ASEAN to convene finance and central bank deputies meetings in the Philippines to advance integration and 2026 priorities on capital markets, financial health and cross-border payments

ASEAN announced that the Philippines will host the ASEAN Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting – Working Group (AFCDM-WG) and related meetings in Panglao, Bohol from 9 to 13 February 2026, jointly led by the Philippines’ Department of Finance and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as AFCDM-WG co-chairs. The meetings will bring together finance ministries and central bank officials from the 11 ASEAN Member States to discuss financial services integration, regulatory cooperation, capital market development, financial inclusion and resilience-focused initiatives. The five-day programme includes the 84th Meeting of the ASEAN Working Committee on Financial Services Liberalization and the 2nd Meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Finance–Health Collaboration (both co-chaired by the Department of Finance), and the ASEAN Working Committee on Capital Account Liberalization Meeting (co-chaired by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), concluding with the AFCDM-WG on 13 February 2026. As part of the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairship Priority Economic Deliverables, the co-chairs will seek endorsement of priorities covering sustainable and resilient ASEAN capital markets, financial health and cross-border payments, including efforts to promote interoperable, transparent and well-regulated cross-border payment systems aligned with the G20 Roadmap. The release also flags continued ASEAN Finance Track work on financial services liberalisation, including implementation of commitments and Timor-Leste’s accession under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services, alongside preparatory work supporting the transition to the ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement.