(From left) Sabin Aboitiz, AEV chief operating officer; Luis Miguel Aboitiz, AEV senior vice president; Erramon Aboitiz, AEV president and CEO; Jose Pardo, PSE chairman; Ramon Monzon, PSE president and CEO; and Roberto Cecilio Lim, PSE director, ring the PSE bell at the opening of trades on 22 November to celebrate the 25th listing anniversary of Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) is celebrated Friday, 22 November, its 25th year on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), marking 25 years of advancing business and communities through its various business units (BU). “As businessmen, there is no doubt we seek profits and a return on our capital. But as Filipinos, we are equally guided by a sense of purpose to find meaningful ways of contributing to our communities across the country. This symbiotic relationship of profit and contributing to society is our secret sauce to true sustainability, allowing the Aboitiz Group to drive change for a better world by advancing business and communities,” said Erramon Aboitiz, AEV president and chief executive officer.

During the anniversary ceremony at the PSE Tower in Bonifacio Global City, Aboitiz received a commemorative plaque from the PSE and rang the opening bell, signaling the start of market trades for the day. AEV listed on the PSE on 16 November 1994, following an Initial Public Offering that raised $184 million for future investments and growth.

Meralco launches substation serving Pasig, Quezon City

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) on Friday inaugurated one of the most technologically advanced power infrastructures in the country: an integrated fully-automated gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation set to power Bridgetowne, Robinsons Land Corporation’s (RLC) premiere township development that connects the cities of Pasig and Quezon City.

The new substation is part of Meralco’s roadmap to ensure adequate and reliable power supply for the growing needs of locators within the 31-hectare project comprised of residential condominiums, office buildings, shopping centers, a 5-star hotel, as well as parks, a school, a hospital and public art installation.

Meralco’s 115 kV (kilovolt) to 34.5 kV facility, with an initial capacity of 83 mega volt-ampere, is situated in a 1,293 sqm parcel of land provided by RLC via a collaborative real estate arrangement.

Residential communities in the area are also set to benefit from the Bridgetowne substation. “Our vision for Bridgetowne is to increase job opportunities and progress in Quezon City, Pasig, and the immediate communities,” said RLC President Frederick Go. “And the fastest way to bring this vision to reality — for all our locators, and those residing and working in the area — is to collaborate with entities, such as Meralco, who share this vision with us.”

LGU taps W Express to boost permit program

Photo shows Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian and W Express chairman and president Dawn Feliciano seal their partnership for Paspas Permit system. Also present at the signing of the memorandum of agreement are Valenzuela ICTO Head Randy Sison, W Express executive vice president Emily Alcid and other executives from both parties.

The local government of Valenzuela City has partnered with Wide World Express Corp. (W Express) to ensure the fast and secure delivery of business documents as part of its 3S Plus Online Services or Paspas Permit program.

Paspas Permit is the country’s first end-to-end, 10-second permit application system designed to reduce the processing time of business permit applications from 30 minutes to just 10 seconds.

The program will mainly cover business permits, building and construction permits, real property tax, tax declaration copies, and tax mapping certificates. In addition, the program will also speed up the processing of other types of documents, such as real property documents, birth, death, and marriage certificates and court decisions.