MANILA, April 28 -- The High-Level Conference of Middle-Income Countries (MICs) started on Monday, gathering representatives to discuss current challenges and strategies to sustain growth amid global uncertainties.

In his speech, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said it is the first time the conference happened in Asia, as meetings took place in Spain, El Salvador, Namibia, Jordan, Belarus, Costa Rica, and Morocco from 2007 to 2024.

"The representation of our MICs, including from the Asia-Pacific, at this high-level conference, acknowledges the need for sustained dialogue on better supporting the growth practice of middle-income countries through thoughtful strategies, concrete, scalable, and impactful solutions," he said.

"Mor...