“The region has become a crucial manufacturing and export hub, which is drawing significant capital flows. This momentum has been further fueled by Trump-era tariffs, which have reshaped global trade dynamics and driven a shift towards Southeast Asia,” said Clay Chandler, Executive Editor Asia of Fortune 500,
THE PHILIPPINES RANKED a lowly sixth in the number of companies that made it to the 2025 Fortune Southeast Asia list, indicating the lack of growth among medium-sized companies to become conglomerates or diversified firms.
The country had 40 companies included in the 2025 Fortune Southeast Asia list, only beating Cambodia’s two. Indonesia leads the list with 109 companies.
Thailand was at third with 100, Malaysia has 92 companies on the list, surpassing Singapore’s 81. Vietnam’s presence on the list has grown to 76.
And for the second straight year, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) made it to the top 10 on the list, ranking at No. 9 with revenues of $27.477 billion last year, 5.7-percent more than in 2023.
Meanwhile, SM Investments Corp. ranked at No. 25 on the list, with revenues of $11.429 billion in 2023, or an 11.2-percent increase compared to 2024.
Singapore-headquartered commodities trader Trafigura earned the No. 1 spot on the Fortune Southeast Asia 500 for a second year, generating more than $243 billion in revenue in 2024, followed by Thailand’s PTT (No. 2), Indonesia’s Pertamina (No. 3) and Singapore’s food and agribusiness powerhouses—Wilmar (No. 4) and Olam (No. 5).
Clay Chandler, Executive Editor Asia of Fortune 500, said that Fortune’s interest in the region demonstrates its vital role in the global economy.
“Fortune’s interest in the region reflects Southeast Asia’s growing importance as an engine of global growth,” he said.
“The region has become a crucial manufacturing and export hub, which is drawing significant capital flows. This momentum has been further fueled by Trump-era tariffs, which have reshaped global trade dynamics and driven a shift towards Southeast Asia,” Chandler added.
Besides SMC and SM Investments, among the other Filipino corporations that made it to 2025 Fortune 500 Southeast Asia list are Ayala Corp. (No. 47), JG Summit Holdings (No. 50), BDO Unibank (No. 52), GT Capital Holdings (No. 61), Jollibee Foods (No. 79), Cosco Capital (No. 88), Alliance Global Group (No. 92), PLDT (No. 95), Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (No. 96), and Robinson Retail Holdings (No. 100).
