A TOP official of the Aboitiz Group has pitched before the New York Stock Exchange (NSYE) economic forum the massive business and investment opportunities in the Philippines.
The Philippine business delegation headed by Aboitiz Group president and chief executive officer Sabin Aboitiz addressed global investors, traders, and the rest of the audience at the NYSE on Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, of what the Philippines has to offer in the global trade and industry.
“As a representative of Philippine business, and on behalf of the delegation with us today, I want to thank you for the invitation to be here, in the financial center of the universe, touching base with our friends in the American business community,” Aboitiz said, addressing NYSE chairman Sharon Bowen, NYSE vice chairman John Tuttle, and the rest of the distinguished members in the audience.
“The friendship between our two countries has always been like Wall Street itself, a busy two-way street of economic give-and-take, and we sincerely hope and believe it will remain this way forever. We are here today to support President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos in his genuine efforts to revitalize this relationship and remind you of our total commitment to it. We are here to underscore his efforts to assure you of the integrity, stability, and solidarity of his administration and of the Philippine economic system, which is not without wounds, but neither without the determination to heal them — and to unlock the massive economic potential our country has to offer, with the help of good friends like you.”
“We live in uncertain times, but in our corner of the world, the Philippines remains one of Asia’s fastest growing economies,” he continued. “And with the pandemic now largely out of the way, we are back on that fast track, accelerating out of recovery mode and onto the promising possibilities of the future. Now more than ever, with the dawn of a new era of digital progress, and an environment that has never been more enabling and conducive for business, the Philippines is ripe and open for investment.”
Delegation
Aboitiz was one of the 30 representatives of the Philippine business community selected to accompany the Department of Trade and Industry–led government delegation to the United States. The trip was organized to strengthen mutually beneficial bilateral business relations between the two countries.
Aboitiz is also the convenor of the Private Sector Advisory Council, a body formed to provide President Marcos with practical recommendations, and strengthen the collaboration between the private and public sector. In this distinguished capacity, Aboitiz has witnessed firsthand the Marcos administration’s dedication to fostering productive ties between government and business to uplift the country and, most importantly, the average Filipino citizen.
“I’ve seen many presidents in my lifetime and they all have their strengths. The one we have today has quite cleverly gotten 30 of our country’s busiest CEOs to voluntarily work for him and for our country,” Aboitiz observed. “I know this because I’m one of them. As convenor of the Private Sector Advisory Council to the President, I have witnessed the ability of this man to bring together the best minds in business, use them to find real solutions to real problems, and then immediately implement them like he was flipping a switch.”
Representing the Philippine business delegation were International Container Terminal Services Inc. chairman and president Enrique Razon; Metro Pacific Corp. chairman and president Manuel V. Pangilinan; San Miguel Corp. chairman, president and CEO Ramon Ang; Ayala Corp. chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala; JG Summit Holdings Inc. president and CEO Lance Gokongwei; Magsaysay Group president and CEO Doris Ho; and SM Prime Holdings director Hans Sy, among others.
“This is why we work for him. Because he listens to reason and gets things done. Because he has the humility to seek the help of those who know more, in order to provide help to those who need more. This is the kind of decisive, action-oriented leadership we have in our country today,” Aboitiz concluded. “And this is the kind of inclusive and collaborative leadership that will transform the Philippine economy into the Next Big Thing in Asia.” (with PR)