Incoming Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual on Monday said digital transformation and bringing in more innovation-based foreign investments would be among his priorities once in office.

"One of my priorities is to promote the digital transformation of DTI and all our functionaries as well as the MSMEs and other enterprises in the country," Pascual said.

"We will focus on bringing foreign direct investments. We will try to give priority to investors that are in high-tech industries," he said.

Pascual said there is a growing demand for data centers outside the US and the Philippines is a good destination.

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• Marcos picks former UP president Alfredo Pascual as next DTI chief

The former University of the Philippines president and the incumbent president of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has agreed to become President-elect Ferdinand Bonbong Marcos Jr's Trade chief after a lengthy conversation.

"I believe our ideas, thoughts coincide," Pascual told ANC.

Pascual will join other prominent business heads and economists such as Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Benjamin Diokno and 2 former Socioeconomic Secretaries Felipie Medalla and Arsenio Balisacan in Marcos' economic cluster.

• PCC chair Arsenio Balisacan is Marcos' pick for next Socioeconomic Planning chief