ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC) Philippines Chairman Joey Concepcion called for stronger regional collaboration in food and agriculture at the recent 46th ASEAN Summit held on May 26-27 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Together with council members George Barcelon and Michael Tan, the Philippine team pushed for food security and msme development to be among the regional business agenda, especially as the country gears up for its ASEAN chairmanship in 2026.

Speaking before the 10 ASEAN Leaders (plus Timor-Leste) during their Annual Interface, Joey Concepcion, who serves as 2025 ASEAN BAC co-Chairman Concepcion highlighted two key initiatives-the ASEAN Food Security Alliance (AFSA) and the ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network (AMEN). These two will banner the legacy projects during the Philippines’ ASEAN hosting next year.

“The ASEAN Food Security Alliance will serve as a platform for regional cooperation in agriculture and food systems,” said Concepcion. “Through this alliance, we aim to combat poverty and enhance food resilience by harnessing the strengths of ASEAN’s leading agriculture enterprises.”

Building on the success of AMEN, first launched by the Philippines during its ASEAN chairmanship in 2017, the Alliance now reinforces a regional approach to addressing food insecurity. By bringing together agribusiness leaders and policymakers, the initiative aims to drive collaborative and scalable solutions that build resilience, reduce hunger, and promote inclusive growth across the ASEAN region.

In parallel, efforts to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are being revitalized with the digital relaunch of AMEN. This enhanced platform will strengthen mentor-to-mentor engagement while also advancing the two other critical pillars for MSMEs—access to money and markets.