Tea with the Honourable Ramon M. Lopez, Secretary, Department of Trade and Industry, Republic of the Philippines

Kuala Lumpur
04 August 2017

The ASEAN Business Club, in collaboration with CIMB, hosted a private discussion session with the Honourable Ramon M. Lopez, Secretary of Trade and Industry, Republic of the Philippines. Secretary Lopez chairs the 2017 ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting, the highest central body responsible for the realisation of deeper economic cooperation and integration within the ASEAN region, and, with ASEAN’s external economic dialogue partners.

Secretary Lopez shared insights on the policies of the Duterte Administration as well as the priorities and objectives of the Philippines for its 2017 ASEAN Chairmanship. This was followed by a question and answer session with the attendees.

Secretary Lopez addressed various issues including those about uncertainties in the mining sector in the Philippines, the unrest in Marawi City in Mindanao and the importance of human rights and civil society organisations in the development of ASEAN. Secretary Lopez said that the fighting in Marawi has been contained and will not spread to other parts of Mindanao. He shared his experience of a recent visit to the area and that he observed that it was business as usual just outside of Marawi City. Secretary Lopez also shared progress being made in the Philippines on the rights and benefits of contract workers and underlined that human rights are always an integral part of doing business in the Philippines.