Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque has called on ASEAN member states to deepen regional collaboration and remove digital friction to unlock the bloc’s full economic potential.
Speaking at the ASEAN Digital Economy business dialogue in Pasay City, Roque highlighted the transformative role of the upcoming ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement, set to be signed in November. The agreement is envisioned to establish unified regional rules for e-commerce, cross-border digital payments, data flows, and intellectual property protection, which could help double the region’s digital economy to 2 trillion USD by 2030 and position the 700 million-strong population as a dominant global digital hub.
Roque underscored the domestic impact of digital integration, noting that the Philippines’ digital economy accounted for 9.8 percent of gross domestic product and supported over 10.39 million jobs in 2025. She urged regional partners to share best practices, streamline trade rules, and invest aggressively in workforce upskilling to build an inclusive, resilient, and world-class digital marketplace.