Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo met with Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Alfredo Pascual to follow up on the first official in-person Ministerial meeting of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). Secretary Raimondo expressed her gratitude for the Philippine government’s collaborative involvement in the processes leading up to and emerging from the Ministerial. She welcomed Secretary Pascual’s views on priorities for IPEF and expressed the United States’ commitment to working towards a high-standard and inclusive framework that will provide concrete benefits to all of its partners. For example, Raimondo highlighted the launch of the IPEF Upskilling Initiative, which would provide over 7 million training and educational opportunities, primarily to women and girls among IPEF’s emerging and middle-income partners, including the Philippines.