The Angsana Council brought together a diverse group of visionaries from the Filipino startup ecosystem for a robust fireside chat in Manila on August 22, 2023. 

The panel comprising John Rubio, Head of Facebook Philippines, and Peng T Ong topic delved into ‘What it would take for Filipino startups to go global’ The conversations were led by our Council Trustee Doris Ho, John Rubio (who himself had been at the helm of a unicorn) and Peng T. Ong (drawing on his experience having helped to develop the startup ecosystem in Singapore) and included robust engagement from attendees, pitching in from their various perspectives. 

The discussion revolved around: 

• The value of studying other success models and adopting best practices; 
• Exploring the Philippines’ key strengths and comparative advantage and developing a strategy around that; 
• The need for pieces of legislation to be aligned and implemented coherently; 
• Establishing a one-stop center or agency to support SMEs with navigating regulatory compliance; and
• Improving private-public sector collaboration to nurture innovation.

What came through as a consistent message is the unifying vision that capitalizes on the key strengths of the Philippines and implementation strategies as key to international success. The importance of studying successful global models and incorporating best practices, exploring the Philippines’ unique strengths and comparative advantages took center stage. A big takeaway was the need of the hour – of fostering greater collaboration between the private and public sectors to nurture innovation within the country.

After our Vietnam chapter, the Manila fireside chat was a testament to the power of collective vision to improve. As the Philippines startup ecosystem progresses, the event served as a catalyst for advocating for strategic advancements.