The Philippines Brings Its First Pavilion to Davos
When the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting opens in Davos in January 2026, the Philippines will arrive with something it has never had before: a public-facing space of its own.
The InvestPhilippines Business Pavilion, located along Promenade 50 beside the Morosani Schweizerhof Hotel, marks the country’s first-ever pavilion at the Forum. It is a notable shift from previous years, when participation was defined by closed meetings and delegation-led engagements. This time, the Philippines is stepping forward as a host.
The Pavilion is being introduced as a working venue rather than a showcase. Across the week, it will convene government leaders, multilateral institutions, investors, and industry figures for discussions on economic alignment, investment readiness, digital transformation, sustainability, and creative industries. The timing aligns with the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairship in 2026, framed under the theme Navigating Our Future, Together.
The opening programme reflects the Pavilion’s intent. Its inaugural high-level panel, The Evolving Global Economic Order, brings together Nobel Laureate Michael Spence and World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, among other senior figures. The discussion is expected to focus on economic fragmentation, interdependence, and how emerging economies position themselves amid shifting global supply chains and governance models.
Rather than centering the Pavilion on a single sector, the programme spans finance, infrastructure, technology, and culture. Sessions across the week include conversations on sovereign wealth and pension funds, trade and investment opportunities, fintech and artificial intelligence, natural capital, and inclusive development. Networking is embedded throughout, with the Pavilion designed as a place for sustained, decision-oriented exchange.
One session that stands out is a special panel on Creative Sustainability, scheduled for later in the week, featuring Apl.de.ap. Best known globally as a founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, Apl.de.ap brings with him nine Grammy Awards and decades of international recognition. His role at Davos, however, extends beyond music.
In recent years, Apl.de.ap has become deeply involved in sustainability and rural development initiatives in the Philippines. His work includes large-scale regenerative agroforestry and carbon projects that link climate action with livelihood creation, particularly for farming communities. These initiatives focus on reforestation, soil restoration, and long-term economic participation, positioning sustainability not as an abstract goal but as a development strategy rooted in local realities.
His participation reflects a broader narrative that the Philippines is advancing at Davos. The country’s growth story is increasingly framed around people, skills, and values, alongside infrastructure and capital. It is a perspective shaped by a globally connected diaspora, a growing digital economy, and heightened exposure to climate risk.
The Pavilion builds on the Philippines’ renewed engagement with the World Economic Forum, an effort that began in 2023 under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. That renewed presence laid the groundwork for deeper participation in Davos and for positioning the Philippines as an active contributor to global economic dialogue. In 2026, the Pavilion formalizes that trajectory and aligns it with the country’s ASEAN Chairship.
“This Pavilion reflects the Philippines’ readiness to engage the world with clarity and confidence,” said Ambassador Manuel Antonio Javier Teehankee, Permanent. “It speaks to the right time, the right place, and the right people coming together to build lasting partnerships.”
For Ambassador Bernard Faustino La Madrid Dy, Philippine Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, the Pavilion represents the outcome of sustained coordination across institutions. “This first Philippine Pavilion in Davos is the result of close collaboration between government and the private sector,” he said. “It reflects a shared commitment to present the Philippines as a credible and engaged partner in global economic discussions.”
As the Forum opens the global economic calendar for the year, the Philippines’ first pavilion is less about announcement and more about positioning. It places the country visibly inside the room, prepared to engage on substance, to build partnerships, and to carry conversations forward beyond Davos.
