*PASAY CITY, Philippines — September 18, 2026* — "We cannot be great just in the Philippines. We must be great in ASEAN."
This was the strong call of *ASEAN-Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines Chair Jose Ma. "Joey" Concepcion III* in his opening message at the *First Philippine-ASEAN Business Forum* with the theme *"Advancing Philippine Enterprises in ASEAN's Next Growth Chapter,"* held today, *September 18, 2026, at Citadines Bay City Manila*.
Addressing business leaders, MSMEs, policymakers, and ASEAN envoys at the hotel's ballroom, Concepcion said the Philippines has long been inward-looking, while its neighbors like Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia have used ASEAN as a launchpad for global growth.
"ASEAN is not 9 other countries. ASEAN is our market. 680 million people. A $3.8 trillion economy. Yet less than 5% of our MSMEs export to ASEAN. We have to change that mindset — from local to regional," Concepcion said.
*Opening Message Highlights*
In his opening remarks, Concepcion laid out three urgent realities for Philippine enterprises:
*1. ASEAN's Next Growth is Different*
The next chapter is not about cheap labor, but about digital, green, and sustainable trade. He noted that under the new ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2026-2035, compliance with ESG, carbon tracking, and digital payment interoperability will be required to do business across borders.
*2. MSMEs are the Backbone, But They Are Left Behind*
99.5% of Philippine businesses are MSMEs, but only 10% are digitalized and even fewer are export-ready. "We keep talking about big corporations. But if we don't bring MSMEs into ASEAN, there is no inclusive growth," he stressed.
*3. Partnership, Not Competition*
Concepcion called for "transformational partnerships" — where big business mentors small, government opens market access, and ASEAN shares supply chains. He cited Go Negosyo's model of mentoring OFWs and youth entrepreneurs.
> "The Vietnamese entrepreneur thinks of ASEAN as his customer from Day 1. The Filipino entrepreneur thinks of barangay, city, maybe Manila. Today at Citadines Bay City Manila, we want to change that thinking. We want Philippine products in Jakarta supermarkets, in Bangkok convenience stores, in Singapore hospitals," he said.
*The Challenge to Philippine Enterprises*
Concepcion challenged DTI, PCCI, and the private sector to launch concrete programs, not just forums:
- An *ASEAN Ready PH Mentorship Program* for 500 MSMEs
- A *Philippine-ASEAN Business Matching Platform* to connect Filipino suppliers directly to ASEAN buyers
- Stronger push for Filipino strengths: food and halal, health and wellness, creative industries, IT-BPM services, and construction services
He ended his opening message with a personal reflection on his 40 years in business:
"I started with a small factory. No one taught me ASEAN. I learned it late. But our young entrepreneurs today have TikTok Shop, have RCEP, have low-cost logistics. They can be ASEAN-ready faster than we ever were. Our job is to open the door for them."
The First Philippine-ASEAN Business Forum, co-organized by ASEAN-BAC Philippines, DTI, and PCCI, continues today at Citadines Bay City Manila with panels on financing, digital trade, and sustainable supply chains.
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