CIRSS Discusses Economic Priorities at First Breakfast Conversations in 2025

DFA Undersecretary Charles C. Jose discusses the Philippines’ economic priorities and APEC.  Beside him are FSI Director General Francisco Noel R. Fernandez III (left) and DFA Assistant Secretary Edgar B. Badajos

MANILA 06 February 2025 — The Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies (CIRSS) of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) held its first Breakfast Conversations with CIRSS for the year titled “Philippine Economic Policies and APEC” on 24 January 2025 featuring Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and International Economic Relations Charles C. Jose.

Undersecretary Jose opened the discussion with an introduction of the theme of APEC for 2025 under the chairmanship of the Republic of Korea, “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, Prosper.” He reviewed mutual areas of interest between Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, namely: (i) strengthening and promoting AI utilization to improve the lives of Filipinos; (ii) addressing food insecurity through digitalization; (iii) empowering micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to compete in the global economy; and (iv) developing sustainable and renewable energy.

Addressing a question on the use of nuclear energy during the open discussion, Undersecretary Jose emphasized the need for strong legislative support and strengthened bilateral discussions to ensure the safe and ethical use of nuclear energy vis-a-vis learning from the best practices of our allies. On national security, he underscored the importance of safeguarding the Philippines’ critical infrastructure from harmful investments through public-private partnerships.

On Philippines-China relations, Undersecretary Jose noted that, despite the challenges, relations remain strong as China continues to be one of the Philippines’ major export markets and sources of imports. Further, existing partnerships and initiatives between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea were also discussed, given the latter’s incoming APEC chairmanship. The identified areas include research and development, capacity-building, and knowledge sharing for technological advancement.

Breakfast Conversations with CIRSS is an informal dialogue on the various thematic research areas of FSI. The Conversations serves as a platform for sharing knowledge and synergizing efforts with the Institute’s researchers, DFA personnel and officials, and other stakeholders. END

CIRSS researchers and DFA personnel attended the first Breakfast Conversation of 2025