Romualdez highlights PH potential at WEF 2025

The Philippine delegation to the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) is focused on securing sustained investments to bolster the country’s competitiveness, efficiency, and sustainability, Speaker Martin Romualdez said on Monday.

“Our participation in WEF 2025 is a testament to the Philippines’ commitment to fostering collaboration, securing investments, and driving inclusive and sustainable development,” Romualdez stated during a welcome lunch for the delegation in Davos.

This year’s forum, themed “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,” offers the Philippines an opportunity to highlight its resilience, innovation, and economic potential amidst global challenges. Romualdez emphasized the need to navigate risks such as fragmentation and conflict while forging stronger partnerships.

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, serving as the Special Envoy of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., will spearhead efforts to engage global partners and attract investments in high-impact industries, logistics, workforce development, and artificial intelligence (AI) expansion.

Romualdez highlighted the importance of leveraging past successes, including President Marcos Jr.’s introduction of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) at WEF 2023, which paved the way for its legislative approval. Subsequent forums in 2024 helped build global awareness of the MIF and strengthened the Philippines’ position as an emerging economic leader.

He also pointed to the WEF 2024 Country Roundtable hosted by the Philippines, where WEF President Borge Brende praised the country’s trajectory toward becoming a trillion-dollar economy within the next decade.

“Central to this objective is ensuring a sustained flow of investments in the country that will enhance the competitiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the economy,” Romualdez added.

As the WEF 2025 brings together nearly 3,000 global leaders to address pressing economic challenges, Romualdez lauded the growing involvement of the Philippine private sector, underscoring its vital role in advancing reforms and fostering inclusive growth.

“Our private sector must continue to champion reform and openness, working hand in hand with the government to spur inclusive and sustainable development,” he said, expressing optimism about building stronger partnerships at the global forum.