ECONOMIC officials from Asean member states gathered in Iloilo City on February 25, 2026, for the 49th High-Level Task Force on Asean Economic Integration (HLTF-EI).
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Allan Gepty said the event highlights the city’s role in regional trade and investment.
“Iloilo is an excellent host, able and willing to accommodate our partners in Asean and also our external partners. [This is] also a good opportunity for us to showcase that Iloilo is a good tourism destination, and we believe that in promoting tourism we can promote trade in the same manner that trade promotes tourism,” Gepty said.
Gepty said the gathering introduces Asean to Iloilo and the city to the regional bloc. Through Asean, the Philippines has negotiated trade agreements with China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.
“More than hosting international meetings, it is a good opportunity also for the Iloilo Province to show that Iloilo can be a good investment hub for strategic sectors in the country,” Gepty said.
The HLTF-EI serves as a key policy platform for regional integration in trade, services, and investment.
Infrastructure upgrades support the city’s expanding role. In 2025, the Board of Investments approved a P2.35-billion project to modernize the Iloilo Commercial Port Complex. International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) operates the facility.
In April 2025, the Visayas Container Terminal handled its first export shipment of 15 forty-foot containers of agricultural products to Singapore.
Officials said hosting Asean meetings generates economic activity for local hotels, restaurants, and transport providers. The events also promote Iloilo as an information technology and business process management hub.
As Asean chair, the Philippines continues to prioritize the digital economy, economic security, and expanded trade partnerships to generate jobs and strengthen business opportunities.
The series includes the Roundtable on Asean Economic Security on February 25 and the HLTF-EI meetings from February 26 to 27.
Organizers said the engagements demonstrate the capacity of the city to shape the economic agenda of the region. (Leo Solinap/SunStar Philippines)