First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos was the guest of honor at the kick-off of the first-ever business retreat dubbed “ASEAN-BAC Reimagined” at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City on Monday, where she expressed her full support for the continued collaboration and unity among ASEAN nations.

The ASEAN-BAC dinner-reception brought together ASEAN Council members and key partners from both the public and private sectors, marking the soft launch of the Philippines’ ASEAN-BAC chairmanship in 2026, with Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion set to lead the regional business advisory council.

This year, the ASEAN-BAC (Business Advisory Council) is chaired by Tan Sri Nazir Razak of Malaysia, who is proposing a regular workshop for ASEAN-BAC members to deliberate on the future of the organization and better support the agenda of bringing ASEAN closer.

In his speech, Concepcion thanked the First Lady, describing her as hardworking, detail-oriented, and a valuable partner in Go Negosyo’s various initiatives.

“She supported us in many of our efforts to help MSMEs all over the Philippines,” Concepcion said.

Aside from the First Lady, the event was also graced by former president now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, ASEAN officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and leaders of various business organizations.

The ASEAN-BAC is the apex private sector body of ASEAN established by the ASEAN Heads of State and Government (HOSG) at the 7th ASEAN Summit in November 2001 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam.

The ASEAN-BAC was established to serve as the private sector’s voice, offering feedback and recommendations to support ASEAN’s push for deeper economic integration.

Aside from providing private sector feedback on the implementation of ASEAN economic cooperation, the Council also identifies priority areas for consideration by the ASEAN leaders.

Accordingly, ASEAN-BAC focuses on reviewing key issues and identifying solutions to help advance economic cooperation and integration across the region.