Philippines to Host First ASEAN Sovereign Wealth Fund Forum on Energy Transition in November
Key Takeaways
- •The first ASEAN Sovereign Wealth Fund Forum is scheduled for Nov. 10 in Makati City, Philippines.
- •The Maharlika Investment Corp. aims to use the forum to pitch renewable energy and infrastructure projects to long-term regional investors.
- •Projects to be showcased span solar and wind power, energy storage, biomass, advanced biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel, smart grids, and critical minerals—capital-intensive sectors that fit sovereign wealth funds' long investment horizons.
- •UN ESCAP is hosting the forum with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Board of Investments, and MIC, and the program includes an MIC keynote and a panel moderated by the Milken Institute.
- •Established under legislation signed in July 2023, the Maharlika fund gains its first-of-its-kind convening role, and the forum's ability to produce concrete investor-project matches will serve as an early test of that regional ambition.
The Philippines will host the first ASEAN Sovereign Wealth Fund Forum on Nov. 10 in Makati City, an event at which the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) said it hopes to pitch long-term investors on renewable energy and infrastructure projects across the region.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Oct. 15, Maharlika said the forum will bring together regional policymakers and institutional investors. It is designed to connect project proponents with potential investors in support of the region's energy transition and industrial development.
According to MIC, the forum will showcase investment-ready projects in solar and wind energy, energy storage, biomass, advanced biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel, smart grids, and critical minerals. Projects in these sectors are typically capital-intensive, with returns that take years to materialize — a profile that aligns with the long-horizon mandates of sovereign wealth funds, which is the investor base the forum is built around.
The event will be hosted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Board of Investments, and MIC.
Among the forum's highlights will be a plenary session in which MIC delivers the keynote address, alongside a panel discussion moderated by the Milken Institute.
The Maharlika Investment Corp. serves as the Philippines' sovereign wealth fund, created under legislation signed into law in July 2023. Makati City, part of Metro Manila, is the country's principal financial and business district. UN ESCAP, headquartered in Bangkok, is the United Nations' regional economic and social development commission for Asia and the Pacific.
As the first gathering of its kind, the forum gives the young Maharlika fund a convening role on the regional energy-finance stage, in line with its stated aim of matching long-term capital with Southeast Asia's transition buildout. Whether the November sessions translate into concrete investor-project matches will offer an early indication of that ambition once proceedings conclude in Makatin
— Justine Irish D. Tabile
