President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday urged member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) to work together for a stronger and more resilient community. In his speech during the launching of Asean 2017 Committee in Business and Investment Promotion in Malacañang, Duterte called for unity as he vowed to work with the 10 Asean member-states and its dialogue partners to ensure a collective success. “Asean needs to sustain its momentum towards inclusive growth, ensure that businesses and industries continue to thrive and secure a policy environment that supports meaningful economic change and reform,” the President said. Let us together work for an Asean that is even stronger, more resilient and ready to do business,” he added. To do this, the Philippines will focus on micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that form the backbone of the Asean’s collective economy.

Source: Manila Times January 24, 2017 11:26 UTC