SEOUL, 25 August 2026 — The Philippines advanced its ASEAN 2026 priorities on women’s economic empowerment, MSME development and digital transformation at the IDEAS Project: ASEAN Women MSMEs Acceleration Expo in Seoul. Ambassador Bernadette Therese C. Fernandez delivered congratulatory remarks before senior representatives of ASEAN and the Republic of Korea, stressing that women and MSMEs must be at the center of regional growth and must gain better access to finance, technology, skills and markets.

Ambassador Fernandez also met Philippine women entrepreneurs and businesses that benefited from the IDEAS Project, which has helped women-led MSMEs across ASEAN strengthen their digital capabilities and participate in e-business. She encouraged entrepreneurs to use the Expo not as the end of a project but as a platform to find partners, understand the Korean market and transform local ideas into businesses capable of reaching customers across borders.

Representing the Philippines in the Expo’s policy panel, Second Secretary and Consul Reisha L. Olavario outlined key Philippine ASEAN Chairship initiatives aimed at making regional integration work more effectively for smaller businesses. These include the integration of the ASEAN MSME development agenda, the proposed ASEAN Centre of Excellence for MSMEs, the expected signing of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement in November, and an ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on AI-Powered MSME Growth. She called for ASEAN–ROK cooperation to move beyond digital training toward digital competitiveness by connecting technology with finance, markets, logistics, intellectual property protection and business networks.

The Embassy also highlighted the contribution of Philippine partners such as Bayan Academy and Women Biz PH, working to advance women’s entrepreneurship as part of the country’s broader ASEAN 2026 agenda. The Philippines continues to champion an ASEAN economy where women-led MSMEs are better equipped to use technology, reach customers across borders, create jobs and compete in the regional and global marketplace.  END