub in supply chain redesign and diversification,” Go said.
Go explained that ASEAN’s proximity to major markets and sea lanes positions the region a strong base for regional operations, logistics, and distributed product networks.
“The ASEAN and the Philippines play an increasingly important role in supplying inputs for the global clean energy and advanced manufacturing transition,” he said.
And within the region, he pointed out, the Philippines is among the most resource-endowed in critical or green minerals, including nickel, copper, gold, and bromine, all essential for clean energy technologies.
“This positions the Philippines as a key ASEAN contributor to the emerging green metals and energy transition value chain,” he said.
With this, he highlighted the country’s passage of the Mining Fiscal Regime Act last year, which covers the entire mining industry.
According to Go, the Mining Fiscal Regime Act restores predictability and confidence in doing business for the mining industry.
But he also said that the economic strategy of the Philippines is framed within ASEAN’s broader growth story.
ASEAN today stands as one of the world’s most attractive multi-market investment destinations, offering scale, diversity, and supply chain depth, he said.
Within that, he said, “The Philippines is open for business. It is prepared for long-term partnership within a fast-growing regional block.”
He closed his address inviting the business sector to advance not only with the Philippines but with ASEAN as a region through stronger collaboration and long-term investment partnerships.
“Together, we can ensure that regional cooperation delivers concrete growth and that opportunity translates into shared prosperity,” he said.
The ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum 2026 marked the first of several major engagements under the Philippines’ ASEAN 2026 calendar.
Over the coming months, more than 500 strategic engagements across the region and with the region’s global partners will convene in Manila.
