How humanitarian advocacy, cultural representation, and the creative economy became part of a major regional development conversation in Manila
MANILA, Philippines — The presence of Hollywood actress and humanitarian advocate Angelina Jolie and internationally acclaimed Filipino theater performer Lea Salonga at the 2026 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit in Manila brought an important dimension to a regional gathering traditionally associated with government leaders, economists, business executives, and policymakers.
But their participation was not simply about celebrity recognition or international prestige.
Their respective appearances reflected a broader understanding of inclusive growth: that economic development must extend beyond investments, corporate expansion, and financial performance to include human dignity, social protection, cultural representation, and opportunities for people from different backgrounds.
Held on November 11, 2026, at Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City, the summit brought together representatives from business, government, civil society, philanthropy, and other sectors to examine how Southeast Asia can build economies that provide more equitable opportunities for its people.
Convened by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth in partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC), the gathering explored the relationship between economic development, financial inclusion, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and social progress.
The inclusion of Jolie and Salonga in its program demonstrated that the conversation about economic growth is no longer confined to traditional business and political leadership.
Instead, it increasingly recognizes the influence of humanitarian advocates, artists, cultural workers, and creative professionals in shaping the future of societies.
ANGELINA JOLIE: HUMANITARIAN ADVOCACY BEYOND THE HOLLYWOOD SPOTLIGHT
For Angelina Jolie, her participation carried significance beyond her internationally recognized career as an actress and filmmaker.
Her humanitarian work has established her as a prominent advocate for refugees, displaced populations, women, and children affected by conflict and humanitarian emergencies.
Jolie served as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador from 2001 to 2012 before becoming a Special Envoy, a position she held until 2022.
During her years of service, she undertook more than 60 field missions, visiting communities affected by displacement and conflict and bringing attention to the circumstances of people whose experiences often receive limited international attention.
Her advocacy focused on refugee protection, access to education, women’s rights, and the welfare of vulnerable populations.
These concerns are closely connected to the principles of inclusive development.
Economic progress cannot be considered genuinely inclusive when millions of people remain displaced, excluded from education, deprived of livelihood opportunities, or unable to exercise their basic rights.
Jolie’s selection therefore offered a humanitarian perspective to the summit’s larger discussion about development.
HER CONNECTION WITH CAMBODIA: A STORY OF CULTURE, HISTORY, AND COMMUNITY
One of the most significant dimensions of Jolie’s humanitarian journey is her longstanding connection with Cambodia.
Her relationship with the Southeast Asian country began in 2000, when she visited Cambodia while filming Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
What initially brought her to the country as an international film star eventually developed into a deeper engagement with its people, history, and humanitarian concerns.
She became a Cambodian citizen in 2005 and maintained a longstanding connection with communities in the country.
Her engagement with Cambodia also extended into filmmaking.
Jolie directed First They Killed My Father, a film based on the memoir of Cambodian survivor Loung Ung, which recounts the experiences of a child during the Khmer Rouge regime.
The film brought international attention to a painful chapter in Cambodian history while providing a platform for Cambodian stories and perspectives.
At the 2026 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit, Jolie appeared alongside Cambodian filmmaker Rithy Panh in a closing discussion titled “Cambodia, Courage, and the Power of Staying.”
Panh, whose filmmaking has extensively documented the Khmer Rouge period and its impact on Cambodian society, brought another important perspective to the discussion.
Moderated by Shamina Singh, founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the session examined the importance of long-term commitment to communities and the need to ensure that people directly affected by social and economic challenges participate in developing solutions.
The discussion underscored an important principle: meaningful development cannot simply be imposed on communities from the outside. It must be built with the participation, experiences, and aspirations of the people it intends to serve.
For Jolie, Cambodia is not merely a location associated with one of her films. It represents a longstanding connection between cultural storytelling, humanitarian engagement, and community development.
LEA SALONGA: THE FILIPINO VOICE IN THE GLOBAL CREATIVE ECONOMY
While Jolie represented the humanitarian dimension of inclusive growth, Lea Salonga brought attention to another important area: the economic and social value of culture and creative industries.
Salonga is among the Philippines’ most internationally recognized performing artists.
Her groundbreaking portrayal of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon earned her a Tony Award, making her the first Asian woman to win the award for acting in a musical.
Her international achievements also include providing the singing voices of Princess Jasmine in Disney’s Aladdin and Mulan in Mulan.
She was subsequently recognized as a Disney Legend and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2026.
Her career demonstrates how Filipino artistic talent can gain international recognition and contribute to the global entertainment industry.
However, her participation in the Manila summit was not simply an acknowledgment of her accomplishments as a performer.
It highlighted the importance of developing an environment where creative professionals can turn their talents into sustainable careers and meaningful economic opportunities.
WHY THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY MATTERS TO ASEAN
Salonga participated in a fireside conversation titled “In Unison: Amplifying Every Voice in ASEAN,” moderated by broadcast journalist Rico Hizon.
The session explored how her journey from Manila to Broadway illustrates the potential of Southeast Asian creativity and culture to become a source of both national pride and sustainable livelihood.
The discussion also included conversation and song.
Her participation raised important questions about the future of the creative economy in Southeast Asia.
How can emerging Filipino artists gain access to international opportunities?
How can independent performers, musicians, writers, filmmakers, and other creative professionals earn sustainable incomes from their work?
How can governments and private institutions provide better support for cultural workers?
And how can Southeast Asian countries develop creative industries that are globally competitive while preserving their cultural identities?
These questions are particularly relevant in an era when digital platforms, international collaborations, streaming services, and the creator economy are transforming how artistic work is produced, distributed, and monetized.
The creative economy is not limited to entertainment celebrities. It includes independent artists, theater practitioners, designers, photographers, writers, production personnel, digital creators, and countless other professionals whose work contributes to cultural and economic activity.
Salonga’s participation therefore placed Filipino artistic excellence within a much broader conversation about employment, economic opportunity, cultural identity, and international competitiveness.
Her presence also offered an important reminder that Filipino talent is not merely something to celebrate during international recognition ceremonies. It is an economic and cultural resource that deserves sustained investment and institutional support.
TWO WOMEN, TWO DIFFERENT JOURNEYS, ONE DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATION
Although Jolie and Salonga represent different professional worlds, their participation at the summit reflected complementary dimensions of inclusive growth.
Jolie’s work highlights humanitarian responsibility, refugee protection, women’s welfare, and the importance of community-led development.
Salonga’s career illustrates the potential of artistic excellence, cultural representation, and creative industries to generate opportunities beyond national borders.
Their contributions demonstrate that inclusive growth must be examined through multiple perspectives.
A society cannot claim meaningful progress simply because its economy expands while vulnerable communities remain excluded.
Neither can development be considered complete when talented individuals lack access to opportunities, fair compensation, and the means to sustain their livelihoods.
The two speakers effectively brought attention to the human and cultural dimensions of development, areas that are sometimes overshadowed by discussions about investment figures, economic indicators, and corporate performance.
Their participation also challenges the traditional assumption that only political leaders, economists, and business executives should shape conversations about the future of regional economies.
Artists, filmmakers, humanitarian advocates, and cultural professionals also have valuable contributions to make.
UNDERSTANDING THE SUMMIT: WHY INCLUSIVE GROWTH IS A REGIONAL PRIORITY
The 2026 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit was organized around the idea that economic growth should translate into opportunities that reach a broader segment of society.
The Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the institution behind the gathering, focuses on expanding access to economic opportunities through financial inclusion, technology, entrepreneurship, and other development initiatives.
Its partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council connected these development priorities with the concerns of businesses and the wider Southeast Asian economic community.
ASEAN-BAC serves as a link between the private sector and ASEAN governments, helping bring business perspectives into regional policy discussions.
The summit explored several interconnected areas, including financial inclusion, digital transformation, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, women’s economic participation, tourism, and the creative economy.
These subjects are particularly important in Southeast Asia, where economic opportunities remain unevenly distributed across countries, communities, and population groups.
Micro, small, and medium enterprises, for example, are essential to employment and local economic activity. Yet many continue to face difficulties accessing financing, digital infrastructure, technology, and wider markets.
Likewise, the growth of digital platforms creates new opportunities for businesses and creative professionals, but it also introduces challenges involving online fraud, financial security, and unequal access to technology.
The summit sought to bring these concerns into a common regional conversation.
Its broader message was that economic development should not be measured exclusively by how much wealth a country generates, but also by how widely the benefits of that wealth are shared.
THE PHILIPPINES AS HOST: AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REGIONAL LEADERSHIP
Hosting the summit in Manila was particularly significant as the Philippines held the ASEAN chairship in 2026.
The gathering provided an opportunity to position the country as a venue for discussions involving regional economic cooperation, private-sector participation, and inclusive development.
It also brought international attention to Filipino business leaders, cultural personalities, and development advocates.
However, hosting an international summit should not be viewed as an achievement in itself.
The more important question is whether the discussions can translate into meaningful programs, partnerships, and policies that improve people’s lives.
For the Philippines, this means examining how economic growth can benefit communities outside major business districts, how small enterprises can gain access to financing and technology, and how creative professionals can receive better opportunities and protection.
It also means recognizing the needs of women, persons with disabilities, vulnerable populations, displaced communities, and other groups that may experience barriers to economic participation.
The challenge is to transform the language of inclusion into practical and measurable outcomes.
BEYOND THE CONFERENCE HALL: WHAT DOES INCLUSIVE GROWTH MEAN FOR ORDINARY FILIPINOS?
Perhaps the most important question raised by the summit is whether inclusive growth can be experienced beyond international gatherings and corporate discussions.
For ordinary Filipinos, economic inclusion is not an abstract concept.
It means having access to decent employment, affordable financial services, quality education, sustainable livelihoods, and opportunities to improve one’s circumstances.
For a small entrepreneur, it may mean obtaining a reasonable loan and reaching customers through digital platforms.
For an independent artist, it may mean receiving fair compensation, gaining access to international markets, and having social protection.
For a woman supporting her family, it may mean equal opportunities, financial independence, and protection from discrimination.
For a displaced family, it may mean access to education, employment, housing, and the opportunity to rebuild a life.
For marginalized communities, it means being included in decisions that directly affect their future.
These are the realities against which the promises of inclusive growth should ultimately be measured.
International recognition and high-profile speakers can help amplify important issues, but they cannot replace sustained public policy, institutional accountability, and concrete action.
DEVELOPMENT MUST INCLUDE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN LEFT BEHIND
The participation of Angelina Jolie and Lea Salonga at the 2026 ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit offers a valuable opportunity to reconsider how society defines progress.
Jolie’s humanitarian work reminds us that development must protect human dignity and recognize the circumstances of vulnerable populations.
Salonga’s international career demonstrates that cultural talent and creative expression can become sources of opportunity, economic activity, and national representation.
Their presence reinforces the idea that development is not exclusively about building stronger corporations or attracting more investments.
It is also about building societies where people have the opportunity to participate, contribute, and benefit from progress.
For the Philippines and the wider ASEAN region, the challenge extends beyond organizing successful conferences and bringing internationally recognized personalities to the same stage.
It is about ensuring that the principles discussed in those gatherings reach the people who need opportunities the most.
Ultimately, inclusive growth should not be judged by the prominence of the people invited to speak about it.
It should be judged by the lives improved, the communities empowered, the opportunities created, and the people who are no longer left behind.
Because economic growth becomes meaningful only when progress is shared.
