The Philippines joined fellow Asean economies in endorsing deliverables under Indonesia’s chairmanship this year focusing on recovery and rebuilding, digital economy and sustainability.
Secretary Alfredo Pascual said the Indonesia’s 16 Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) will ensure that this momentum of economic growth and post-pandemic efforts will be maintained beyond 2025.
Pascual participated in the 29th Asean Economic Ministers Retreat in Indonesia on March 22 to deliberate and endorse the economic priorities that the region will pursue under Indonesia’s chairmanship with the banner theme, “Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.”
Those deliverables are meant address the immediate challenges in ensuring the region’s recovery and rebuilding and further the momentum for Asean as an epicentrer of growth through inclusive digital economy integration and sustainable economic growth.
The AEM also discussed other initiatives such as the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement Upgrade Negotiations and the implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
Pascual was joined by Indonesian chair, Zulkifli Hasan; fellow AEM Dr. May Fa’ezah Ahmad Ariffin of Brunei Darussalam, Pan Sorasak of Cambodia, Dr Jerry Sambuaga of Indonesia, Malaithong Kommasith of Lao PDR, Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Bin Tengku Abdul Aziz of Malaysia, Alpana Roy (representing Gan Kim Yong of Singapore), Wanchai Varavtihva of Thailand, Tran Quoc Khanh of Viet Nam; and recently appointed Asean secretary-general Dr. Kao Kim Hourn.
Also in attendance was Jose Lucas do Carmo da Silva, following the observer status granted to Timor-Leste during 40th and 41st Asean Summit in November 2022.
