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SGV and the Davao City Government launched the Doing Business in Davao investment brochure last 29 January. Developed by SGV in close collaboration with the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC), the brochure is a comprehensive guide for potential foreign and local investors looking to set up business operations in Davao City. DCIPC Head April Marie Dayap welcomed guests to the virtual launch, including officials from national government agencies, the diplomatic corps and chambers of commerce, and business organizations. SGV Davao Partner-In-Charge Jose Raoul J. Balisalisa (JJB) discussed the history of the Doing Business in the Philippines series and presented an overview of the major sections and highlights of the Doing Business in Davao brochure. SGV Chairman and Country Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan (WPT) delivered a message about how Davao City is an ideal business hub and center of growth. He also shared that he hopes the brochure will encourage more investors to explore business opportunities in the city. Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte thanked SGV for its valuable and continuous support over the years. The Firm has assisted in amending the Davao City investment incentive code in 2007, developing the first edition of the brochure in 2011, and facilitating a conference on the development of the city’s economic outlook document in the last quarter of 2020. With the challenges brought about by the pandemic, Mayor Duterte mentioned that the timely publication of the brochure will help rebuild and create a more promising future for the city. Doing Business in Davao is the latest edition of SGV’s Doing Business in the Philippines series. The brochure presents an economic overview of Davao, taxation rules, investment policies, incentives for investors and essential information on the city’s assets. The brochure is set to be translated into three languages. 

SGV Tax Leader Fame K. delos Santos (FKS), Tax Partner and PICPA Southern Metro Manila Chapter President Maricris U. See (MUS), and Consulting Partner Kaye S. Macaisa-Peña (KSM) were among the speakers at the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) 2nd National Summit of CPAs in Commerce & Industry last 28-29 January. Held in partnership with the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Commerce and Industry (ACPACI), the summit aimed to discuss strengthening accountancy’s commerce and industry sector for future challenges. MUS served as the emcee during the summit’s first day. FKS discussed the salient features of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill and its proposed tax and fiscal incentives. He also shared insights on how to maximize the incentives under the bill. He then discussed the BIR requirements for the submission of an Information Return on Related Party Transactions (BIR Form No. 1709). KSM moderated the session titled “The Role of Finance in Navigating Through a Crisis, and Beyond” on 29 January. Other speakers at the session included executives from the food and capital markets sectors.

SGV Chairman and Country Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan (WPT) was re-elected as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) during the PBSP Annual Membership Meeting last 26 January. Tax Partner and PBSP Visayas Regional Committee Member Cheryl C. Ong (CCO) led the opening prayer; and Tax Partner, SGV General Counsel and PBSP Corporate Secretary Carolina A. Racelis (CAR) participated and acted as the secretary for the meeting. As longtime members of the PBSP, WPT, CAR and CCO will continue to support the PBSP in its vision to lead the business sector’s efforts to reduce poverty in the country. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, PBSP is the largest business-led non-governmental organization (NGO) at the forefront of strategic corporate citizenship and business sector leadership, contributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction. Congratulations, WPT! 

SGV’s Consulting and Talent Teams organized a webinar on Women Leaders: Rising Above Adversity last December. The session is part of the She Inspires webinar series where women leaders share their experiences as female professionals and the valuable lessons they have learned over the years. Consulting Leader Rossana A. Fajardo (RAF) delivered the welcome remarks and introduced the guest speaker, Globe Telecom Chief Customer Experience Officer and Head of the Office of Strategy Management Rebecca Eclipse. Ms. Eclipse discussed her experiences as a mother, a CPA, and a senior executive, highlighting the challenges she faced and the lessons she learned throughout her life. She then shared tips on how women can overcome the challenges brought by the pandemic and emphasized the importance of faith in God. The webinar concluded with an open forum where she addressed participant questions and shared insights on having a purposeful life and fulfilling career. The forum was moderated by RAF, Financial Services Organization Leader Vicky Salas and Consulting Partner Kaye Macaisa-Peña. 

Financial Services Organization (FSO) Consulting Manager Larisa Jane Salaysay recently passed the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR™) certification exam. Offered by the Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), the SCR certificate is designed to equip professionals on how to manage the potential economic and operational impacts of climate change on their organizations.  Motivated by her interest in climate change and sustainability, Larisa worked for the certification and in the process gained valuable knowledge on becoming a climate risk leader. She believes that these areas will require more action and attention from business leaders and regulators as the Philippines is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Larisa credits her achievement to her FSO Consulting teammates and executives, who provided invaluable support throughout the certification process. As a newly-minted SCR professional, she strongly believes that her SCR certification will open avenues in her career and help her contribute to the Firm’s climate change and sustainability initiatives and engagements. Congratulations, Larisa!

SGV’s Learning & Development (L&D) Team conducted the first SGV Facilitator Awards last 15 January. The Facilitator Awards recognized 12 outstanding facilitators for their contributions to SGV’s learning initiatives in the past year. The awards were given under four categories for each service line – Facilitator Impact, Rising Star, Thought Leadership and Innovation. An overall Facilitator Excellence awardee was selected among the winners from all the categories.                     The Facilitator Excellence Award was given to Assurance Senior Manager Marc Bonnie Wong who is a significant contributor to L&D activities as a subject matter resource (SMR), an innovations contributor who aims to improve the learning process, and an overall outstanding facilitator. The Facilitator Impact Awards were given to Bonnie Wong, Consulting Manager Celina Rose Capalad, Strategy and Transactions Senior Manager Miguel Carlo Rancap, and Tax Senior Manager Alden Patrick Labaguis, all of whom had dedicated a significant number of hours to facilitating and consistently demonstrated excellent facilitation skills. The Rising Star Awards were presented to individuals who have made a significant impact as new facilitators. The recipients were Assurance Senior Manager Carmi Hernandez-Paigma, Consulting Manager Sarah Jane Lim, Strategy and Transactions Senior Associate Kieth Adrian Andaya, and Tax Senior Manager Gecel Codera-Ong.  The Thought Leadership Awards were given to experienced facilitators who have significantly contributed as SMRs by sharing knowledge, ideas and best practices. The awardees were Consulting Senior Manager Alvin Manuel, Assurance Senior Manager Marco Rene Barredo, and Tax Senior Manager Ana Katrina De Jesus. Consulting Manager Jerome Alvarez was the sole recipient of the Innovation Award, which is given to top contributors in learning technologies or the creation of EYU interventions that improved the learning conduct or L&D processes. Congratulations to all our Awardees!

SGV Chairman and Country Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan (WPT) was among the panelists at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Regional Roundtable on 14 January. The event discussed the Generation Z (Gen Z) workforce and related talent and inter-generational workplace dynamics. Other speakers included executives from other professional services firms and educational institutions from ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand. WPT discussed Creating Purpose in the Gen Z workforce and presented the characteristics of Gen Zs in the Philippines, highlighting their tech-savviness. He shared the findings of the EY People Pulse Survey and explained the qualities that Gen Zs look for in business leaders and organizations. WPT also explained the initiatives organizations can undertake to attract and retain Gen Z talent, and foster a sense of purpose among the Gen Z workforce.

Consulting Markets Co-Leader and ASEAN Finance Fields of Play Leader Kathrina S. Macaisa-Peña (KSM) was a guest speaker on the Market Edge, hosted by ANC Anchor Michelle Ong, last 7 October.    KSM discussed the state of supply chains (SCs) during the pandemic. She provided an overview of the gaps in local SCs such as the inability of companies to move goods around and meet customer requirements due to strict quarantine measures; the state of local infrastructure and congested roads and ports; and companies’ ability to visualize their end-to-end supply chain model. Emphasizing the pandemic’s impact on operations and investment strategies of local companies, KSM also discussed key trends and steps businesses are implementing to build their resilience.  

Tax Partner Cheryl Edeline C. Ong (CCO) led a virtual session on the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill for members of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (NordCham) last 18 December. NordCham Membership and Events Manager Maan Yu welcomed 27 executives and representatives from companies engaged in various industries such as financial services, retail, pharmaceuticals, and real estate. CCO discussed the bill’s salient features, developments and incentives in corporate income tax. She also provided insights on how companies can prepare for the proposed tax reforms. The webinar concluded with a question-and-answer portion where CCO addressed participant questions. The webinar was organized by Tax Senior Director Gecel Ong in coordination with NordCham.

SGV Financial Services Organization (FSO) Leader Vicky Lee-Salas (VLS), Partner Christian G. Lauron (CGL), and Senior Directors Leslie Huang and Bryan Baes attended the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Virtual Auditor Training Course. The two-day training course aimed to enhance auditors’ subject matter expertise on precious metals supply chain risks and issues. The sessions featured case studies and interactive exercises. The facilitators discussed the ISAE 3000 standard, the concepts of risk-based assurance audits and the application of subject matter expertise when conducting due diligence audits in the context of precious metals supply chains. They also trained participants on how to check whether traceability and due diligence systems are in place, are operational and compliant with LBMA requirements and if exceptions are being effectively identified, assessed, managed and reported. The LBMA is the international trade association that represents the market for gold and silver bullion. It is centered in London but has a global client base, including the majority of the central banks that hold gold, private sector investors, and mining companies, among others. It publishes the LBMA Good Delivery List, a widely recognized standard for the quality of gold and silver market bars, which includes the world’s pre-eminent refiners of gold and silver located in 31 countries. It promotes Due Diligence for Responsible Supply Chains by actively drafting the Gold Supplement section of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidance for supply chain due diligence. It has also set up a Responsible Gold Guidance for good delivery refiners to comply with high standards of anti-money laundering and combating terrorist financing and measures to curb human rights violations.