Under JICA’s Technical Cooperation for Grassroots Projects (TCGP), the “Project to Develop Cacao and Chocolate Industries for Peace in the Bangsamoro Region” will run from January 2026 to January 2028 in collaboration with Hiroshima University and local cooperatives. The initiative focuses on strengthening the region’s emerging cacao and chocolate industry—seen as a viable pathway to inclusive growth and peacebuilding.

At its core, the project supports community-based cacao farmers in improving bean quality and adopting better post-harvest and processing practices. This addresses long-standing challenges in parts of Mindanao, where pests, diseases, and environmental pressures have affected productivity and income stability. By equipping farmers with technical knowledge and practical skills, the program aims to create more resilient and sustainable livelihoods.

Two cooperatives will serve as pilot sites. In Maguindanao del Norte, Al Noor Salam (Light of Peace) Farm will receive targeted support to enhance production consistency. In Lanao del Sur, Kakaw Meranaw will refine its chocolate-making processes and elevate product quality. Technical training—led by Hiroshima University—covers cultivation, fermentation, drying, and quality control.

Hands-on training is already underway, with the first session held in Tupi, South Cotabato from March 27 to April 1, 2026. Farmers from Maguindanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur are participating in intensive learning sessions designed to strengthen both production and processing capabilities.

Selected participants will also undergo advanced chocolate-making training in Japan, enabling them to transfer specialized skills to their communities. Central to the initiative is the concept of “Chocolate for Peace,” which positions cacao not just as an agricultural product but as a catalyst for community empowerment, social cohesion, and future market readiness.

Beyond farmer training, the project also strengthens institutions. MAFAR personnel are participating in technical sessions and remote consultations, while a regional cacao research and support network will be established across Western Mindanao to address persistent issues such as pest and disease management.

JICA said it hopes the initiative will lead to sustainable, community-driven business models for high-quality, branded cacao and chocolate from Bangsamoro—demonstrating how agriculture can contribute directly to peacebuilding.

The project also forms part of broader Philippines-Japan cooperation as both countries mark 70 years of diplomatic relations in 2026, underscoring a shared commitment to human security, inclusive development, and lasting peace in Mindanao.

I’ve read with bitter contempt how farmers are affected by this crisis — and the anger sits heavy because the facts are as plain as they are unforgiving.

In Benguet, a Reuters story carried by an online news organization recounts how farmers like Romeo leave their vegetable crops to rot. And all because the math of cost and profit no longer makes sense.

When it costs P18 to P20 to produce a kilo of cabbage and the farmgate price collapses to as low as P3 — even P5 to P8 on a “good” day — harvesting becomes an act of self-sabotage. Add to that the surge in fuel prices, itself a ripple from conflict in the Middle East, and the math turns cruel: labor, hauling, packaging — all rising, all eating into nothing.

So farmers stop. Buyers pull back. Consumers, squeezed by inflation, shift to cheaper, filling alternatives. And just like that, a food chain buckles from both ends.

This is why the Department of Agriculture’s fuel subsidy, finally rolling out this April, is not just welcome — it is necessary, justified spending. It promises P5,000 for farmers, P3,000 for fisherfolk, alongside a broader P10-billion cash aid program covering over 4 million beneficiaries, which is the kind of intervention that recognizes a basic truth: You cannot expect food security from producers who are bleeding.

During the Holy Week, I’ve heard of Catholic devotees trimming their Visita Iglesia routes, choosing churches closer to one another, even walking the distance, just to save on fuel. Quiet sacrifice and real adjustments are lived by Pinoys these days, knowing inflation bites, and soon the cost of food will be the bigger scourge.

Hopefully, those in government, so fond of long motorcades and frequent travel, might consider the same discipline. If meetings can be held online, perhaps they should be — stay at home, if you can’t travel without your exaggerated security convoy.

Spending should be back where it should be — with the farmers. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. says the government is doing more: mobilizing trucks to move produce, securing cheaper fertilizers, expanding Kadiwa outlets, fast-tracking farm-to-market roads, and post-harvest facilities. These are the right moves, at least on paper.

But more should be done by those in power who never tilled land nor brought crops to market. Local governments in agricultural provinces must now do the unglamorous work: Connect farmers to these subsidies, ensure the aid reaches the fields, not just the reports. This is taxpayers’ money — it must land where the pain is.

This crisis is already punishing enough without fuel. But to fail in producing our own food — in a world where supply chains are strained and imports uncertain — would be a deeper scandal.

The government must work doubly hard. And if it does — truly, decisively — perhaps this moment becomes something more than a crisis. Perhaps it becomes some form of redemption. Yes, even for Marcos Junior.

*         *         *

SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View via X app (formerly Twitter). Read current and past issues of this column at https://www.thephilbiznews.com

When you listen to the story behind Mekeni Food Corporation president Pruds Garcia, it does not feel like a typical business narrative. It reads more like a story about people — about families who had to leave, quiet sacrifices, and a longing that never truly fades.

True to his name, Garcia embodies the values of P.R.U.D.S.: purpose, resiliency, uplifting others, discipline, and stewardship.

For many Filipinos, working abroad has never been just about ambition. It has always been about responsibility. Parents leave so their children can stay in school. Families are sustained from a distance. Their decision is anchored on two things: survival and hope — survival in enduring homesickness to provide, and hope in the promise of one day embracing loved ones again.

In an exclusive interview with THEPHILBIZNEWS, Garcia shared that Mekeni continues to create opportunities not only for employees, but also for vendors who support their own families through the business.

This reality has shaped not just livelihoods, but generations of consumers.

This writer remembers being an ordinary student, enjoying Mekeni tocino before school. Years later, meeting one of the pioneers of the Philippine food industry feels like a reminder that life often comes full circle, and that sometimes, the unexpected tells the best stories.

Garcia recalls how their journey began from the ground up after the 1991 Pinatubo eruption. He returned to the Philippines after a call from his father to help run the family business. It was not an easy choice, but driven by love for family and a sense of stewardship, he took the risk.

Over time, Mekeni found a deeper purpose. What they built was not just a food brand, but something that reconnects people to where they came from.

“We want to bring back the memories back home, because we realize people who are working abroad do not [always] have the chance to go home.”

That intention became real in a chance encounter. Garcia once met a Filipino in the United States buying Mekeni’s fish balls and kikiam.

It was a simple moment, but meaningful. The man shared how the products had been part of his early struggles in the Philippines: “I want to tell the story to my family, and now they are also benefiting [from the fruits of the struggles], and they have a good life in the United States.”

Stories like this reinforced a deeper truth. Garcia even handed his business card to the man and encouraged him to learn more about the company’s journey, emphasizing that, “when they see the product from the Philippines to create memories, this is not by accident.”

Through something as simple as food, fragments of home are restored. A meal becomes a memory. A familiar taste brings back stories long untold. Even from across the world, people remain connected.

This perspective also shapes Garcia’s leadership. For him, resilience is learned and lived.

He shared another deeply personal story: After 23 years, they were blessed with a daughter, Faith.

She became a reminder to never give up, to keep believing even when the odds seem impossible. That same belief continues to guide how decisions are made and how the company moves forward.

Even in uncertain times, the focus is not just survival, but purpose: building a community that grows with impact. More than four decades of commitment to food safety and quality have positioned Mekeni as a pillar of the Philippine food manufacturing industry, bringing staple products across the country and to Filipinos worldwide.

Looking ahead, the company is eyeing expansion into Taiwan and Hong Kong to serve overseas Filipino workers.

In the end, Mekeni’s story reminds us that home is not always a place we can return to.

Sometimes, it is something we carry, with every shared meal, every memory, and every intention shaped by care.

And in its #TimplangAtin, that sense of home endures — even from miles away.

Data released Tuesday showed that the country’s seasonally adjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI) grew by 1.6 percent month-on-month in March 2026, a significant jump from the 0.4 percent increase recorded in February.

The PSA attributed the acceleration to stronger price gains across key household spending items, particularly food and energy-related costs.

“Faster month-on-month increments were noted for… food and non-alcoholic beverages… [and] housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels,” the PSA said.

Food prices, a major component of household spending, rose by 1.2 percent, up from 0.7 percent in February. Meanwhile, housing and utilities, which include electricity and fuel, posted a 1.0 percent increase, a sharp rise from just 0.2 percent the previous month.

The uptick reflects mounting pressure on basic goods and services, as global uncertainties, particularly the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, continue to disrupt energy markets and supply chains.

The Philippines, which relies heavily on imported fuel, is especially vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil prices. Higher fuel costs typically cascade into increased transport, production, and food prices, amplifying inflation at the household level.

The price surge was felt nationwide.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), inflation accelerated to 1.6 percent in March from just 0.1 percent in February, while areas outside Metro Manila recorded an even faster increase of 1.7 percent from 0.4 percent.

Outside NCR, the impact of rising energy costs was particularly evident. The index for housing and utilities rebounded to a 0.9 percent increase in March from a 0.1 percent decline in February, signaling a turnaround in power and fuel-related expenses.

Food prices in these areas also climbed faster at 1.3 percent, up from 0.5 percent.

The PSA noted that seasonal demand also contributed to the uptick, saying that “seasonal factors, such as the degree of demand for selected goods and services during the season, pushed up the indices” across most commodity groups, including food, housing, and restaurants.

Still, the broad-based increase across essential items underscores the growing strain on consumers, especially as external risks — from geopolitical tensions to volatile energy prices — continue to feed into domestic inflation.

With both food and power costs rising simultaneously, economists warn that price pressures could persist in the coming months if global conditions remain unstable.

Mekeni is Capampangan for “come here.”

As the war in the Middle East drags on, it might benefit the Philippine government to go to Porac, Pampanga and check out how this family-owned meat processing business has survived and thrived through various crises:

The EDSA People Power 1986, when the company was founded; the 1991 Pinatubo eruption that covered most of Central Luzon in volcanic dust, lahar, and floods for about a decade; the 1996-1997 Asian financial crisis; the sporadic but systemic foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and African swine fever (ASF) that wiped out the key ingredients in most of their finished products; the Covid-19 pandemic; and personal bereavements in its leadership.

“We were founded and have thrived in discomfort, not comfort,” said Mekeni president and CEO Prudencio “Pruds” Garcia.

Here, he offers three concrete lessons not just for businesses, but for policymakers searching for a roadmap in this age of BANI (brittle, anxious, non-linear, and incomprehensible):

1. Keep calm – and institutionalize calm leadership.

“Be calm, that’s my first obligation as leader of the company. Because of uncertainties, normal lang mag‑panic. Normal lang mag‑alala. But if your people see you as medyo na-sh‑shake, the panic spreads and multiplies,” Garcia said.

“In uncertainties, you have to pause, relax, and talk to the Lord, and listen to His message. You may not have the answer right away, but at least it will give you the peace of mind, the calmness, not just to think about yourself, but also the community and the country.”

“Besides, you cannot think clearly when you are panicking,” he added.

So he has instructed his executive committee to think up of ways to “tighten the belt” and “delay the impact” of the war on their workers, community, customers, and suppliers.

Policy lesson number 1: Model calm leadership.

And that means the country’s leaders must:

• Speak frankly about the risks from the Middle East war — on fuel, inflation, and remittances — through empowering messaging. For instance, massively get everyone’s participation in conserving energy, water, and other precious resources to help “delay the impact” of the war, extend the supply of these resources, and eventually shift to a green, circular economy, where reuse-reduce-recycle is a national mantra and an everyday habit.
• Lay out, in advance, trigger‑based responses. For instance, if oil breaches a certain level, or if a major shipping lane is disrupted, the government will start rationing fuel with a clear, logical, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-execute rationing plan.
• Communicate regularly and consistently so that everyone understands the plan and do not fill the information vacuum with rumors.

Mekeni’s experience shows that calm is the enabling condition for rational, humane crisis decisions.

2. Helping others is the best way to help yourself.

Mekeni’s most powerful lesson is deceptively simple and rooted in the Filipino concept of kapwa.

“The best time to help is not when you’re comfortable; the best time to help is kung nagsasa-suffer ka rin,” Garcia said.

This ethic, deeply ingrained by Garcia’s parents who founded the company, has shaped their response to all the crises they’ve faced and overcome. After the 1991 Pinatubo eruption, their Tatang asked three of the five Garcia sons who were working abroad to come home and rebuild their ash-covered community.

“All of us worked day and night to rebuild from the devastation of Pinatubo. Ang slogan namin: We have to survive. And for us to survive, we have to help others to survive,” Garcia said.

After an ASF attack on their brand and just as they were preparing a US launch, Covid‑19 arrived. Early on, management realized that the pandemic would last “years, not weeks,” and that their instinct to protect only the balance sheet would have devastating domino effects.

Instead, they made three counter‑intuitive moves:

• Pay suppliers “at least a week earlier than terms so suppliers could also provide for their own people.”
• Ensure that “ang sweldo, the latest is always on time, not one day after.”
• Rebuild their product mix “to avoid layoffs because we have to take care of our people.” Born as an employment buffer, their new “bayani lines” that include fish ball, kikiam, and siopao later became their first exports to the US. In other words, their people‑first approach opened new markets and revenue streams.

Now, with the war in the Middle East, the question for Mekeni management is how to shield “our people, the community, our customers, of course the suppliers” from the energy and logistics shock, even if the macro environment is beyond their control.

Policy lesson number 2: The country’s crisis architecture must reward and reinforce people‑first decisions.

That may mean government helps and fast-tracks the:

• Design of subsidy or support schemes that kick in quickly for firms that commit to no‑layoff or minimal‑layoff policies during defined shock periods.
• Short‑term financing and tax relief to firms that maintain on‑time payments to small suppliers, recognizing that this keeps entire local supply chains alive.
• Support of product diversification efforts — through technical assistance, export promotion, and regulatory flexibility — when firms pivot to protect jobs, as Mekeni did in its “bayani lines.”

The precept that “when you help others, you help yourself” is a description of how resilience is built from the bottom up.

3. Think global, act local.

From a small rural town in the Philippines, Mekeni has had to think like a global company. Its customers include overseas Filipinos, its inputs are exposed to volatile world prices, and its market is shaped by foreign outbreaks (FMD and ASF), pandemics, and now war.

When the Middle East conflict escalated, Garcia did not treat it as someone else’s problem. He immediately traced ripple effects on energy, logistics, and the orders of customers in the region.

At the same time, his concrete actions are disarmingly local: strengthen support for workers and nearby communities, recalibrate the company’s 40‑year plan because “the environment has changed,” and insist that while plans must change, “the goal cannot change: We have to be stronger for our people, for the community.”

Policy lesson number 3: Read the war globally, but respond locally.

For the Philippine government, that could mean:

• Granular mapping of barangays and sectors most exposed to Middle East risks: agri‑food chains heavily reliant on fuel and imported inputs, ports or logistics hubs vulnerable to route disruptions, and communities with high concentrations of OFW families.
• Targeting assistance — fuel discounts, logistics subsidies, credit guarantees, and social protection — into hotspots instead of spreading support too thinly.
• Working with LGUs, co‑ops, and business groups to co‑design local contingency plans. For example, transport sharing, community‑level energy conservation, and emergency income support tied to local public works (similar to TUPAD).

By thinking globally but acting locally, protections are concrete and felt where they are needed most.

‘Hindi ka dapat sumuko’

To the Garcias, crises are tests of leadership, integrity, and community. To them, the Mekeni story is about enduring crises with calm, compassion, and local action.

Come here, the Mekeni founder once told his sons in 1991. Help rebuild the community that allowed you to finish school and opened opportunities for the family.  

Through every crisis, Mekeni applied these three lessons together as a family, as a business, as a community — as one team.

“We have to work as a team. Hindi pwede ang kanya-kanyang kayod. We have to work toward one direction,” Pruds said.

Through all these crises, Mekeni has grown from about 20 employees in 1991 to 1,400 today. The 1,400 families who now depend on the company are the main reason Tatang ultimately pulled back his own fatherly advice for Pruds to sell, given after two brothers passed away during the pandemic and Pruds had resolved to sleep only four hours a night for two years to cover the work his brothers left behind.

“Hindi ka dapat sumuko.” You cannot give up because of them, his father told him.

The same inclination can sometimes run in public leadership, as there are limits to what one state can control in a global war. But within those limits, there is enormous room to choose calm over panic, people over short‑term profit, and grounded local action over abstract rhetoric — altogether and all together, working as one.

In the story of the Philippines, this war may be the one in which the country and its people emerge not unscathed, but still standing — because we never gave up on each other.

The assurance was conveyed during a phone call between Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, according to the DFA.

The development is seen as critical for the Philippines, which relies heavily on Middle East imports for its energy needs.

“Given that the Philippines imports the majority of its energy requirements from the Middle East, these assurances from Iran will greatly facilitate the steady delivery of critical oil and fertilizer supplies to the Philippines,” the DFA said.

It added that the guarantee would help protect Filipino seafarers operating in the area and “also help ensure energy security for the country.”

DFA spokesperson Analyn Ratonel also clarified that no transit fees would be imposed, dismissing reports that Iran planned to charge at least $1 per barrel—estimated at around $2 million per vessel.

“On question regarding the reported toll fee, there is no toll fee,” she said in a text message to reporters.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to “maintaining excellent relations and achieving lasting peace through continued dialogue and diplomacy,” the DFA said.

The talks were initiated after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the DFA to engage Tehran to secure safe passage for Philippine-bound vessels.

Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz have escalated following joint military operations by Israel and the United States on Feb. 28 targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, which reportedly resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran has since maintained a de facto blockade of the key maritime chokepoint, triggering volatility in global energy markets and pushing oil prices higher.

The disruption prompted Manila to act swiftly. Last week, President Marcos declared a state of national energy emergency to cushion the impact of potential fuel supply shocks and stabilize the domestic energy sector.

This marks an early follow-through to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s March 24 statement in a Bloomberg interview to reset bilateral relations.

During back-to-back meetings — the 24th Foreign Ministry Consultations (FMC) and the 11th Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea held on March 27–28 in Quanzhou, both sides underscored the urgency of ensuring stable access to critical resources amid global uncertainty.

The consultations, led by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo M. Herrera-Lim for the Philippines and Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong for China, also set the stage for sustained diplomatic engagement, with both sides confirming a meeting between their foreign ministers within the year.

The Philippines also welcomed China’s hosting of a marine science and technology symposium in Qingdao in September 2026, focusing on ocean meteorology. Representatives from the Department of Science and Technology–Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (DOST-PAGASA) are expected to participate.

With geopolitical tensions disrupting supply chains, the two countries discussed the need to safeguard energy and fertilizer access, alongside potential cooperation in renewable energy, trade, and agriculture. The reconvening of bilateral mechanisms was identified as key to advancing these efforts.

At the same time, maritime security remained a central issue.

The Philippine delegation raised concerns over incidents in the South China Sea affecting the safety of Filipino personnel and fishermen, including actions that have disrupted lawful activities and posed risks at sea.

Manila reiterated its commitment to diplomacy while firmly asserting its positions under international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

The Philippines emphasized the importance of sustained communication and practical cooperation to manage differences, including ongoing efforts to enhance coast guard-to-coast guard communication, ocean meteorology collaboration, and initial discussions on possible oil and gas cooperation.

Beyond security and economic concerns, both sides also explored ways to revive people-to-people exchanges, including visa-free arrangements, expanded connectivity, and new direct air routes to boost tourism and bilateral engagement.

As ASEAN Chair, the Philippines reaffirmed its commitment to upholding ASEAN centrality and promoting a rules-based regional order amid evolving geopolitical tensions.

The Quanzhou meetings build on earlier rounds of dialogue held in Cebu and Beijing this year, signaling a step-by-step process of re-engagement between the two countries.

The FMC was last held in Manila in March 2023, while the previous BCM meeting took place in Xiamen in January 2025.

Both engagements align with President Marcos Jr.’s directive to pursue dialogue and diplomacy with China in line with Philippine national interest, while safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.

Philippine Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. welcomed the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at AIT’s Bangkok campus, commending the institute under Prof. Pai-Chi Li for its commitment to collaborative solutions.

“This partnership reflects our shared resolve to tackle today’s toughest agricultural challenges—climate variability, resource constraints, pest and disease pressures—while ensuring food security and promoting sustainability,” Tiu Laurel said.

The MOU sets a framework for cooperation in multiple areas, including joint PhD and Master’s programs, professional development opportunities, consultancy services, collaborative research, and publications. It also establishes avenues for exploring additional initiatives of mutual interest, aiming to turn research into practical solutions that benefit farmers, students, and the wider agricultural sector.

Tiu Laurel underscored the broader impact of the collaboration.

“This partnership will strengthen scientific and academic communities, empower the next generation of agricultural leaders, and generate practical knowledge to support sustainable agricultural development, said the DA chief.

“Progress in agriculture is progress for our people. Through this collaboration, we affirm our belief in the power of collective expertise and partnerships to drive meaningful and lasting impact,” he added.

Officials said the partnership is expected to create a dynamic pipeline of trained professionals, facilitate knowledge exchange between the Philippines and Thailand, and foster the development of technologies and practices that enhance productivity and resilience in the agricultural sector.

The DA and AIT also aim to leverage the partnership to address pressing global and regional challenges, from climate-smart farming to sustainable resource management.

By combining academic rigor with government policy priorities, the collaboration seeks to generate solutions that are both innovative and scalable, benefiting not only the Filipino agricultural sector but the broader Southeast Asian region.

This five-year collaboration marks a significant step in strengthening academic-government alliances as a key driver of agricultural research, innovation, and workforce development.

Both institutions plan to monitor and evaluate the impact of joint initiatives closely, ensuring that the partnership delivers measurable outcomes for farmers, researchers, and rural communities alike.

Through this agreement, the DA and AIT aim to create a more innovative, resilient, and food-secure future, demonstrating the potential of strategic partnerships to address complex agricultural challenges in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. signed the import restriction, directing an immediate halt to shipments of poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen originating from the Midwestern state of the US.

The decision follows a February 23 report from the US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), confirming multiple outbreaks of H5N1 in Indiana. Laboratory confirmation was carried out by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories in Ames, Iowa.

The DA said the rapid spread of the virus across the US necessitated wider trade restrictions to shield the country’s multibillion-peso poultry industry from possible exposure.

Under a 2016 bilateral animal health arrangement between Manila and Washington, a state-wide ban may be imposed if three or more counties in a US state are affected by bird flu.

Indiana has breached that threshold, according to official reports submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

The import ban immediately suspends the processing and issuance of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs) for the covered commodities. Previously approved SPS clearances for live birds are automatically revoked.

However, shipments already in transit, loaded, or accepted at port before the circular’s effectivity may still enter the Philippines—provided the products were slaughtered or produced on or before January 30.

All non-compliant shipments will be confiscated or dealt with under existing quarantine regulations. Veterinary quarantine officers across major ports have been instructed to enforce strict inspection and stoppage protocols.

At a press briefing, DTI Undersecretary Allan B. Gepty said that the annual retreat allows the Philippines to set regional priorities, advance initiatives that support national interests, and strengthen economic cooperation with ASEAN’s partners.

“On the retreat proper, the Philippines participation both as AEM Chair and AEM Philippine Lead, provides a good opportunity to reaffirm our steadfast commitment to advancing a more resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centered ASEAN,” Gepty said.

Among key areas to be discussed during the Retreat are the Philippine Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs), which Gepty described as the highlight of the meeting.

“The PEDs cover a diverse range of areas of trade such as energy, agriculture, strategic trade management, MSMEs, and artificial intelligence, and ASEAN’s efforts to advance the sustainable and green agenda,” Gepty said.

One key PED is Greener Future – Implementation of the Regional Investment Promotion Action Plan 2025-2030, which Gepty said aims to make ASEAN a single destination for sustainable investment, accelerate green transition, and promote inclusive growth.

Another major deliverable is the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), the region’s most comprehensive agreement on digital economy and e-commerce.

“It aims to create a digital environment that is open, secure, interoperable, competitive, and inclusive,” Gepty said.

Gepty also cited the ASEAN Semiconductor Roadmap, which aims to strengthen regional value chains, develop skilled workers, and position ASEAN as a global hub for semiconductor investment.

Other PEDs include the ASEAN Center of Excellence for Creative Industries (ACE–CI), the ASEAN Center of Excellence for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, and energy initiatives under the ASEAN Power Grid (APG) to improve energy connectivity.

The Retreat will also discuss a Leaders’ Declaration on Strategic Trade Management for Secure Regional Trade to regulate trade in sensitive goods and technologies, particularly those that can be used as biological weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

“Strategic Trade Management will ensure that these goods will not fall into the wrong hands. A robust Strategic Trade Management increases the trust of foreign investors and companies, secures access to strategic technologies, and protects high-value sectors of the country,” Gepty said.

Recognizing that the Retreat comes at a critical time amid recent global developments, Gepty said, “ASEAN remains central to these developments, and plays a vital role in shaping the global economy. Thus, showing our united resolve as we navigate our future is a strength in itself.”