Insider Spotlight
At the recent Security Bank Economic Forum 2025, speakers said that tariff changes, geopolitical rivalries, and slowing global growth are forcing ASEAN governments and companies to rethink trade and investment strategies to stay competitive.
“As geopolitical tensions rise, businesses must understand both the risks and opportunities of this new era,” said Curtis Chin, former US Ambassador to the Asian Development Bank. “Tariffs and trade are not just economic issues—they shape the future of cooperation and competition in the region.”
Resilience amid uncertainty
Chin noted that while global politics can reshape trade flows, the responsibility for progress ultimately rests with domestic leadership.
“Whoever is president of the United States or any other outside nation should be no excuse for not moving forward,” he said.
Former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cielito Habito echoed that sentiment, saying ASEAN’s long-term resilience will depend on structural reform and policy clarity at home.
“We could well be our own worst enemy in navigating through all the changes happening,” Habito said. “We need fundamental policy and institutional reforms to avoid the real threats to the nation’s future arising from self-inflicted weaknesses, especially in our most basic assets: our people and our land.”
Call for clarity and reform
Business leaders said the challenge now is to turn volatility into opportunity through agility and informed decision-making.
“Uncertainty is not an excuse to stand still. It’s a call for clarity, agility, and purpose,” said Security Bank president and CEO Sanjiv Vohra.
The bottom line
As global trade patterns evolve, ASEAN economies—particularly the Philippines—face a defining test: how to leverage shifting alliances and internal reform to build a stronger, more sustainable growth path amid growing geopolitical risk.
— Edited by Daxim L. Lucas
