Businesses that bring small producers, low-income workers and local enterprises into their supply chains could gain new pathways to regional markets as ASEAN leaders meet in Manila to advance inclusive business.
Around 300 delegates are expected at the Ninth ASEAN Inclusive Business Forum on September 22 at the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Hall in Pasay City, where government officials, enterprises and development partners will explore ways for more organizations to adopt and scale inclusive business models.
Hosted by the Philippines through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the event is co-organized with the ASEAN Secretariat, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the ASEAN Foundation.
Under the theme, “Building Capacities for Inclusive Business: Advancing the ASEAN Framework for Talent and Institutional Development,” the forum will advance the 2025 framework by equipping government officials, private enterprises and Business Support Organisations (BSOs) with the tools to scale inclusive business.
Key objectives include evaluating 10 years of regional progress, expanding market access through social public procurement, establishing cross-border collaborative networks, and reviewing the draft Regional Roadmap for Inclusive Business Capacity Building and Talent Development.
The opening ceremony will feature ASEAN Coordinating Committee on MSMEs (ACCMSME) Chair Trinh Thi Huong, Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina A. Roque, ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, ESCAP Deputy Executive Secretary Shombi Sharp, and OECD Deputy Secretary-General Yasushi Masaki.
Bringing together regional leadership are morning discussions with Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, SME Corp. Malaysia chief operating officer Hilyati Muhammad Nasir, Brunei Economic Development Board Acting CEO Daniel Leong, Viet Nam Agency for Private Enterprise and Cooperative Development representative Trinh Huong, and Kennemer Foods CEO Simon Bakker.
The event will also feature the release of the OECD publication, “From Margins to Markets: Powering ASEAN’s Economy Through Inclusive Business,” which marks the economic output, supply chain integration, and market impact generated by inclusive enterprises across Southeast Asia.
Another highlight is the ASEAN Inclusive Business Awards Ceremony, which will honor outstanding inclusive business models from each member state. The honorees demonstrate successful integration of low-income workers, smallholder farmers and local MSMEs directly into high-value regional supply networks.
Throughout the day, parallel working sessions will deliver tailored technical assistance to public and private sector attendees. Government officials will receive guidance on business coaching frameworks, social procurement policies and impact measurement metrics, while enterprise managers will gain practical tools for assessing corporate inclusiveness, adopting disability-inclusive practices and qualifying for emerging corporate and government procurement opportunities. The annual forum builds on policy commitments established during previous editions hosted by Indonesia in 2023, Lao People’s Democratic Republic in 2024, and Malaysia in 2025.