DTI to hold ASEAN Business Environment Forum 2026

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) announced on Monday that it will host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Environment Forum (ABEF) 2026 to discuss strategies for strengthening the region’s business and investment environment.

At a pre-event press briefing, Benedict Uy, executive director of the DTI-Foreign Trade Service Corps, said that ABEF 2026 will take place on March 11 and will convene ASEAN ministers, senior government officials, and private sector leaders.

Uy said the ABEF 2026 is a part of the Philippines’ initiatives under its ASEAN 2026 Chairship and follows the successful kickoff of the country’s year-long business, trade, and investment agenda during the ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum on February 24, 2026.

“In partnership with the Asian Development Bank, the forum aims to showcase ideas and real-world practices that strengthen ASEAN’s position as an attractive destination for foreign investments,” Uy said.

As a side event ahead of the ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Retreat, ABEF 2026 discussions will complement ministerial-level policy deliberations. The event is being coordinated by the DTI-Committee on Business and Investment Promotion (DTI-CBIP).

Guided by the theme “From Foreign Policy to Performance: Making ASEAN Work for Business,” ABEF 2026 highlights how ASEAN economies are translating policy commitments into concrete actions that support a more transparent, predictable, and competitive business environment.

Uy said discussions will focus on three strategic priorities: advancing the ASEAN business environment, strengthening public-private collaboration, and leveraging digitalization to promote transparency and efficiency.

ABEF 2026 comes at a critical time for the global economy, Uy said, citing recent geopolitical developments, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, continued trade tensions between the United States and China, and the increasing use of tariffs as economic tools, which “have made the global landscape an unpredictable environment.”

“With such disruptions stifling progress, the same can be viewed as opportunities to capitalize and develop new trading dynamics. Alliances that we once viewed as unbreakable have begun searching for partners elsewhere across the globe,” Uy said.