DAVOS, SWITZERLAND – On January 16, 2023, Trade and Industry Secretary Fred Pascual joined the Philippine Delegation led by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the 53rd edition of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The WEF Annual Meeting serves as a premier gathering of business, government, and civil society organizations (CSOs) in collaborative activities to shape the global, regional, and industry agenda at the beginning of each year.
On the first day of the Forum, Secretary Pascual held a series of bilateral meetings with senior executives of companies with business interests in the Philippines, such as Coursera, Chevron, Astranis, and She Loves Tech. He also met with WEF’s Executive Committee member and Head of International Trade and Investment to discuss potential partnerships with the Philippines.
“We have met with several business executives and presented our country as an ideal investment destination in Asia. Similarly, we shared with them our improved business climate, which was fueled by the recent economic policy reforms that facilitate ease of doing business. We see WEF as an opportunity to gather more FDIs that will complement our country’s economic recovery initiatives”, Secretary Pascual said.
Together with the country’s economic managers, Secretary Pascual will be joining the CEO Dialogue on the Philippines with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as the keynote speaker. The Dialogue will highlight the administration’s initiatives on energy, food security, and digitalization to add resilience and growth momentum to the country’s economy through public-private collaboration.
Further, the Secretary will be speaking as a contributor in a number of WEF sessions including: MSMEs Going Global, Next Generation Industrial Strategies, and a Trade and Investment Leadership Lunch.
Secretary Pascual will also be representing the Philippines in several Ministerial-level meetings of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on E-Commerce, Investment Facilitation for Development, and Climate Change as the WTO gears up for its Ministerial Conference scheduled for February 2024.
