2020

KSM holds webcasts on enterprise resiliency  Advisory Partner Kaye S. Macaisa (KSM) spoke on business disruption and operational resiliency at the 3rd e-Kapihan of the Philippine Franchise Association on 15 April. KSM also discussed building enterprise resiliency at the virtual learning series of the Philippine Retail Association and the Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) e-Kapihan Session on 30 April. She shared tips on how enterprises and other businesses can sustain business continuity now, build their resilience for what’s next, and prepare for the future after the COVID-19 pandemic. She emphasized that building and strengthening enterprise resilience requires a structured and comprehensive business continuity approach. The next step is to thrive and transform in a world after the pandemic.   Poster of PRA’s webinar with KSM 

SGV holds COVID-19 webcasts    SGV continues to conduct thought leadership programs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic through webcasts on topics vital to businesses and organizations during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ). The webcasts cover topics on tax, global trade, employee health, public policy and risk.   SGV conducts briefings on ECQ related BIR Issuances  The SGV Tax Team held a series of briefings in April on relevant government issuances and policies during the ECQ. The webcasts discussed the guidelines released by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs, Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, Board of Investments, and social welfare agencies like the Social Security System and PhilHealth.   Speakers at the ECQ tax briefing   Country Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan (WPT) and Tax Services Leader Fabian K. delos Santos (FKS) welcomed over 700 participants to the online briefing held on 22 April. Tax Partners and Principals Josenilo G. Mendoza (JGM), Jonald R. Vergara (JRV), Cheryl Edeline C. Ong (CCO), and Aaron C. Escartin (ACE) spearheaded the morning session. Tax Partners and Principals Victor C. de Dios (VCD), Maria Margarita D. Mallari-Acaban (MDM), and Thyrza F. Marbas (TFM) led the afternoon discussion.  

SGV issues PH stimulus package reports  SGV has been publishing a series of reports that provide an overview of the administration’s Philippine Stimulus Package in pursuant to Republic Act No. 11469 or the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act.      Cover pages of SGV’s reports on the Philippine Government Stimulus Package  The first report outlines the salient features of the Act and its implementation by various government bodies. It discusses the people, economic, tax and business, and health measures adopted by the government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The second report provides an overview of the country’s current economic condition, including the three-phased program of interventions of the National Economic and Development Authority. It also covers policy responses of various government agencies and updates on the Government’s action plans as reported by President Rodrigo Duterte to Congress on 6 and 13 April.   The third report provides a comprehensive discussion on the Stimulus Transmission Framework. The framework considers the breadth of the Government’s measures and how they can impact the real economy represented by citizens, SMEs and corporates. It also covers some of the newly initiated and updated measures implemented by the Government as detailed in the 4th and 5th Bayanihan Reports from the Office of the President.    SGV will be posting updated reports regularly as new information, policies and government actions are reported. Stay up-to-date on the latest government stimulus measures and download the reports from the SGV LinkedIn page.  

ANC designs and donates sanitation tents ANC inside the DIY sanitation tent  SGV Advisory Principal Armand N. Cajayon Jr. (ANC) designed and donated do-it-yourself (DIY) sanitation tents for his residential village in Las Piñas City. He also turned over a part of his design and a cash donation to the Mapua Alumni Golf Club (MAGC). MAGC was able to assemble and donate sanitation tents to the National Kidney Transplant Institute in Quezon City. The tents are made of durable and affordable materials and can be replicated and assembled. They are equipped with a diffuser system that will spray disinfectants on personnel who walk through.     A member of MAGC assembling sanitation tents and MAGC turning over a mobile swab station    MAGC also donated mobile swab stations to the local governments of Marikina and Manila. The mobile swab stations are designed to help protect health workers when taking specimens from suspected and probable COVID-19 patients.  

RAF named ASEAN Business Consulting Leader   SGV Partner and Advisory Leader Rossana A. Fajardo (RAF) was named the ASEAN Business Consulting Leader for the EY ASEAN NextWave: Consulting Leadership Team. Her new regional leadership role is concurrent with her continuing role as SGV’s Advisory Leader.   Our global Advisory practice will officially change its name to Consulting on 1 July 2020. The service line will be composed of three sub-service lines (SSLs) – Business Consulting, Technology Consulting and People Advisory Services: Workforce Consulting. These SSLs will work together in activating our Purpose by helping businesses transform by putting humans at center, implementing technology at speed and innovate at scale.   RAF is currently a member of the ASEAN Consulting Leadership and SGV’s Leadership Teams. She has assumed multiple leadership roles including Philippine IT Risk Assurance Leader, Philippine Performance Improvement Leader, ASEAN Regional Advisory Quality Leader, and ASEAN Advisory Chief Operating Officer. She was also seconded to the Asia Pacific Advisory Leadership Team in 2018-2019.    RAF is a Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Information Systems Auditor, a Certified Information Security Manager, a Certified Fraud Examiner and is Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control.  Congratulations, RAF! 

WPT speaks at ACPAPP Day SGV Chairman and Country Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan (WPT) was a guest speaker at the ACPAPP Day (Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice) of the 2020 Accountancy Week Celebration. With the theme Filipino CPAs rising amidst challenging times, the celebration featured how the accountancy profession is managing and addressing the issues caused by the pandemic.  WPT presenting at ACPAPP Day of Accountancy Week  WPT discussed the challenges that CEOs face during the pandemic, emphasizing the need to lead with empathy, protect the health and wellbeing of people, develop proactive measures to reopen business, and contribute to economic recovery.   He explained the measures that the Firm has implemented to ensure business continuity and resilience. He shared that SGV activated a crisis management team composed of representatives from critical business units within the Firm. SGV also regularly coordinates with clients and provides them with thought-leadership materials to help them develop or adjust their resiliency plans in the face of the pandemic. Prioritizing the wellbeing of its people, the Firm has also implemented alternative work arrangements and organized wellness programs for staff. SGV has also leveraged on technology to strengthen company culture and enhance collaboration and productivity.   Over 600 participants tuned in to the session. Other speakers included chief executives from other professional services firms.  

Tax conducts transfer pricing webinars SGV’s Tax Team conducted a series of webinars on the new BIR Requirement for the Submission of an Information Return on Related Party Transactions (BIR Form No. 1709) on 29-30 July and 3 August. SGV Vice Chair and Deputy Managing Partner Vivian Ruiz and Tax Leader Fame delos Santos welcomed over 2,500 tax and finance officers to the sessions.   Speakers at the transfer pricing webinars and members of the Tax organizing team  Tax Partner Deonah Marco-Go (DMG) and Senior Manager Joyce Francisco discussed the salient features of Revenue Regulations No. 19-2020 which require the submission of BIR Form No. 1709 attached to the annual income tax returns of taxpayers covering fiscal years ending 31 March 2020 and subsequent taxable years.   Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 76-2020, which clarifies certain issues on the filing of BIR Form No. 1709, was released after the event’s second session on 29 July. Speakers discussed the salient features of RMC 76-2020 during the succeeding sessions.  Each session concluded with a panel discussion facilitated by International Tax and Transaction Services Leader Romy Danao, Transfer Pricing Leader Rey Marcelo, DMG and Ms. Francisco. The event’s organizing team included Tax Senior Manager Auresana Torres, Manager Maxine Victor Manuel and other managers and staff of the Transfer Pricing Tax team.   

KSM discusses resiliency at CCCI webinar   SGV Consulting Markets Co-Leader and EY ASEAN Finance Fields of Play Leader Kathrina S. Macaisa (KSM) spoke at a webinar on building enterprise resiliency hosted by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) last 24 July. CCCI President Felix Taguiam welcomed nearly 50 participants to the webinar, including managers and executives from local businesses and member companies of CCCI. KSM presented the EY COVID-19 Resilience Framework, a structured and comprehensive approach to building business resiliency during the pandemic. She discussed its nine pillars: employee health and wellbeing, talent and workforce, supply chain and global trade, customer and brand, financial and investor, risk, government and public policy, technology and information security, and insurance and legal disputes across three dimensions — now, next and beyond. She also discussed the EY COVID-19 Preparedness Tool that aims to help businesses assess their level of crisis preparedness and enable them to address gaps and weaknesses.   KSM presenting at the CCCI webinar  The webinar concluded with an insightful question & answer session. CCCI Board of Trustees Member Engr. Leonora Salvane delivered the closing remarks. The CCCI Business Development and Management Services Division and SGV Cebu Partner-in-Charge and Tax Partner Cheryl Ong led the webinar’s organizing team which included Tax Manager Virnee Joy Agot, Business Consulting Senior Manager Paulo Lastimosa, Managers Ruby Alcantara-Seville and Patrick De Leon, and Associate Venessa Villanueva.   For more information about CCCI webinars and events, please visit the CCCI website and Facebook page.

Business Consulting facilitates MCCI webinar  SGV’s Business Consulting Team led a webinar titled Zooming in to a Better Normal for members of the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) on 29 July. The webinar discussed how to effectively manage and reopen businesses during the pandemic. MCCI President Steven Yu welcomed participants to the webinar which included MCCI Vice President for Internal Affairs Kellie Ko, Event Co-Chair Walter Ong and Board of Directors Member Marc Anthony Ynoc.  Business Consulting Partner Marnelli Eileen J. Fullon (MJF) discussed a human-centered response to disruption, emphasizing that market leaders should not only focus on short-term actions to transition to the new normal but also innovate and transform their business models to adapt to the changing world. She explained the impact of the pandemic on consumer behavior and how it resulted in the emergence and transition of consumer segments. She also discussed how businesses can address employee concerns by transforming their workplace and making decisions that benefit their long-term agenda and are anchored on their organization’s purpose.   Business Consulting Partner Jan Ray G. Manlapaz (RGM) provided tips on how to achieve supply chain (SC) resilience through the key capabilities of the Prepare, Sense, and Respond Framework. He also explained the traditional global SC structure and its gaps. He then presented insights on the future of the global SC network, emphasizing the value of “coopetition” or cooperative competition between companies that form a collaborative relationship to mutually benefit both businesses.  MJF, RGM, and Maan  presenting at the MCCI webinar  Business Consulting Senior Manager Mary Andrea “Maan” Bacani discussed the SC resilience capability build-out and demonstrated SC control tower scenario planning. The speakers also presented EY’s COVID-19 Enterprise Resilience Assessment Tool and its impact on SC, global trade, customer and brand.  Over 1,200 participants viewed the event which was webcast through the MCCI Facebook page. The event’s organizing team included SGV Cebu Partner-in-Charge and Tax Partner Cheryl Ong, Tax Manager Virnee Joy Agot, Business Consulting Senior Manager Paulo Lastimosa, Managers Ismael Tupaz, Karen Baraquel, Ruby Alcantara-Seville and Patrick De Leon, and Associate Venessa Villanueva.  For more information about MCCI webinars and events, please visit the MCCI Facebook page. 

RAF joins MBC roundtable discussion  EY ASEAN Business Consulting Leader and SGV Consulting Leader Rossana A. Fajardo (RAF) was a keynote speaker at a virtual roundtable discussion hosted by the Makati Business Club (MBC).   She led a discussion on digital leadership and the habits of leaders who successfully execute digital transformation. RAF shared, "Digital transformation leaders are fully embedding digital transformation across their business. They are generating financial value from their technological innovations and making efforts to build a transformation culture – transformation is woven into the fabric of their business."   RAF also discussed how digital leaders are responding to the challenges caused by latest disruptions and how digital transformation, collaboration and connection are critical to a company’s success after the COVID-19 pandemic. She also gave tips on how newly remote teams can leverage on different technologies to enhance collaboration and increase productivity.   MBC Executive Director Coco Alcuaz moderated the session. Participants included MBC members and executives from the private sector.   Read more about the roundtable discussion at MBC.com.