"$6.5 Billion in Trade Is Just the Beginning": Mon Abrea Urges California Investors to Expand in the Philippines

Global tax expert challenges American investors, Hollywood studios, and Filipino-American entrepreneurs to turn trade relationships into investments, joint ventures, and jobs as ACGlobal’s North America Investment Mission advances.

LOS ANGELES, California — As global businesses reassess their supply chains and regional expansion strategies, the Philippines faces a defining opportunity: translate its economic potential into investment projects that generate lasting commercial value. .

Realizing this opportunity requires more than competitive incentives. Investors must be able to navigate regulatory requirements, identify credible local partners, and operate with confidence in the country's business environment.

This was the broader focus of Asian Consulting Group (ACGlobal)'s investment and tax engagement in Los Angeles, which brought together perspectives on Philippine economic prospects, trade, investment policy, and the evolving requirements of international business.

The opportunity lies in connecting three priorities: market access, investment competitiveness, and institutional confidence.

The Philippines offers opportunities across advanced manufacturing, technology, energy, infrastructure, and digital services. Its established commercial ties with the United States provide a foundation for deeper cooperation, from joint ventures and technology partnerships to participation in regional supply chains.

Yet the ability to attract sustained investment will depend on how effectively these opportunities translate into viable business propositions.

Investment incentives are only part of the equation. The CREATE MORE Act provides a framework of fiscal incentives for qualifying enterprises, but long-term investment decisions also depend on regulatory predictability, efficient government services, and a clear understanding of tax obligations.

These considerations are particularly relevant as businesses evaluate emerging opportunities associated with the Luzon Economic Corridor and the Philippines' developing role in advanced manufacturing and resilient technology supply chains.

For Mon Abrea, Global Tax Policy Expert and ACGlobal Chief Tax Advisor, investment promotion and domestic reform are complementary priorities. His work in tax policy and international investment advocacy reflects a central challenge for the Philippines: building an investment environment that is competitive not only in its incentives, but also in the reliability of its institutions.

As Abrea emphasized in his Los Angeles briefing, “Let’s move from introductions to transactions—and from transactions to lasting economic value.” The challenge, he noted, is to ensure investment missions lead beyond handshakes and expressions of interest toward actual investments, commercial contracts, operating businesses, and quality jobs.

The Los Angeles engagement featured Hon. Adelio Angelito S. Cruz, Consul General of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, and TC Anne Marie Kristine Umali-Hilleard, OIC Trade Commissioner and Director of the Philippine Trade and Investment Center–Los Angeles. Their participation underscored the importance of collaboration between government institutions and the private sector in advancing Philippine economic interests abroad.

For ACGlobal, the next phase of investment promotion must go beyond awareness and introductions. It must help businesses identify opportunities, establish partnerships, and move toward commercially viable engagements.

Through its international investment initiatives and Why Invest in the Philippines? — CREATE MORE Edition, ACGlobal is building connections between global businesses and Philippine opportunities, while encouraging collaboration among investors, institutions, and strategic partners.

The organization welcomes corporations, financial institutions, business chambers, and professional services firms interested in supporting future investment briefings, executive roundtables, and cross-border business initiatives.

The ambition is straightforward: make the Philippines not only a market investors consider, but a business destination where credible opportunities can be developed and realized.

About ACGlobal

Asian Consulting Group (ACGlobal) is a Philippine-headquartered international tax advisory and investment consulting firm supporting multinational companies, foreign investors, and global brands through tax strategy, investment advisory, market entry, and cross-border expansion.

Partnership and sponsorship inquiries: consult@acg.ph | acg.ph