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AboitizLand Wins Big At 2021 Philippines Property Awards

It’s Not Easy Being Green: Balancing Energy Security And Decarbonization For An Emerging Economy

Banking and Financial Services

UnionBank Wins ‘Data For Good’ Award For Data-Driven Push Towards Financial Inclusion

Infrastructure

Aboitiz InfraCapital Bags 4 Honors At 9th PropertyGuru Philippines Property Awards

Aboitiz Group Advisory to External Stakeholders regarding COVID-19

2019 Bankers’ Night

2019 Brigada Eskwela Cebu

Earl Gio Manuel

Provides employment to local residents

CEREMONIAL BLESSING. As the project’s main contractor, Aboitiz Construction
participated in the ceremonial blessing of CD Processing (CDP) Ltd.’s copper ore
sorting and processing plant in Carmen Copper Corporation’s operations center in
Toledo City, Cebu.Aboitiz Construction recently completed the construction of
 CD Processing (CDP) Ltd.’s copper ore sorting and processing plant in Carmen
Copper Corporation’s operations center in Toledo City, Cebu. The new facility
will help manage mining wastes efficiently.

A blessing ceremony for the new plant was attended by various project
stakeholders and local government units headed by Toledo City Mayor Marjorie
Perales last November 10.

Aboitiz Construction worked on the installation of structural modules, sandvik
equipment and 16X Belt Conveyors, and civil works . The sorting plant will
facilitate moving mining materials efficiently, thus decreasing  discarded
wastes in the process.

True to advancing business and communities, the project provided employment
opportunities to about 200 individuals, of which nearly 80% were locally hired.

“In line with our commitment to building a better future, we will continue to
help other businesses to thrive and contribute to responsible operations which
will lead to the provision of job opportunities and contribution to the
economy’s growth,” said Aboitiz Construction Vice President for Construction
Operations Alex Garciano.

CDP plant is a state-of-the-art ore sorting plant which uses the latest magnetic
resonance analyzer technology which will contribute to a safer, more
sustainable, and cutting-edge working environment and operations.

Last September, Aboitiz Construction completed its construction project for a
mining plant owned by CD Processing Ltd. in Toledo City, Cebu. The project will
contribute to sustainable mining which involves operations with better waste
management processes.Aboitiz Construction contributed in extending the mine life
while reducing CDP’s logistical costs through reduced wastes. The new facility
 will also help in the waste management process through the reclamation of
valuable copper bearing ores from low-grade materials discarded by copper mines.

Learn more about Aboitiz Construction here: 
https://www.aboitizconstructioninc.com/

Construction

Aboitiz Construction contributes to sustainable mining in Toledo City

Angelique Sampayan

This article is originally published in villageconnect.com.ph
[https://www.villageconnect.com.ph/aboitizland-wins-big-at-2021-ph-property-awards/8227] 
 on November 19, 2021. We are sharing here for learning and enrichment of our
Aboitiz team members.

As a testament to its commitment in creating better ways to live, AboitizLand
took home some of the most prestigious awards at the 2021 Philippines Property
Awards [https://www.asiapropertyawards.com/en/award/philippines/] held on
November 11, 2021, via a virtual gala.

Winning big during the night was Seafront Residences
[https://aboitizland.com/seafront-residences/], AboitizLand’s world-class
master-planned beach community nestled in San Juan, Batangas, after being hailed
as the Best Housing Development in the Philippines and Best Housing Development
in Luzon for its new urbanism-inspired masterplan with its walkable diamond
parks, town center, accessible public spaces and designer houses.

AboitizLand’s President and CEO David Rafael expressed his overwhelming
gratitude for the recognition. “This award further strengthens AboitizLand’s
portfolio with more than 25 years of developing quality communities in Cebu and
Luzon. This award will serve as a great reassurance that our AboitizLand and
Seafront vecinos or homeowners are indeed investing in a quality development.
Moreover, we are elated that the risks we took have paid off, despite the
uncertainties that came with it as a pioneering project of its kind.”

Diamond Parks at Seafront Residences | AboitizLand ends the 2021 Philippines
Property Awards victorious with three major awards under its name. Seafront
Residences was hailed as the Best Housing Development in the Philippines and
Best Housing Development in Luzon, and Amoa won the Best Affordable Housing
Development in Visayas award. Meanwhile, The Villages at Lipa is Highly
Commended under the Best Housing Development in Luzon category.Meanwhile,
Compostela’s Amoa [https://aboitizland.com/amoa/], the most amenitized
residential development in North Cebu, ended the night victorious after winning
the Best Affordable Housing Development in Visayas.

Rafael highlighted the key factors that make Amoa an outstanding project for its
price point. “One feature that really stands out for Amoa, that really resonates
with the market, is that it provides a safe sanctuary. You are living in much
bigger houses for the same price that you can get in a small 25-26 sqm condo in
the city. And you are living in a community that has open spaces, all these
amenities, it really promotes community engagement and sustainability.”

Amoa by AboitizLand | AboitizLand ends the 2021 Philippines Property Awards
victorious with three major awards under its name. Seafront Residences was
hailed as the Best Housing Development in the Philippines and Best Housing
Development in Luzon, and Amoa won the Best Affordable Housing Development in
Visayas award. Meanwhile, The Villages at Lipa is Highly Commended under the
Best Housing Development in Luzon category.Taking home other major awards was Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc
[https://aboitizinfracapital.com/]. after being named the Best Industrial
Developer with LIMA Estate bagging Best Industrial Development. LIMA Estate
[https://aboitizinfracapital.com/projects/lima-estate-location-lipa-malvar-batangas/]
, strategically nestled in Lipa-Malvar, is Aboitiz Group’s next leading economic
center and the seat of Batangas’ first central business district — a
fully-integrated township that fortifies businesses and elevates lifestyles.
Meanwhile, its residential enclave, The Villages at Lipa
[https://aboitizland.com/the-villages-at-lipa/], a sprawling 49-hectare property
that features a “village within village” concept, was also Highly Commended
under the Best Housing Development in Luzon category.

Seafront Residences is set to join the Grand Final Virtual Gala and compete
against Asia’s best housing developments on December 9. 

Hari V. Krishnan, chief executive officer of PropertyGuru Group, said: “As we
approach a decade of upholding the Gold Standard of real estate in the
Philippines, we give honour to the transformative power of Filipino developers
in every island group of the archipelago. We are privileged to recognise these
companies as they represent the continued diversification of the real estate
sector, building forward-looking structures of all statures, across various
price points, for every kind of property seeker.”

The 9th edition of the Philippines Property Awards is spearheaded by
PropertyGuru’s Asia Property Awards which also honors, celebrates, and
recognizes the exemplary property developers in Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam,
Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Mainland China, Hong Kong, and
Macau.

Established in 2005, the Thailand-based award-giving body is the region’s most
exclusive and prestigious real estate awards programme that is recognised as the
ultimate hallmark of excellence in the Asian property sector. 

Boasting an independent panel of industry experts and trusted supervisors for
each country, the Awards have an unparalleled reputation for being credible,
ethical, fair, and transparent.

For over 25 years, AboitizLand has stayed true to its promise of creating better
ways to live through its thriving master-planned communities. It now looks to
further expand its reach by continuing to develop innovative and
fully-integrated communities in more locations across the Philippines. A
subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group, it is built on a firm foundation with a
hundred-year heritage of advancing business and communities. For more
information about AboitizLand, visit www.aboitizland.com
[http://www.aboitizland.com/].

Aboitiz Eyes

by Romeo L. Bernardo, Independent Director, AEV
This article was originally published in BusinessWorld under Mr. Bernardo's
‘Introspective’ column on November 7, 2021.
[https://www.bworldonline.com/its-not-easy-being-green-balancing-energy-security-and-decarbonization-for-an-emerging-economy/] 
 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Politics responds to social pressure. And with energy, the societal discourse
around climate change has been driven by extreme points of views — the climate
deniers on the right and the climate alarmists on the left. 
It is not often that we can take solace as a lower middle-income country, as we
move a few paces behind the developed world’s progress. However, as I sit back
and watch the 2021 global energy crisis unfold, I take comfort in knowing that
being behind the curve also means having the opportunity to learn from
experiences of those ahead of us.

By all accounts, the crisis is a product of many converging factors, resulting
in a perfect storm of power shortages and high power prices. In Europe, the
closure of coal and nuclear power plants, an unusually low wind season, drier
weather conditions, high commodity prices due to supply shortages, and a
post-COVID bounce back in economic activity and energy demand seem to all play a
role. In Brazil, their worst drought in over 90 years is drying up reservoirs
and threatening energy supply across the country. In China, coming from a cold
winter drawing down energy stockpiles, heavy rains and floods in mid-year
closing down coal mines, local environmental regulations, and high commodity
prices seem to be the main culprits. On top of that, colder-than-normal weather
is now adding to winter demand as people heat their homes, while ice also wreaks
havoc on grid infrastructure.

Now, is there a thread that pulls these contributing factors together? And what
implications does it have for our policy decision making in the Philippines, if
any? I would like to focus on the energy policy directions that contributed to
the situation, so that we in the Philippines can learn and we can chart a better
path towards energy security and decarbonization.

I would posit the view that much of the 2021 energy crisis is a result of the
choices that many countries have made in the process of decarbonizing their
energy systems. And to understand the choices, it is instructive to look at the
political climate and how it is responding to the challenges posed by a rapidly
changing Earth climate.

Politics responds to social pressure. And with energy, the societal discourse
around climate change has been driven by extreme points of views — the climate
deniers on the right and the climate alarmists on the left. This has resulted in
a reductive discourse that seeds in the uninformed person’s mind that we only
have two choices. Either we don’t believe in climate change and stick to our
current hydrocarbon-based energy system or we do believe in climate change and
therefore must dismantle our current system and invest in electrification and
renewables. This conversation does not appreciate the complexity of the problem
and it is dangerous because it dismisses solutions that we will need that may
not fit neatly into the two boxes at the extremes.

> Climate equity or justice...points out that each community and country are
affected to varying degrees by climate change and need varying levels of
adaptation.
This global conversation and the political policymaking that responds to it
today signal to markets that we must invest in renewables and very little else.
We see companies in all energy sectors pivot from coal and oil and gas to
varying degrees and under different timelines. On the face of it, this may sound
like good news for those worried about climate change. However, if you also
worry about your ability to earn a living, your ability to support your
families, and our ability as a society to move up the development curve towards
a more prosperous future, we may want to take a step back and consider the cost
of this transition pathway and who should bear it.

Germany provides for an instructive case study on the costs of a transition that
takes a renewable at-all-cost and at full-speed approach. In 2010, Germany
embarked on a program called Energiewende to decommission their nuclear and coal
plants and build renewables in their place. They did this through a combination
of subsidies and incentives. This has helped them increase the mix of low carbon
(renewables and nuclear power) electricity consumption from around 40% to 56%
and to reduce GHGs (greenhouse gasses) from energy by 22% in a 10-year period.
This transition however has cost them at least 160 billion euros over the last
five years alone and is largely cited as the reason why electricity costs to
households have increased 25% from Euro 0.24/kWh to 0.30/kWh over the last 10
years.  Mind you, this is despite Germany being connected to the rest of the
European grid, and thus having the convenient and cheap way of managing
intermittency that characterizes new solar and wind power, e.g., they feed off
the French nuclear power well, et al. when domestic power production is low or
demand is high, and export surplus power when their renewable energy sources
produce too much or demand is low.

Germany and other first-mover markets have subsidized the rest of the world for
a portion of the technology costs of the transition. We can expect it to be less
expensive moving forward. However, we should look at how the math adds up and
ask the question, is that the best pathway forward for the Philippines?

Complicating the matter further is the question “who should bear the costs of
the transition?” Climate equity or justice, which your author will use
interchangeably in this article, is a concept that developed to acknowledge and
address the inequities involved in tackling the climate crisis. It acknowledges
that we all have varying levels of historical responsibility for the current
stock of GHGs globally. It highlights that each community, each country has a
different capacity and potential to mitigate climate change. Lastly, it points
out that each community and country are affected to varying degrees by climate
change and need varying levels of adaptation.

The Philippines contributes 0.3% of global GHG emissions today (and a lower
share of the historical stock), which is a drop in the proverbial bucket. As a
share of the world population, the Philippines is three times this number. To
illustrate this further, our per capita carbon footprint is 1.98 tons per capita
which is a tiny fraction of that of industrialized countries, with the US
emitting 15.52 tons per capita, Germany at 9.44, and China at 7.38.

> Let’s learn from the experiences in the developed world and avoid quick-fix
pathways
Arguably, we have lower potential and capacity to mitigate the crisis, given the
current technical and commercial limitations to access our renewable energy
resources, the relatively low-income levels of our people, our lack of basic R&D
infrastructure, and other factors. A key consideration is intermittency of new
solar and wind. Given the current state of technology and cost of battery
storage, only fossil fuels can provide the Philippine base load capacity needed
to drive industry. Especially required now as we try to recover from this
pandemic — we need secure and affordable power to attract investment and quality
jobs to lift the quarter of our people who are jobless and in absolute poverty.

Finally, we are expected to be hard hit by adverse effects of climate change and
therefore will need to invest considerably in adapting to what is a global
crisis that we alone cannot solve.

All of this points to the conclusion that we should bear considerably less of
the cost of the transition than other countries. To his credit, Finance
Secretary Carlos Dominguez III has recently publicly taken developed countries
to task on this matter. Ultimately, we all share a common goal but our
responsibilities will vary. Let’s learn from the experiences in the developed
world and avoid quick-fix pathways and craft an energy transition with the
Filipino people in mind and that the Filipino people can afford.

Our power regulators, financial regulators, and other public stewards should be
mindful of the tradeoffs and high stakes in climate-related decisions. We all
dislike coal and other carbon intensive industries, but we should dislike seeing
our people in abject poverty even more.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Romeo L. Bernardo is GlobalSource Partners Philippine advisor. He served as
finance undersecretary in the administrations of Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos.
He is an independent director in a leading local power generation and
distribution company.

romeo.lopez.bernardo@gmail.com

UnionBank was recently conferred the prestigious ‘Data for Good’ award at the 
2021 Data Impact Awards virtual ceremony last November 18 for its use of
innovative, data-driven solutions to promote financial inclusion in the
Philippines.

With its mission to empower the future of banking to best serve the growing
needs of Filipinos everywhere – especially the underbanked and unbanked, data
scientists and departments across the Bank leveraged tools such as the Cloudera
Data Science Workbench (CDSW). 

This initiative has enabled the bank to increase financial inclusion and improve
risk management with enhanced, AI-powered credit scoring and risk models, making
it possible to offer loans and credit to a broader range of individuals and
small businesses which effectively doubled its loan approval rate. 

> Winning this award reaffirms that we can use Data Science and AI solutions for
good and confirms that we are going in the right direction by creating impactful
results. The recognition also adds to the legacy that UBP has, which is to
continually evolve and strive to build  better communities through trusted
solutions. 

–Dr. David Hardoon, Senior Advisor for Data and Artificial Intelligence,
UnionBank
A comprehensive data infrastructure and strong culture of innovation at its core
puts UnionBank in a prime position to provide much needed financial lifelines to
its customers amidst the financial and economic uncertainties caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic.

UnionBank was announced the winner of Data Impact Awards Data For Good category,
which celebrates companies that address societal issues through innovation.
“There are around 70 million unbanked Filipinos with limited access to the
domestic and global financial ecosystem, so this is a truly well-deserved award
for your efforts championing innovation that reaches all corners of the
community and fostering greater financial inclusion. We very much look forward
to our continuing partnership and realizing our shared vision for digital
empowerment,” hailed Cloudera APAC Vice President Mark Micallef at the close of
the ceremony.

The 2021 Cloudera Data Impact Award celebrates organizations that utilize
Cloudera’s platform and services to unlock the power of data, with massive
business and social impact. Moreover, the Data for Good Award recognizes
organizations that have addressed some of the most challenging issues affecting
society and the planet, “making what was impossible yesterday, possible today
and transforming the future.”

Aly Virrey

Aboitiz InfraCapital Integrated Economic Centers received four awards at this
year’s PropertyGuru Philippine Property Awards including the Best Industrial
Developer and Best Industrial Development Awards.A testament to its excellence
in estate development, management, and operations, Aboitiz InfraCapital’s
Integrated Economic Centers was conferred with four awards – including the
coveted title “Best Industrial Developer” – at the 9th PropertyGuru Philippines
Property Awards, the country’s leading real estate awards program spearheaded by
Southeast Asian pioneering property technology company PropertyGuru Group.

“Given the tough screening and caliber of entries in this year’s edition,
recognition from the Property Awards further validates our position as a leading
industrial estate developer in the Philippines,” said Rafael Fernandez de Mesa,
Head  of Aboitiz Integrated Economic Centers and President of LIMA Land, Inc.
and Cebu Industrial Park Developers, Inc.

“We are honored to receive these awards, which serve as motivation as we expand
and transform LIMA Estate and West Cebu Industrial Park. We envision these
estates to become larger, as well as more sustainable and technologically
advanced, through the continuous introduction of new  green and smart city
features. True to our mission to advance industry and life, the two estates’
expansion plans will surely support and sustain  economic recovery as they
generate jobs and trigger business activity in their localities,” he added.

In his video message for the Best Industrial Development Award, Head of Aboitiz
Integrated Economic Centers Rafael Fernandez de Mesa highlighted that LIMA
Estate is more than just an industrial park as it also has a multitude of open
spaces, commercial activity, and residential components.LIMA Estate, Aboitiz’s
794-hectare industrial-anchored township in Lipa-Malvar, Batangas, was hailed
the “Best Industrial Development” for being a “confidence-boosting symbol of the
potential of the Philippines and the creation of a future-ready industrial,
commercial, and residential destination”. The Philippine Economic Zone
Authority-registered estate is home to 130 international and local locators,
60,000 employees, 2,500 households, a 138-room 4-star hotel development, and 167
shops located in its mall establishments. 

With its growing 30-hectare Central Business District (CBD) – the first to rise
in Batangas – LIMA has emerged as one of the leading industrial estates in the
country. It currently houses various commercial components such as The Outlets
at Lipa, LIMA Exchange, LIMA Park Hotel, and LIMA Transport Hub.

LIMA Land, Inc. is set to build a seven-tower office park at the heart of LIMA’s
CBD, to capitalize on the anticipated boom of business process outsourcing (BPO)
companies outside the National Capital region. LIMA has also put four hectares
of commercial lot inventory up for sale earlier this year. 

In addition to LIMA Estate, the Aboitiz Integrated Economic Centers also include
the Mactan Economic Zone 2 and West Cebu Industrial Park in Cebu. Spanning over
1,000 hectares in total, the Estates are known for being well-supported by a
complete ecosystem of infrastructure facilities and services, run by Aboitiz
affiliates including Aboitiz InfraCapital (AIC), AboitizPower, and Aboitiz
Construction.

AIC also received Special Recognition in Sustainable Design  and Construction
and Special Recognition in ESG for its sustainable practices deeply embedded
from the beginning of its estates’ development and expansion to its operations.

In line with the Aboitiz Group sustainability mindset, the Estates apply
sustainable construction and design practices where they can. These include
energy efficient construction, low impact materials selection, waste prevention
systems, environment-friendly design features, and renewable resources. 

The Estates also uphold environmental, social, and governance best practices in
its operations, through initiatives such as LIMA’s award-winning solid waste
management program, smart water management with LIMA Water, its use of renewable
energy and solar panel installations at The Outlets at Lipa with AboitizPower,
and MEZ2’s electric shuttles.

AboitizLand’s residential project within LIMA Estate, The Villages at Lipa, was
also Highly Commended in the Best Housing Development (Southern Luzon) category.

This year, PropertyGuru’s Property Awards saw its best year ever in terms of
number of entries and highest entries level within the participating countries
in the region. In his opening message, Country Head of Jones Lang LaSalle
Philippines, Inc. and Chairperson of the Independent Judging Panel Christophe
Vicic noted, “Looking towards the immediate future for quarter four 2021 and
onwards to 2022, we believe that the Philippines real estate sector will regain
some growth and developments driven by the continuous residential performance
and the strong emergence of the logistics and industrial sector, coupled with
data center expansion.”

AIC and LIMA Estate will go on to compete against other country winners of the
Best Industrial Developer and Best Industrial Development categories at the 2021
PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards Grand Final on December 9.

> In order for us to deliver on this, [businesses] must be able to generate
profits and prosper, as our growth is directly linked to the growth of our
country’s economy, which then ripples out to the region.

–Sabin M. Aboitiz, President and CEO, Aboitiz Group
Business For Good. (top left) Mpower Partners General Partner Yumiko Marakami,
(bottom left) Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu CEO Arihia Bennett, and session moderator
(top right) China Global Television Network and Host of World Insight Tian Wei,
joined SMA in the panel on how businesses can drive positive change as the world
recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.Aboitiz Group President and Chief Executive
Officer and ABAC Philippines Member Sabin M. Aboitiz joined business leaders at
the APEC CEO Summit 2021 to tackle the themes surrounding the continuing impact
of the global health crisis, leveraging digital disruption, and the future of
energy and sustainability.
With the Group’s growing footprint in the Asia-Pacific, SMA was invited to share
his unique perspective on how businesses can become a force for good as the
region targets recovery in a post-pandemic world.

“In order for us to deliver on this, [businesses] must be able to generate
profits and prosper, as our growth is directly linked to the growth of our
country’s economy, which then ripples out to the region,” he emphasized in the
panel discussion in which he was joined by Yumiko Murakami, General Partner of
Japan’s MPower Partners, and Arihia Bennett, CEO of New Zealand-based Te Rūnanga
o Ngāi Tahu.

As businesses start to implement ESG (environment, social, and governance)
dimensions into their processes and operations, the panelists soundly expressed
their support and gave insights into their best practices.

“In the past, there was this notion that ESG elements can be on the cost-side of
the equation and not so much seen as drivers. Things have been changing and I
think there is now a higher level of awareness, and a higher level of
recognition in terms of what is really driving business growth,” explained
Yumiko Murakami.

However, SMA stressed the importance of an equitable approach to global goals,
highlighting the need to address the economic disparity between developed and
developing economies in the pursuit of sustainable development.

“We cannot be dictated by other countries who are already developed to not be
able to have, for example, the lowest possible cost of power as a basic
infrastructure,” SMA suggested. “It seems like the capital is being constrained
to these countries and what happens is that we will never develop if our power
infrastructure is not correct…that balance is what we are seeking.”

This sentiment was echoed by his fellow panelists including moderator Tian Wei
of China Global Television Network and Host of World Insight, who emphasized on
the need to apply the practices on a case-to-case basis. 

“While we are talking about ESG, we need to put the issues into context that
it’s not just a one-size-fits-all [approach] and there's also an issue of
different development stages and an issue of common aspiration—that's what we
need to achieve,” she said.

Long before the establishment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) and the widespread adoption of ESG practices, the Aboitiz Group has
pursued principles of creating shared value through its products and services
that are vital to the communities who depend on them. Paying close attention to
the needs of these communities enables the company to facilitate relevant and
inclusive programs that create opportunities to uplift lives. “It has always
been a natural instinct of ours to drive change for a better world by advancing
business and communities,” SMA affirmed. 

> If each and every one of us here, representing our own companies and countries,
are motivated by this business philosophy of ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’, then
the societal needs of the community we all share – the APEC Region – will indeed
be served and satisfied sustainably.
As the world recovers from the economic and societal consequences of the
pandemic, SMA called for closer regional cooperation in order to fast-track
economic development and inclusive growth in the Asia-Pacific. 

“Affecting meaningful societal change in our region is a responsibility we all
carry. We carry it not just because it is the right thing to do, but also
because it is the smart thing to do. It makes common sense for us to cooperate
and innovate towards sustainability, because that is the only way we can truly
thrive and survive as companies and as countries. Our societies depend heavily
on our ability to drive economic growth and lift people out of the quicksand of
poverty,” he concluded.

The APEC CEO Summit is attended by the world’s top CEOs, business leaders,
entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and government leaders. It is held in the lead
up to the annual APEC Summit between the heads of state of APEC economies.

SMA Cites Shared Value Creation As Key To Meaningful Prosperity In APEC

In recognition of its long and fruitful partnership with Davao, the Aboitiz
Group was recently invited to take part in the sixth Davao Investment Conference
(Davao ICon) 2021. Davao ICon is Mindanao's premiere business conference and
zeroes in on investment trends in Davao City and the greater Davao Region. This
year, the event highlights opportunities in agribusiness, real estate,
manufacturing, and tourism.
Aboitiz Equity Ventures President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz delivered a message on
Day 2 of the conference, taking the opportunity to share how Davao has been a
key proofpoint for the Group's purpose to drive change for a better world.

“Davao and Mindanao have always been very close to the Aboitiz's hearts and a
core region of our operations,” affirmed Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin
M. Aboitiz. “Our strong presence and interest in the Davao Region is a clear
indication of the promising investment opportunities that have always existed
here and where we intend to allocate more capital.”

A Long-Term Partner of Davao and Mindanao. Since acquiring Davao Light in 1946,
the Aboitiz Group has continued to address the needs of the people of Davao and
the greater Mindanao area through major investments in infrastructure
development. Among these are (clockwise from top left) Hedcor, Therma South,
Davao Light, and, most recently, the Best Bus shuttle project.Moreover, SMA
praised the tireless effort of the local government in transforming Davao into
an enabling environment that is conducive for businesses to thrive: 

“Davao and its neighbors are stronger today because of the commendable efforts
of the government in building essential infrastructure, reducing crime, and
instability, and effectively marketing the region as a safe and attractive
destination for tourists and investors alike.” 

Anchoring his message towards Davao ICon 2021’s theme “stronger today, stronger
tomorrow,” SMA highlighted the importance of public-private sector partnerships
in maintaining the region’s forward momentum. Noting the need for the government
to implement “highly attractive and aggressive policies” to entice more
investors to Mindanao. 

SMA's message at Davao ICon 2021 highlighted the Aboitiz Group's strong
connection to Davao through a long history of contributions to the region's
growth and development.“If we are too passive about incentivizing investments,
we run the risk of being overtaken by our competitors in the Asia-Pacific region
who are doing everything they can to drive investors in their direction,” SMA
warned. “Conversely, if we make it as easy as possible for our own Philippine
companies to move into Mindanao, then the possibilities for a stronger tomorrow
are endless.” 

> It is truly an exciting time for this region of our archipelago and I'm very
proud of what the leaders of Davao have done to bring it to this point of a
stronger today. Now it's time to take the next bold step towards the future. 
With key industry leaders from Davao and the greater Mindanao area present,
Aboitiz Group Mindanao Adviser and Davao native Art Milan issued a rallying call
at the close of the event inviting stakeholders to sustain the region’s growth
and expansion through the One Mindanao Manifesto. 

Aboitiz Group Mindanao Adviser Art Milan is also a recipient of the prestigious
Datu Bago Award 2020 for his contributions to the socio-economic development of
Davao City.“The captains of different Philippine industries have spoken about
the rich opportunities that make the region very attractive for future
investments. But there are still many bottlenecks that need to be worked out,”
Milan said. “The different Chambers in Mindanao share this optimism. Mindanao in
the past years has been growing at an impressive rate even surpassing the
national average."

The Aboitiz Group's economic activities in the Davao Region goes back to its
acquisition of Davao Light and Power in 1946. Since then, the company has
ventured into major investments including power generation through Hedcor and
Therma South. The most recent one is Apo Agua Infrastructura's bulk water
supply
p
[https://aboitizeyes.aboitiz.com/post/strong-relationships-deliver-apo-agua-early-impact]
roject, which, once in operation, will provide 300 million liters per day of
clean water to the Davaoeños.

One Aboitiz

Aboitiz Economic Contributions Showcased At Davao Investment Conference

Victor Silva

> In the greater scheme of things, the goal here is really future-proofing our
operations.

– Anton Perdices, SVP & COO, AP Distribution Business Group
AboitizPower subsidiary Visayan Electric Company, Inc. (Visayan Electric)
energized this quarter the first fully digital substation within its franchise
area, helping improve overall network reliability and protection.

The rehabilitation of Visayan Electric’s Pakna-an substation along the Cebu
North Road in Mandaue City was supposed to be completed in 2020 but was pushed
back due to challenges brought about by the global health crisis.

“We continue to provide reliable power and quality service to our customers, and
we were determined to complete this project despite the challenges posed by the
COVID-19 pandemic. Innovating our substations by making them fully digital is a
big step toward further improving our network control and reliability,” Visayan
Electric President and Chief Operating Officer Raul C. Lucero said.

Visayan Electric spent PHP102 million for this project, of which PHP29 million
went into the protection and control systems adopting the IEC 61850, an
international transmission protocol standard for communication in medium- and
high-voltage electric substations. This standard provides enhanced
interoperability and advanced communications capabilities in substation
protection, coordination, control, monitoring, metering, and testing.

“We look forward to rehabilitating our other substations in Lorega and Pardo
(Cebu City) in the coming years as well, thereby improving the integrity of our
network, which in turn results in better service for our customers,” Lucero
shared.

A substation plays an important role within a power distribution system,
converting high voltage transmission electricity to safe and efficient lower
voltage electricity for homes and businesses. The digital conversion of this
substation boosts the efficiency, reliability, and availability of power supply
through real-time control and protection operations. In a digital substation,
processing of all information is in digital format, which makes computing
faster.

The Pakna-an facility is equipped with a system that facilitates online
monitoring and assessment, leading to the early detection of technical problems
where swift action can then be taken. The digital transformation of Visayan
Electric’s assets leads to the reduction, shortening, and even prevention of
power outages and their impact on the community. Apart from these, having
digital operations minimizes the need to physically check the status of the
substation as well as manual labor when restoring power, which is vital
especially during this period.

This milestone marks a step forward in AboitizPower’s digital transformation
journey under its DigitaLeap program, wherein the digitalization of its assets
is at the core of the company’s strategy. As one of the biggest energy firms in
the country, AboitizPower seeks to ensure that all its facilities adopt the
latest technologies to deliver maximum value in terms of availability and
operating efficiency.

“In the greater scheme of things, the goal here is really future-proofing our
operations, enabling our people with digital dexterity and culture as well as
providing our customers with a unique experience and value-added offerings in
this digital age,” said Anton Mari G. Perdices, Chief Operating Officer of the
AboitizPower Distribution Group.

​​​​Visayan Electric, the second-largest electric utility in the country, is
owned and managed by publicly-listed Aboitiz Power Corporation and Vivant
Corporation. It serves the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga, and four
municipalities of the greater part of Metro Cebu — Liloan, Consolacion,
Minglanilla, and San Fernando.

Power

Visayan Electric’s First Digital Substation Goes Online

To support the country's nationwide vaccination efforts, Aboitiz Construction
partnered with Aboitiz Foundation to donate 1,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines
to the City Government of Parañaque last November 8.

A virtual ceremonial turnover was led by Aboitiz Construction Executive Director
Antonio Peñalver, Aboitiz Foundation President and COO Maribeth Marasigan, and
Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez.

Peñalver said that Aboitiz Construction is one with Aboitiz Group in building a
better future by helping the community achieve herd immunity through the
donation of vaccines.

> We believe that our collaboration with Parañaque City will take us one step
forward towards getting back to normal. In line with our core value of
responsibility, we aim to contribute in ensuring the safety and health of many
communities.
ADVANCING BUSINESS AND COMMUNITIES. Aboitiz Construction, in partnership with
Aboitiz Foundation, Inc., donated 1,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to
Parañaque City through a virtual turnover ceremony last November 8. Present are
(clockwise) Antonio Peñalver, Executive Director of Aboitiz Construction, Hon.
Edwin Olivarez, City Mayor of Parañaque, and Maribeth Marasigan, President and
Chief Operating Officer of Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.Meanwhile, Mayor Olivarez
acknowledged the importance of collaboration between public and private entities
especially in taking actions to solve this pandemic. He shared that through
their COVID-19 response efforts, about 90% of their population has been fully
vaccinated.

“We cannot do these efforts alone. We would like to thank Aboitiz Construction
and Aboitiz Foundation for your untiring support to us in combating this
pandemic. Partnership between the government and private companies like you
makes the goal more achievable,” said the local executive.

Maribeth Marasigan expressed her hopes about bouncing back to normal because of
these collaborative efforts. She emphasized that this partnership is in line
with the Aboitiz Group’s mission of advancing business and communities.

“The Aboitiz Group is committed to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. We
are inspired by the commitment of Parañaque LGU in helping the community stay
safe while achieving herd immunity,” she said.

Aboitiz Construction, with support from Aboitiz Foundation, has been proactive
in helping its host communities receive COVID vaccines. Recently, the company
donated 1,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines each to the Municipality of Balamban
in Cebu and to the Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte.

Recently, Aboitiz Construction donated 1,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines each
to Balamban, Cebu and the provincial government of Surigao del Norte.Internally,
Aboitiz Construction vaccination programs at its construction sites are ongoing
in line with the Aboitiz Group's commitment to prioritize the health and safety
of its team members nationwide.

Aboitiz Construction Donates 1,000 AstraZeneca COVID Vaccine Doses To Parañaque City

Aboitiz Family & Firm Educational Series
ACO + AEV + AP
ABOITIZ LEADERS CONFERENCE ATTENDEES
FAMILY COUNCIL

Enrique Aboitiz Mendieta
10 - 21 - 2021


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RENEWAL
From Crisis To Transformation In Our Lives, Work, And PoliticsAnne-Marie
Slaughter

Dear All,
What we are living in the institution called ROP and Aboitiz Family and Firm can
be argued to be that of renewal. For ROP, it may be more than renewal. For
Aboitiz Family and Firm, it is about the renewal of the main value that has kept
us in our country, arguably, for 200 years. We may be a 100-year-old company but
we are a 200-year-old enterprise in these our islands.

We thrived into our 201st year next year because of one reason and one value.
The value is the appreciation of timely adaptation to change to thrive and the
skills to achieve the same, which are openness, agility, and resilience driven
by unity, pragmatism, and hard work.

I think you will find many opportunities in Anne-Marie Slaughter's thinking to
enlighten, at least, our skill in analysis and communication.

All the Best,
Endika

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[https://www.audible.com/pd/Renewal-Audiobook/0691232903]

Three Wolves Book Series: Renewal By Anne-Marie Slaughter

Rachell Janine Leyva

Career development is the beautiful journey of aligning your life, work, and
learnings in the pursuit of mastery of a certain skill or excelling within a
particular industry.  For companies, it is a focus area wherein employees are
provided with the right opportunities at the right time to help them along their
way.

Here in AEV, we have pushed the boundaries and have worked to give you more
control over your career development, and ultimately your future. The launch of
the Self-Driven Career Worksheet was designed with the goal of allowing you to
evaluate your current competencies at any given time, and assess your readiness
for the next step in your career path. No more waiting around for opportunities
to come.  When you’re confident that you’re ready for the next step, it allows
you to trigger the conversation with your team leader so you can get the support
you need.

The self-driven career worksheet is composed of a two-pronged approach to help
you evaluate your readiness, and set your goals. On MyTX, under the Development
tab, you will be able to click on Current Role and evaluate your performance
thus far. You may then submit this for your team leader’s evaluation and receive
proper feedback, so you may plan your next steps.

Under your Aspired Role, you will be able to search through the specific
functions and add the particular role you want to move on to. You will then be
able to see the competencies required for the role, and you’ll have the
opportunity to map out your Individual Development Plan (IDP) in order to bridge
any gaps and achieve the requirements.

The self-driven career worksheet is a tool that aims to streamline your efforts
as you move towards the next step in your career. It will be complemented by
your collaboration and discussions with your team leader, who will be your guide
in this journey.  We hope that by providing you with this tool, you will be more
confident in your development, and find the strength to take that leap and make
a bigger impact in the organization, and in your personal growth.

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Read full story

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