Hollywood actor and humanitarian Angelina Jolie and Broadway star Lea Salonga are headlining the 2026 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit in Manila today, Wednesday 11 November, as leaders from business, government and civil society gather to discuss economic opportunity across Southeast Asia. The one-day summit, held at Shangri-La The Fort, focuses on the region's 70 million small businesses and how digital tools, finance and sustainable supply chains can help them grow.

Jolie arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday morning ahead of the event, ABS-CBN News reported, and her appearance has drawn international attention to a summit otherwise aimed squarely at the region's entrepreneurs. The event is organised by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines, under the theme "Resilient and Rising".

Jolie on Cambodia and the power of staying

Jolie's session is titled "From Memory to Possibility: Cambodia, Courage and the Power of Staying". She will appear alongside Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh, in a conversation moderated by Shamina Singh, founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth. The discussion will examine their long-running work in Cambodia and the importance of sustained involvement in communities recovering from conflict, the Asian Journal reported.

Jolie has a longstanding connection to Cambodia, including through the film "First They Killed My Father", which she directed and co-wrote, with Panh serving as an executive producer. She served as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador from 2001 to 2012 and as the agency's Special Envoy from 2012 to 2022.

Salonga: amplifying every voice in ASEAN

Lea Salonga, the Tony Award-winning Filipino Broadway icon, will sit down with broadcast journalist Rico Hizon for a session titled "In Unison: Amplifying Every Voice in ASEAN". The session is scheduled to include conversation and song, and will look at her career and the lessons aspiring artists can take from it, We Are Resonate reported.

Other speakers at the summit include beauty queen and entrepreneur Kylie Verzosa, fashion designer Rajo Laurel, and Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque. The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth said the lineup "reflects the full breadth of Southeast Asia's growth story, from boardrooms and government ministries to startups, small businesses, philanthropies, and digital platforms".

Small businesses at the centre of the agenda

The summit's agenda covers financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, technology, tourism and the economic potential of cultural and creative industries. Its central focus is Southeast Asia's micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which number around 70 million and form the backbone of the region's economies.

Organisers say the gathering aims to turn economic uncertainty into opportunity by helping small firms adopt digital tools, access finance and join sustainable supply chains. The event takes place during the Philippines' 2026 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, days before the 49th ASEAN Summit and related meetings open in Manila on 15 November.