Insider Spotlight
Set for July 28 to 29, 2026 at the Manila Marriott Hotel Grand Ballroom in Pasay City, the summit is expected to bring together more than 4,000 policymakers, regulators, investors, innovators, and technology leaders from ASEAN and other global markets, according to a company release.
The event will carry the theme “Building ASEAN’s Digital Economy: Secure. Sustainable. Inclusive. Borderless.” and is expected to center discussions on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which aims to enable trusted data flows, interoperable systems, and cross-border digital trade across the region.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is slated to deliver the opening keynote address alongside international finance and technology experts.
“What we need now is speed and execution. This Summit brings together decision makers to drive partnerships and investments toward a truly borderless ASEAN digital economy,” said Joey Concepcion, ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines chairman.
The summit is being organized by FinTech Alliance.PH together with ASEAN-focused fintech and innovation groups, with support from government agencies including the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry, and Department of Information and Communications Technology.
The big picture
FinTech Alliance.PH founding chairman Lito Villanueva said the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship creates an opportunity to move regional digital economy initiatives from policy discussions into implementation.
“As ASEAN Chair, the Philippines has a decisive opportunity to move DEFA from aspiration to execution. The Manila Tech Summit 2026 is designed as a working platform, aligning policy, capital, and technology to enable trusted cross border ecosystems. This is about building a digital economy that is not only innovative, but interoperable, secure, and inclusive at scale,” said Villanueva.
Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the agreement could help reduce friction in digital trade and support the expansion of micro, small, and medium enterprises across ASEAN markets.
“The Digital Economy Framework Agreement will be transformative for ASEAN. Our focus is clear to reduce friction in digital trade, empower MSMEs to scale regionally, and ensure that innovation translates into inclusive economic growth. The Summit provides a critical venue to accelerate these outcomes,” said Sec. Roque.
Why it matters
A central focus of the summit will be the accelerated realization of DEFA, enabling seamless cross-border digital trade, interoperable payments, trusted data flows, and more harmonized regulations across ASEAN economies.
Key summit discussions will include agentic artificial intelligence, stablecoins, cross-border finance, digital payments, cybersecurity, data governance, and digital infrastructure.
The summit will also serve as the launch venue for the 2026 Philippine FinTech Report, an industry reference used by policymakers, investors, and development institutions.
Among the initial sponsors are Transunion, Converge ICT, Huawei, Advanced Finance Solutions, Inc. (Skyro), Advance AI, Grab, Coins.ph, IDfy, Phi Commerce, Amdocs, and Blockshoals.
Fintech delegates from the 16 member economies of the Asia FinTech Alliance, including representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Israel, Hungary, UAE, Luxembourg, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and other partner economies, are also expected to participate, reinforcing the Philippines’ role as a regional convenor and bridge to global innovation ecosystems. —Princess Daisy C. Ominga | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
