Cebu business leaders urged to look beyond Philippines market

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu business leaders are being urged to look beyond the domestic market as slower economic growth, weaker investment, and continued global uncertainty reshape competition across East Asia.

East Asia Business Council (EABC) chair Jay Yuvallos is inviting members of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philexport Cebu and other business groups to attend two regional conferences in Manila next month.

The events will focus on changes in the global and East Asian economies and their impact on businesses.

The Philippine economy grew 2.3 percent in the second quarter, its weakest quarterly expansion since 2021, highlighting the challenges companies face as growth slows and uncertainty rises.

The 24th MAP International CEO Conference, themed “In the Age of Flux: Next Inflection Points,” will be held on Sept. 8. It will bring together business executives, policymakers and innovators to discuss forces reshaping economies and corporate strategies.

The following day, Sept. 9, the EABC will hold its first RCEP Business and Investment Summit under the theme “Business in the RCEP Economy: Competing, Connecting and Scaling Across East Asia.” Both events will be held at Shangri-La The Fort in Manila.

The summit will examine opportunities under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world’s largest free-trade agreement, and how companies can use the pact to expand market access, strengthen regional links and grow across East Asia.

For Cebu companies, the discussions come as changes in technology, geopolitics, demographics and consumer behavior increasingly affect investment, hiring, supply chains and expansion plans.

The conferences will also give Cebu business leaders access to regional and global speakers and potential business partners, offering a wider view of risks and opportunities outside the Philippine market.

Yuvallos urged Cebu businesses to use the forums to review their strategies and prepare for changes in the regional economy.

“Every generation of leaders faces defining moments when familiarity gives way to the unfamiliar, when assumptions are challenged, and when the decisions made today shape the opportunities of tomorrow,” the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)said in describing the CEO conference.

For Cebu businesses, the events offer an opportunity to hear from business and policy leaders on how companies can adapt to a more volatile environment and compete, connect and scale across East Asia.