Came for Angelina Jolie, but left thinking who gets to grow in ASEAN

TL;DR: At the November 11 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit in Manila, Angelina Jolie spoke about her life and work in Cambodia and her plans for Atelier Jolie, including a possible space in the Philippines where local makers could sell their work. The event also covered handwoven Cebuano fashion, quantum computing risks to encryption, and how small businesses can get better access to markets.

Key Takeaways:

• Digital transformation and regional connectivity remain key priorities, as leaders and experts discuss emerging cybersecurity risks posed by quantum computing, alongside opportunities to strengthen digital payments, e-commerce, and cross-border trade across ASEAN.
• ASEAN summit highlights the importance of business empowerment, with leaders emphasizing the need for mentorship, financing, and greater market access to help enterprises.
• Angelina Jolie underscores community-led development, stressing the importance of investing in local communities through conservation, education, livelihood programs, and initiatives that promote economic independence.
• Conversations on fashion, e-commerce, and creative industries highlighted the need for platforms that connect local artisans and entrepreneurs to wider markets, allowing them to turn their skills and products into sustainable livelihoods.

I’ll be honest, Angelina Jolie was the speaker I was waiting for at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Inclusive Growth Summit. But the afternoon in Manila started with a fashion show that, by the time she took the stage, felt like the right opening for her conversation.

Fashion designer Dexter Alazas’s Hablonuevo collection put handwoven Cebuano textiles into contemporary designs. First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos attended the show, and the program went from the runway to a conversation on Filipino creativity with fashion designer Rajo Laurel, then to the creator economy and e-commerce with actress and entrepreneur Kylie Verzosa.

The November 11 summit, led by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), brought together people from business, government, and the creative industries during the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship.

Of all the tech topics that afternoon, quantum computing caught me by surprise. In a fireside chat with Ilaria Chan, National University of Singapore professor José Ignacio Latorre made it about something I do every day: checking my email or logging into my bank account. A powerful enough quantum computer, he said, could break some of the encryption that protects both. His advice to businesses was to start figuring out where they use encryption so they know what to update.

As the summit drew to a close, Mastercard’s (NASDAQ: MA) Jon Huntsman reflected on what made the day feel so distinctly ASEAN: the energy and creativity on display in conversations that ranged from tourism and economic development to fashion and music. When host Rico Hizon asked what was next for small businesses, Go Negosyo founder and 2026 ASEAN-BAC chair Joey Concepcion III pointed to the Philippines’ mentoring program, where established business owners help micro and small entrepreneurs.

He said big companies can also help them secure financing and find buyers. As he put it, “most important is access to market.”

That point carried into Musa Fazal’s preview of Singapore’s 2027 ASEAN chairship. The Singapore Business Federation executive said Singapore wants to build on the Philippines’ work by reducing trade and regulatory barriers and improving connectivity between payment systems. He also pointed to energy and sustainability, and to making sure the benefits of regional growth reach small businesses, including those led by women.

Then came the conversation I’d been waiting for

Jolie joined Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh and moderator Shamina Singh, founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, to talk about a country she first visited for a film and came to call home. When she returned to volunteer at a school, she recalled having a thought that would change her life.

“My son is here,” she remembered thinking. “I have to find him.”

She went on to meet Maddox. Years later, when she took on First They Killed My Father, she asked Panh to help her tell the story. “I wanted to do the film with the country,” she said.

Staying in Cambodia meant getting involved in the work that needed to be done. Jolie said 48 landmines were found on the land that became her home. The early years involved clearing mines and checking on nearby schools and roads. Over time, the work grew to include conservation and livelihoods such as beekeeping. She described what she wants that work to lead to as “investing in their independence.”

That idea also shapes Atelier Jolie.

“They need an opportunity to share what they make, whether it be their music, their books, their products,” she said. She described spaces where artists and makers could sell their work, meet collaborators and reach customers beyond their borders. She talked about opening one in Cambodia and raised the possibility of one in the Philippines, with local makers and products making up the majority. An online store, she said, could help those makers reach more buyers.

As a Filipina listening to her, I thought back to the Cebuano textiles I’d seen on the runway. What would it take for the women who weave those fabrics to reach the buyers who see them onstage? After an afternoon of conversations about e-commerce, digital payments, and regional trade, that was the question I took home.

Jolie made inclusive growth feel concrete to me. It’s about whether the women behind the work can find buyers, earn a living, and decide how their businesses grow.

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FAQs:

When and where was the ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit held?
The ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit took place on November 11 in Manila, during the Philippines’ ASEAN chairship.

What did Angelina Jolie discuss at the summit?
She talked about her ties to Cambodia, adopting her son Maddox, making First They Killed My Father with Rithy Panh, and her vision for Atelier Jolie.

Is Atelier Jolie coming to the Philippines?
Jolie raised the possibility of a Philippine space featuring mostly local makers and products, but nothing was confirmed.

Why was quantum computing on the agenda?
A powerful enough quantum computer could break some of the encryption protecting email and banking, so businesses should start identifying what needs updating.

Watch: DigiCon 2026: Interoperability starts with people