Despite the heavy rains on Friday, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos showed her full support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by officially opening the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bagong Pilipinas National Trade Fair at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

Trade Secretary Cristina Roque extolled the First Lady for supporting and gracing the initiative, connecting it to Mrs. Marcos’s endeavor, dubbed LIKHA, which celebrates Filipino culture and honors the creativity of artisans and designers.

The Bagong Pilipinas National Trade Fair highlights the innovative and eco-friendly products of 350 MSME exhibitors, while serving as a platform for business matching, investor networking, and live demonstrations of emerging technologies and prototypes by the academic and scientific communities.

In partnership with the Department of Science and Technology-Forest Products Research and Development Institute, the DoST-Philippine Textile Research Institute, and the Philippine Coconut Authority, the trade fair also features the upgraded Philippine Sustainability Pavilion which displays sustainable furniture, textiles, apparel, handicrafts, and raw materials made of coconut, bamboo, natural fibers, and native grasses.

ASEAN preparations

On her return from her trip to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the First Lady wasted no time in advancing the Philippines’ preparations for the 2026 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Mrs. Marcos shared photos of her Monday meeting at the Coconut Palace with the key figures behind Indonesia’s 2023 ASEAN chairmanship from whom she sought insights and lessons from their experience.

The Coconut Palace will serve as one of the official venues for the 2026 ASEAN Summit. It sits just across from the Philippine International Convention Center in the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex.

“As we prepare to host the 2026 ASEAN Summit, we had the privilege of meeting the brilliant minds behind Indonesia’s 2023 chairship,” the First Lady said.

“Their insights reminded us that successful summits aren’t just about logistics but also about shared values, cultural pride, and human connection,” she added.

Mrs. Marcos aims to have a one-of-a-kind summit for the ASEAN member states next year. The Philippines follows Malaysia which hosted the ASEAN Summit this year.