US-ASEAN Business Council and ASEAN-BAC Philippines Formalize Partnership and Launch 2026 ASEAN Chairship Roundtable Series

(Pasig City, Philippines) On March 3, The US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines (ASEAN-BAC Philippines) formalized their partnership in support of the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and the launch of a five-session Roundtable Discussion Series.

The MOU was signed by Herminio “Third” Bagro III, USABC’s Philippines Chief Representative, and Jose Ma. “Joey” A. Concepcion III, Chairman of ASEAN-BAC Philippines, during the inaugural roundtable session. The agreement establishes a coordinated platform for engagement aligned with the Philippines’ Chairship agenda, themed “Navigating Our Future, Together.”

“The Philippines assumes the ASEAN Chairship at a pivotal moment for the region,” said Bagro. “As ASEAN moves from frameworks to implementation, the private sector must be a reliable partner in delivering measurable outcomes—particularly in sustainability, health, digital transformation, and supply chain resilience.”

“The Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship is an opportunity to demonstrate that business and government can move from dialogue to delivery,” said ASEAN-BAC Philippines Chair Joey Concepcion. “Through this partnership with USABC, we are building a structured platform where private sector solutions directly support national priorities and regional integration. This is about ensuring ASEAN remains competitive, resilient, and future-ready.”

High-Level Dialogue on Sustainability and Food Security Opens the Series

USABC and ASEAN-BAC Philippines held the first session of the Roundtable Discussion Series on Sustainability and Food Security, bringing together senior government officials, U.S. companies, development experts, and policy advisers to examine the intersection of food systems, environmental sustainability, and public health across ASEAN—an area where coordinated action remains urgently needed.

USABC presented four impactful, actionable proposals designed to bridge sustainability and food security gaps across the region. Government perspectives were shared by former Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar, now Senior Adviser at ASEAN-BAC Philippines, as well as senior officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"Food security and sustainability are often treated as separate policy conversations, but the private sector sees them as deeply connected,” Bagro added. This roundtable was about bringing that integrated perspective to the Philippines' Chairship agenda, in a way that can produce tangible regional outcomes."

“Food security and environmental sustainability are shared ASEAN challenges that require coordinated regional action,” Concepcion said. “Under the Philippines’ Chairship, we are committed to elevating these issues as strategic priorities and ensuring that business solutions help drive inclusive growth across the region.”

Building a Private Sector Agenda for ASEAN 2026

The Sustainability and Food Security session marks the first in a five-part series designed to support the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship through sustained public-private engagement. Upcoming sessions will focus on Sustainable Supply Chains and Logistics, Digital Economy and Workforce Development, and Artificial Intelligence. Together, the series aims to shape a coherent, implementation-ready private sector agenda aligned with the Philippines’ Chairship priorities and ASEAN’s long-term competitiveness.

Through this partnership and dialogue, USABC and ASEAN-BAC Philippines are reinforcing the role of business as a strategic partner in advancing a resilient, innovative, and future-ready ASEAN.