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\n CEO SUMMIT Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit at the Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongju on Oct. 31, 2025. PHOTO BY ANTHONY WALLACE VIA AFP\n <\/p>\n
Speaking before top executives and policymakers at the APEC Economic Leaders Meeting (AELM) here, Marcos said his administration is positioning the Philippines as an innovation-driven economy through infrastructure modernization, artificial intelligence and education reforms that prepare the workforce for the digital age.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n CEO SUMMIT Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation CEO Summit at the Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongju on Oct. 31, 2025. PHOTO BY ANTHONY WALLACE VIA AFP<\/p>\n Get the latest news Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters<\/p>\n By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service<\/a> and Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Philippines is open, ready and eager to do business with all of you,\u201d he said. \u201cWe bring a dynamic workforce, a thriving innovation ecosystem, and an unwavering commitment to sustainable and inclusive prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n The president\u2019s keynote address came as he met with fellow APEC leaders to chart the region\u2019s economic priorities and investment course.<\/p>\n Marcos said digital infrastructure and connectivity are at the core of the country\u2019s development agenda, citing government initiatives to expand broadband access to underserved areas and to equip micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with e-commerce and digital marketing skills.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are ensuring that no Filipino is left behind in the digital economy,\u201d he said, noting that more than 1 million entrepreneurs have been empowered through the Digitalization of MSMEs Program.<\/p>\n He added that the government has strengthened data governance and cyber resilience to build trust in the country\u2019s growing digital systems.<\/p>\n The president touted a slate of recent laws aimed at making the Philippines more attractive to investors, including the Create More Act, which reduces corporate income taxes and extends investment incentives for up to 40 years, and the Public-Private Partnership Code, which streamlines approvals for major projects.<\/p>\n He also cited Republic Acts (RAs) 12252 and 12289, which liberalize land leases and speed up government acquisition for infrastructure, and RA 12253, which sets a stable fiscal regime for large-scale mining.<\/p>\n \u201cOur actions are focused on delivering deep, institutional and business-friendly reforms that unlock private capital and sustain competitiveness,\u201d Marcos said.<\/p>\n Marcos used his address to preview the Philippines\u2019 Asean chairmanship in 2026, saying Manila will lead efforts to roll out the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement, which is expected to unlock a $2-trillion regional digital market by 2030.<\/p>\n The president identified key areas in which the regional bloc could work together, beginning with restoring the World Trade Organization\u2019s dispute settlement mechanism and Appellate Body, which he said were vital to maintaining a fair and functioning global trading system.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout a functioning dispute settlement mechanism, small economies would be at a disadvantage. For small economies, rules are a potent equalizer,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The Appellate Body, the final court for trade disputes, has been unable to hear appeals since late 2019 due to a lack of a quorum of members, a situation caused by the blocking of new appointments.<\/p>\n He urged member states to develop \u201cnew and forward-looking disciplines\u201d to strengthen trade in the digital era and create a more enabling environment for small and medium enterprises.<\/p>\n \u201cTo advance our sustainability agenda and food security, let us prioritize negotiations in agriculture, and move forward the second wave of negotiations of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement. These will help ensure that trade remains a force for sustainability and shared progress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n To further strengthen regional connectivity, Marcos emphasized the importance of building smarter and more sustainable supply chains through regulatory reforms, digitalization and skills development.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, APEC\u2019s enduring strength lies in its capacity to bridge differences, build capacities and foster trust,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The president stressed that the Philippines is prepared to work with all APEC economies and partners to uphold an open, connected and future-ready region to maintain resiliency and attain shared prosperity.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we confront the defining challenges of our time, from climate change and demographic shifts to emerging health and security risks, it is clear that resilience and sustained growth depend on an essential ingredient: strong public-private collaboration. APEC\u2019s strength and relevance lie in its strong ties with business and stakeholders,\u201d Marcos said.<\/p>\n In Manila, Malaca\u00f1ang said on Friday that the president\u2019s participation in this year\u2019s APEC Leaders\u2019 Meeting not only reaffirms the nation\u2019s strengthening ties with global partners, but also its commitment to APEC\u2019s vision of a more open, prosperous and dynamic Asia-Pacific.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s summit has the theme \u201cBuilding a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper,\u201d which aligns with the goals of the APEC Putrajaya Vision 2024 for an open, resilient and peaceful Asia-Pacific.<\/p>\n As the largest economic cooperation forum in the Asia-Pacific, the AELM brings together leaders from 21 member economies that represent about 61 percent of global gross domestic product and half of world trade.<\/p>\n South Korea\u2019s hosting of APEC 2025 marks 20 years since it last hosted in Busan in 2005. It focuses on addressing shared challenges, embracing digital innovation and prioritizing inclusive growth.<\/p>\n Marcos arrived in South Korea on Thursday for the two-day summit, where he is also scheduled to meet with top business leaders and the Filipino community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(UPDATE) GYEONGJU, South Korea \u2014 President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday made a fresh pitch for global investors…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":264287,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[1204,28,9557,101,417,116032,142130,15086,826],"class_list":["post-264286","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-economy","tag-asia-pacific","tag-business","tag-ceos","tag-economy","tag-in","tag-invest","tag-marcos","tag-ph","tag-to"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
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