President Rodrigo Duterte joins other heads of states on stage during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos on September 6. (MNS photo)
MANILA (PNA) – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (PRRD) presented the economic agenda of the Philippines to members of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ABAC) on Tuesday in Luang Prabang, Laos.
The agenda focuses on the promotion of inclusive growth through innovation in four areas: micro, small and medium enterprises; e-commerce; youth; and women entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the 13th ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) at the Muong Thanh Luxury Hotel, the President urged the business leaders to hasten the integration of sub-regional cooperation frameworks in Southeast Asia.
He said he learned that the 10-member regional bloc has the Greater Mekong Sub-Region; the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle; and the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, otherwise known as the BIMP-EAGA.
President Rodrigo Duterte joins other heads of states on stage during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Summit at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos on September 6. (MNS photo)
PRRD thanked the ABAC for the opportunity to participate as speaker in this year’s ABIS event.
“I attach great importance on how laws are crafted and implemented to bring good governance and order and to provide an enabling environment for the country’s progress and prosperity,” he said.
“From my perspective, for ASEAN to be a global player, it must ensure the effective implementation of various agreements concluded through the years,” he added.
Hailing from Mindanao, the President has committed to promote BIMP-EAGA.
“We intend to open up our other major islands like Mindanao and the Visayas with high-quality backbone infrastructures,” he said.