The Philippine business sector is aiming to accelerate its digital transformation through the upcoming edition of the country’s largest annual trade conference.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) announced the 51st Philippine Business Conference & Expo (PBC&E) on August 18 at the Commerce and Industry Plaza building in Taguig City. The event will focus on the theme “The Future is Now: Unleash the Power of Digital Transformation.”
PCCI President Enunina V. Mangio touted a “completely reimagined” conference, revealing that the event will feature international and local exhibitors for the first time.
“We have transformed the PBC&E into (an) immense hands-on technology showcase, a strategic platform designed to equip every Filipino business with the tools, insight, and partnership necessary to future-proof their operations,” Mangio said.
This year’s PBC&E Chairman, Dennis Anthony Uy, described the conference as a catalyst for digital adoption and national progress. Citing the Philippines’ low global competitiveness rankings, Uy stressed that the country needs to speed up its digital transformation.
“To win the digital age, we must not just catch up, we have to leap ahead,” he said.
Philippine government agencies that also spoke at the launch echoed the sentiment.
“The digital age is no longer a distant horizon; it is the ground we stand on,” said Cristina Roque, the Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). She added that among the mandates of her agency is the development of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.
In his speech, Assistant Secretary Luis Miguel Planas from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) asserted that the Philippines must strive not to get left behind in what he described as “today’s rapidly changing world.”
Connectivity, AI & cybersecurity
Among the initiatives that the PCCI and the Philippine government are focusing on is providing Filipino businesses with quality and affordable Internet connectivity.
Uy shared that the government is “working to connect every corner of the country.” Aside from being this year’s PBC&E Chairman, he is also the Founder and CEO of Converge ICT, one of the country’s telecommunications service providers.
Uy said that the DTI and the Department of Science and Technology are pushing cashless payment systems, e-commerce artificial intelligence (AI) training, and other smart city initiatives. He added that digital tools are taking root across local government units, “making cities more efficient and more profitable.”
When asked about the Philippines’ readiness for adopting AI, Uy admitted that it is “really behind” but added that if the Philippines doesn’t start somewhere, it will lag even further behind other countries.
Another concern with adopting more advanced digital technologies is the possible exposure of Filipino businesses to new cyber threats. CoinGeek asked the PCCI and the government officials at the press conference what initiatives or technologies they are exploring to combat these threats.
Asec. Planas told CoinGeek that the DICT is closely monitoring the cybersecurity landscape in the country. For his part, Uy asserted that efforts to beef up the sector should be centralized by the government.
“In terms of the high level, there’s a lot of platform security. (The) government should come out with a single cybersecurity council to control the whole nation,” Uy said. He explained that cybersecurity should be addressed proactively and not reactively.
Uy also highlighted the importance of proper information dissemination and basic education, saying that the majority of digital vulnerabilities stem from internal security issues. He stressed that there is a need to teach this kind of knowledge in Philippine schools, all the way down to the grade school level.
Helping the Filipino youth shape the future
The role of the youth in developing the Philippine digital sector is another key focus of the 51st PBC&E.
Filipino students are competing in hackathons across the country to come up with ideas to solve business problems presented by the PCCI. Speaking at the launch, Rev21 Labs CEO Ron Puno shared some of the winning projects from the regional hackathons that have already concluded.
According to Puno, one winner presented a system that will help cost and source materials for home construction projects just by taking a picture. Another winner presented an app that will keep track of transactions and inventory at neighborhood variety stores locally known as “sari-sari stores.”
These hackathons will culminate at the conference, where the national winners will be announced. Puno said that the winning teams will earn not just recognition but also the opportunity to scale their solutions with support from industry leaders, mentors, and the PCCI network.
“The youth are not just the leaders of tomorrow,” Puno said. “They are the innovators, the problem solvers, and changemakers of today. Their energy, creativity, and digital fluency are essential to building a Philippines that thrives in a rapidly changing global landscape.”
Puno added that the results of the competition should be a signal to young Filipinos that their ideas matter and that they will help shape the future of the country. He explained that the PBC&E’s vision of a future-ready Philippines includes entrepreneurs launching globally competitive startups and technology bridging education, trade, and healthcare gaps.
The 51st PBC&E will be held on October 20-21 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
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Ace Chavez