Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Malaysia
May 26, 2025

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque underscores the significance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s participation in the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

In an interview with RTVM, Secretary Roque emphasizes that apart from his participation in the Summit, the President is also holding bilateral meetings with fellow Leaders which present an opportunity for the Philippines to strengthen ties with fellow Member States, particularly trade and investment.

As part of the Philippine delegation to the Summit, the DTI remains committed to aggressively advocating for the President’s priorities, particularly the call for a digital economy in the ASEAN.

“Definitely, napaka-importante ang digital economy for the Philippines. Of course, we are 7,600 islands and I always say this, digital is really the way to go. I mean, a digital AI, that’s really the talks now of the entire ASEAN. Even when I went to APEC, ‘yun din ang talks. So, we really need to keep up with the times and we really need to keep up with what’s abreast globally,” she states.

“So, we’re really very aggressive on everything that the President tells us. Go digital, go AI, make sure that the MSMEs are really well taken care of. Make sure that we’re able to really push the products of the MSMEs as well as the products of the entire country,” Secretary Roque stresses.

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