By Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer, and Aboitiz Group and President, Aboitiz Foundation
This article originally appeared on the author’s Tribune.net column ‘On the G(ood) Side’.
A generation of young Filipinos is coming into influence as the country enters a decisive phase of growth and transformation. With a strong demographic advantage, expanding digital reach, and deeper integration into global markets, the Philippines stands at an inflection point — and the role of its youth will be central to how the next chapter is written.
What lies ahead is not simply a transition from education to employment. It is a shift from potential to stewardship. The talent, ambition and values carried by this generation will shape how the nation competes, how it innovates, and how it builds institutions capable of enduring beyond individual careers.
The real question, therefore, extends beyond professional direction. It is whether capability will be used merely for personal advancement, or for the creation of long-term value — for enterprises, communities and the country itself.
Nation-building is not an abstract concept reserved for government or history books. It happens daily through decisions made in boardrooms and startups, in classrooms and hospitals, in factories and farms, and increasingly in digital spaces. The character of a country is shaped not only by policy, but by the values applied in these everyday choices.
Three values, in particular, will determine whether this generation strengthens the foundations of the nation.
The first is integrity. Integrity is not perfection, nor is it the absence of failure. It is alignment — between belief, word and action. Every career presents moments when cutting corners appears efficient, when silence feels prudent, and when “ganito na talaga” becomes an easy justification.
Our experience at Aboitiz has reinforced a consistent lesson: integrity is not tested when decisions are easy. It is tested when the right choice carries cost, when trade-offs are real, and when shortcuts are readily available.
Trust—whether from communities, partners, regulators or employees — is built slowly and lost quickly. Once lost, no amount of capital, technology, or influence can fully restore it. Reputation is shaped less by achievements than by the values upheld when no one is watching.
The second value is responsibility. Responsibility extends beyond competence or performance. It is the recognition that every decision produces consequences — economic, social and generational.
At Aboitiz, we are constantly reminded that businesses do not operate in isolation. The energy produced, the infrastructure built, and the livelihoods supported shape outcomes far beyond financial statements.
The same principle applies across every profession. Whether in engineering, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship or public service, a career is never neutral. Each path contributes — intentionally or otherwise — to the society that emerges over time.
Excellence without responsibility may deliver short-term success, but it rarely earns lasting trust or respect.
The third value is accountability. Accountability means ownership — especially when outcomes fall short. It requires refusing to hide behind hierarchy, process or position. It also demands the courage to speak up.
Within organizations, meaningful progress often begins when individuals — frequently younger professionals — raise concerns, challenge assumptions, and ask difficult questions with respect and purpose.
Accountability requires confronting wrongdoing, not to shame, but to correct. Silence in the face of injustice is not neutrality; it is permission. Societies improve not through apathy, but through citizens who insist on standards — in institutions, in leadership and in themselves.
At the same time, accountability without compassion becomes corrosive. Truth delivered without empathy quickly hardens into division. Leadership is not an assertion of superiority; it is an exercise in understanding.
Some of the most consequential progress at Aboitiz has come not from forceful mandates, but from listening — to employees, partners and communities — and responding with empathy and resolve.
The Philippines that will take shape in the coming decades will be defined by everyday decisions — small, cumulative choices that determine whether institutions strengthen or erode, whether trust deepens or dissipates.
Integrity will anchor those decisions. Responsibility will guide ambition. Accountability will be demanded — first of oneself, then of others. Compassion must temper power, influence and success.
As this generation assumes greater influence, what will matter most is not the speed of ascent or accumulation of titles, but the values carried forward and the institutions strengthened along the way.
The Philippines does not need perfect people. It needs principled citizens: individuals committed to long-term value creation, inclusive growth, and leadership grounded in conscience.
That commitment, consistently practiced, is how nations are built.
