The ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines (ASEAN BAC PH) is set to collaborate with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) to advance the Digital AgTech ecosystem across the agricultural sectors of both countries. The initiative will be through MDEC’s Digital Agriculture Department. MDEC is a government agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Digital.

“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to strengthening food security in the region,” said ASEAN BAC PH chair Joey Concepcion. “By improving productivity and accelerating digital transformation in agribusiness, ASEAN BAC Philippines and MDEC are committed to creating a resilient and smart agricultural sector.”

Concepcion was in Malaysia for the 103rd ASEAN BAC Meeting and ASEAN BAC Interface with Leaders, held preceding the 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits from 26 to 27 May 2025, also in Malaysia. In addition to the digital initiative, Concepcion is taking the initial steps to engage the ASEAN leaders’ support and secure partnerships between the region’s biggest agriculture companies for the ASEAN Food Security Alliance initiative, which is poised to become the ASEAN BAC PH’s legacy project for its chairmanship in 2026.

MDEC’s Digital AgTech collaborates with stakeholders and ecosystem partners to improve national agriculture systems using digital technologies such as the Internet of Things, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and drone technology.

Key initiatives outlined in the LOI include collaborative efforts to promote the widespread adoption of Digital AgTech; cross-border ecosystem development to support technology and knowledge exchange and the sharing of best practices; and the development of sustainable and scalable models for effective Digital AgTech deployment.