It was Jon who felt that we needed the counsel of Joe Vitug at AEV. We have benefited from Jon's wisdom and Joe's wisdom.

Romy, Joanne, and Tito have joined us.

It is a complex world out there and getting more and more complicated — COVID has changed very little but escalated everything.

Joe has served with us since 2005 for 16 years — a great year for bordeaux and for AEV.

As long as 16 years seems, it is equally swift and we see time pass us by without our knowing it. Time is our most precious resource.

I am fortunate to be given the merit of thanking Joe for making a difference to our perspectives by adding to them.

Those different perspectives have mattered, do matter, and will matter increasingly into the future. It is a wild world out there and we need all the informed perspectives we can get.

Joe, the message from all of us at the Aboitiz family and firm will not be mushy — a plain and simple “daghang salamat”.

In addition we repeat our welcome to you at AEV whenever you wish to visit or should you need our aid in any way. We are at your service and we are in your debt — speaking on behalf of our boards, family, and team — you have our gratitude.

Popo and Edwin leave us and do not leave us — from AEV to AP and in all our joint committees and discussions.

We lose some diversity as we say adios to Justice Joe Vitug and we add diversity and perspective as we say welcome to Joanne and Tito. Neither Joanne nor Justito are new to Aboitiz. We keep the diversity of Romy, Popo, and Edwin. Much as we are two boards we are really three, each increasingly in its place.

When my sister Eukene went to New York as a young girl, my mother put her in Joanne’s ward — many a decade ago.

Joanne learned that Aboitizes were taught to be very careful with their resources when she saw my sister, taught by my mother, use a tea bag twice.

When Joanne went to convince Alice Walton that Aboitiz was the right partner for them, it only took this story. Alice, these Aboitizes are as stingy as you Waltons — they use their tea bags twice.

So, in that spirit and in the atmosphere that is ahead of us, we say thank you without goodbye to Joe, welcome to Joanne, and re-welcome to Tito and all our movements for the better.

And to Sabin, congratulations.

EMA