PHOTO: Aboitiz Equity Ventures President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz underscores Cebu’s vital role in the Aboitiz Group’s growth story and calls for stronger public-private partnerships to drive sustainable progress during the Cebu Business Investment Forum in Cebu City.
“You can’t talk about Aboitiz without Cebu.”
Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), through President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz, underscored its long-standing commitment to Cebu’s growth and prosperity at the Cebu Business Investment Forum held on July 9, 2025 in Cebu City.
The event was organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and brought together business leaders, government officials, and local stakeholders to discuss Cebu’s critical role in fueling national development.
SMA, who also leads the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), pointed out that Cebu is an integral part of the Aboitiz story. “Cebu isn’t just our roots, it’s part of our identity. You can’t talk about Aboitiz without Cebu. And I’d like to think you can’t talk about Cebu’s progress without mentioning Aboitiz.” The Aboitiz Group’s rise into one of the country’s leading conglomerates has paralleled Cebu’s development, from its early trading ventures to establishing power plants, shipbuilding facilities, banks, residential communities, and economic zones that now anchor the region’s progress.
These major investments in Cebu include AboitizPower’s energy facilities that sustain the province’s fast-growing industries, and Aboitiz InfraCapital’s projects such as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, a gateway that connects Cebu and the Visayas to the world.
In highlighting the Mactan Economic Zone 2 Estate in Lapu-Lapu City, SMA emphasized industrial and commercial growth, while also citing the West Cebu Estate in Balamban as the country’s shipbuilding hub that is now diversifying into other industries. Both PEZA-registered estates are self-sufficient communities, offering complete infrastructure, utilities, and workforce support that drive local development and enhance the Philippines’ industrial competitiveness.
With UnionBank’s strong presence in Cebu, SMA added strong support from its subsidiaries CitySavings and Petnet in providing essential banking and financial services that fuel business and community growth across the region.
The Group’s partnership with Tsuneishi Heavy Industries Cebu in Balamban, meanwhile, transformed a small coastal town into a global shipbuilding center, creating thousands of jobs and economic opportunities. Beyond infrastructure, SMA discussed the Aboitiz Foundation’s investment in carbon sequestration in Cebu through CarbonPH is advancing environmental sustainability and local livelihoods.
SMA, as head of PSAC, stressed that the high-impact investments he mentioned only work through close collaboration between business and government. “That’s where PSAC comes in. When President Bongbong Marcos created PSAC, his vision was clear: bring the private sector to help speed things up, to bring the corporate way of doing things—fast, nimble, no-nonsense,” he said. PSAC is working to improve the ease of doing business, streamline services like PhilHealth, strengthen food security, and advance regional projects such as the continued modernization of Cebu’s airport, ensuring that systems work for people and businesses alike.
He closed by reaffirming Cebu’s position as a vital hub for trade, culture, and innovation, calling on all sectors to work together for long-term growth. “Now, more than ever, Cebu can lead again, not just in numbers, but in how we do things. The private sector is ready. Aboitiz is ready. Our new governor is on a mission, and we’re ready to go on that mission with her. Let’s build something that lasts. Something that outlives us all,” he said.
