Consul General Arnel G. Talisayon delivers his remarks (left) during the Asian Consuls General Roundtable at the Plug and Play Tech Center. (San Francisco PCG photos)
SUNNYVALE, CALIFORNIA – Consul General Arnel G. Talisayon joined fellow Asian Consuls General at the roundtable “Globalizing AI in Asia: From Innovation to Impact,” held on 3 November 2026 at the Plug and Play Tech Center during the Plug and Play Silicon Valley November Summit. Moderated by Plug and Play General Partner Alireza Masrour, the roundtable brought together Consuls General of India, Indonesia, Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, the Republic of Korea, and Vietnam, and a representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco to discuss the outlook for artificial intelligence and startups across Asia.
In his remarks, Consul General Talisayon noted that the Philippine startup ecosystem, while still young, has significant room for growth, led by financial technology companies such as Salmon, BillEase, UNO Digital Bank, and Cashalo. He highlighted the scale of digital adoption in the country, with more than half of Filipino adults using GCash, and the transition of the Philippines’ IT and business process management workforce into AI-enabled services. Consul General Talisayon also underscored the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN Chairmanship and ASEAN’s work toward the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, noting that investing in the Philippines also opens doors to the wider Southeast Asian market.
Consul General Talisayon (center, in barong) with fellow Asian Consuls General during the networking session ahead of the roundtable. (San Francisco PCG photo)
Plug and Play Founder and CEO Saeed Amidi expressed interest in establishing AI Centers of Excellence in Asia in partnership with governments, universities, and corporations, and encouraged greater engagement of diaspora communities in Silicon Valley with startup ecosystems in their home countries. The Consulate reaffirmed its commitment to connecting Philippine startups, universities, and innovators with investors and partners in the San Francisco Bay Area. END