Aboitiz, PH biz leaders to attend ABAC-APEC Summit in Bangkok

The collective experience of a global pandemic has affirmed how interconnected the world and its people are. That is why the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation continuously promotes sustainable and inclusive regional growth through a multi-stakeholder approach.

From 14 to 18 November, Aboitiz Group President and CEO and APEC Business Advisory Council PH member Sabin Aboitiz will be in Bangkok, Thailand for the ABAC-APEC Summit Meetings. There, Aboitiz will meet with like-minded business leaders as well as heads of state and government, to plan constructive measures that will advance APEC's goals.

This year, Aboitiz will be attending in his capacity as ABAC Regional Economic Integration Working Group Co-Chair/Lead for Services. Other ABAC PH members attending the summit include its chairman Tomas Alcantara and ABAC Finance Working Group Co-Chair Joanne de Asis. ABAC PH also includes the Makati Business Club's Guillermo Luz and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.  Chair Emeritus Francis Chua. Joining the Philippine delegation are AEV's FVP/Chief Reputation & Sustainability Officer Ginggay Hontiveros, FVP/COS Geraldine Polanco, and MBC/ABAC PH Lead Staffer Patrick Chua.

The summit will officially open on 14 November with a ceremony presided over by Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Supattanapong Punmeechaow.

The opening ceremony will be followed by a series of productive discussions and meetings. Aboitiz will participate as Co-Chair of the REIWG Group. In his speech as Co-Chair, he will be discussing key learning and business recommendations from the ABAC Service Public-Private Dialogue held last 12 July.

Ultimately, the ABAC Dialogue pointed toward factors that Aboitiz has continuously promoted within the Aboitiz Group and for the Philippine economy: a revitalized entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of its people, while leveraging technology. These lessons and learnings will be shared in the meeting and may be adapted for greater and inclusive regional growth.

"We must all be constantly guided by a strong spirit of cooperation not just among ourselves as member nations, but also within ourselves as individual nations," said Aboitiz.

The next couple of days will include other insightful ABAC working group meetings, including the Finance and Economics Working Group Meeting co-chaired by fellow ABAC PH member Joanne de Asis.

On 18 November, the ABAC Dialogue with Leaders will be held. There, ABAC Chair and Chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries Krieng Thiennukul will present on behalf of ABAC members the 2022 ABAC Report to Leaders. APEC Chair Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will then deliver his response on behalf of the APEC leaders. This will be followed by breakout sessions where the public and private sector leaders will come together with their respective expertise to discuss economic recovery, sustainability, regional economic integration, and digitalization and inclusion.

Aboitiz will be part of a group of ABAC members to be joined by heads of state and country presidents, including Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape. This promises to herald stronger regional cooperation for sustainable and inclusive growth for all, with each economy having their views and voices heard.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. is the public holding company of the Aboitiz Group with major investments in power, banking and financial services, food, infrastructure, and land. Today, AEV is recognized as one of the best-managed companies in the Philippines and in the region, consistently cited for its commitment to good corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. With five generations of Aboitiz Group business success behind it, AEV continues to drive change for a better world by advancing business and communities.