December 2020

EY regional Partners pay tribute to JGC   In honor of the retirement of SGV Senior Assurance Partner and former Chairman and Country Managing Partner (CMP) J. Carlitos G. Cruz (JGC), the EY regional Partners prepared a special program during the recent regional Partners’ virtual meeting last 13 November. They presented a video featuring milestones in JGC’s career and notable achievements as CMP. Asia-Pacific Area Managing Partner Patrick Winter, ASEAN Regional Managing Partner Nam Soon Liew, and other EY Partners shared heartfelt messages for JGC, expressing their gratitude and wishing him all the best on the next part of his journey.  JGC with his token of appreciation In recognition of his nearly 40 years of service to the Firm, they also presented JGC with a token of appreciation – a bottle of bespoke whiskey engraved with his name

SGVF donates to typhoon relief operations The SGV Foundation (SGVF) donated funds raised by SGV Partners and staff for communities affected by Typhoons Rolly and Ulysses. Total donations amounted to over Php 2 million and were allocated for different non-government organizations and foundations active in relief operations in the affected communities.    The SGVF turned over the donations to the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Aboitiz Foundation, Ateneo De Naga University, Caritas Manila, Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) Foundation, Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Foundation, and Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice (ACPAPP). 

EY Ripples holds first-ever virtual business clinic The EY Ripples Team in SGV conducted its first virtual business clinic last 26 November. Co-organized with Endeavor Philippines, the program oriented impact entrepreneurs on leading practices in tax and financial planning aimed to drive growth in their respective organizations. SGV Chairman and CMP Wilson Tan and Assurance Partner Christine Vallejo welcomed impact entrepreneurs from companies which are mostly engaged in the fintech, medical, personal care, real estate and business process outsourcing industries.     The title slides of the presentations of SCL and KMC at the EY Ripples Business Clinic   Strategy and Transactions (SaT) Partner Smith C. Lim (SCL) led a plenary session on managing finances and provided an overview of accounting and interpreting financial statements. He explained key performance indicators in financial planning and budgeting, emphasizing the importance of managing cash flow. Tax Partner Kaye Sta. Maria-Constantino (KMC) then discussed the salient provisions of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill and the latest BIR issuances on related-party transactions (BIR Form No. 1709). She also spoke on the BIR’s Voluntary Assessment and Payment Program (VAPP) for taxable year 2018. The plenary sessions were followed by group mentoring sessions in breakout rooms, where SaT, Assurance and Tax partners and managers addressed participants’ questions.    EY Ripples is a global corporate responsibility program that provides EY professionals with opportunities to use their knowledge, skills and experience to positively impact millions of lives by working with impact entrepreneurs and supporting the next generation to develop mindsets and skills to find and sustain meaningful work. 

SGV supports MAP NextGen Program as Knowledge Partner  SGV inks MOA with MAP  SGV signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) during the MAP NextGen Web Conference last 20 November. With the theme Crash Landing on Management, the Conference brought together industry leaders and experts who provided valuable insights on the challenges and opportunities faced by the next generation of leaders. Under the MOA, the Firm agreed to be a Knowledge Partner of the Conference and will work with MAP in conducting the NextGen CEO: A Transformative Leadership Program – a 12-month interactive leadership program geared towards helping high-performing young and future CEOs reframe the future of their companies. SGV Chairman and CMP Wilson P. Tan (WPT) and MAP President Francisco ED. Lim virtually signed the MOA.   WPT and MAP President Francis Lim during the MOA signing  SGV Vice Chair and Deputy Managing Partner Vivian Ruiz, Assurance Leader Martin Guantes, Tax Leader Fame delos Santos, Consulting Leader Rossana Fajardo, Financial Services Organization (FSO) Leader Vicky Salas, Senior Assurance Partner Itos Cruz, Chief Risk Officer Leo Matignas, Market Group Leaders Jun Torres and Aris Malantic, Strategy and Transactions Partner Mon Dizon, Consulting Partners Kaye Macaisa and Ryan Chua, and FSO Partner Migs Ballelos also attended the conference and served as witnesses to the ceremony.  Consulting Leaders talk about Transformative Leadership at MAP Conference  SGV Consulting Leader Rossana A. Fajardo (RAF) and EY Asia-Pacific Consulting Managing Partner Iain Burnet were among the speakers at the plenary sessions at the MAP NextGen Conference. The conference featured sessions led by industry experts and business executives on leadership styles and practices during the pandemic.   Iain presenting at the MAP NextGen Conference  Iain led a session on Transformative Leadership in the Transformative Age and explained how the pandemic has forced leaders to rethink their leadership strategies and business models. He explained that leaders need to adapt a transformative mindset that places humans@center, leverages technology@speed and enables innovation@scale. He then presented the main characteristics of transformative leaders, emphasizing their ability to lead with purpose and vision to inspire extraordinary results.   RAF and Iain during the open forum  The session concluded with an open forum moderated by RAF where they addressed participants' questions on the process of transitioning to a transformative leadership style and the value of vulnerability, open communications and purpose.

GFCP insight session features GPS Team  Government and Public Sector (GPS) and Financial Services Consulting Leader Christian G. Lauron (CGL) and Senior Associate Arielle Papa were among the speakers at the Global Future Cities Programme (GFCP) South East Asia insight series. GFCP provides technical assistance for a set of targeted interventions to encourage sustainable development, increase prosperity and reduce urban poverty. Hosted by Mott MacDonald, the series featured presentations on the different interventions of global delivery teams. This included a presentation from the Cebu City delivery team composed of CGL, as the delivery deputy team leader, Arielle, as the program manager, and Senior Manager Christian Chua, as the lead for the data hub and infrastructure workstream.  Members of the Cebu City delivery team  Together with FC Cebu City Team Lead Allen Williams, they presented three interventions that aim to develop the City’s housing and urban planning strategy; flood, drainage and traffic management; and education and healthcare systems. They provided a comprehensive overview of each intervention, including their objectives, targeted Sustainable Development Goals, challenges, and delivery strategies.   The title slide of the GFCP presentation  GFCP Communications Coordinator Veronica Tang moderated the session which included engineering, design and urban planning consultants from EY, Broadway Malyan and Triple Line Consulting. The South East Asia GFCP consists of 13 targeted interventions in nine cities across six countries. EY is one of the private sector partners of the GFCP and supports interventions in selected cities, including New Clark and Cebu. The program is funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. To learn more about the program, please visit https://www.globalfuturecities.org/. 

SCL speaks at Future Energy Show Philippines Strategy and Transactions Partner Smith C. Lim (SCL) was one of the speakers at the Future Energy Show Philippines on 17 November. The event featured sessions on industry strategies, trends, and key innovations to help local energy stakeholders achieve growth in the area of renewable energy. Over 5,000 participants attended the webinar, including engineering, financial, legal and consulting professionals.  SCL presenting at the Future Energy Show  SCL led a session on financing solar rooftops where he discussed four approaches on financing a solar rooftop project: vendor financing, bank financing, leasing and power purchase agreement. He then compared the approaches in terms of risk sharing, accessibility and cost timing. He also shared insights on the recommended financing approaches based on their advantages to certain companies.  To watch SCL’s presentation, please visit https://tinyurl.com/SCLEnergyShow. 

Consulting team talks about resilience at BCMAP Summit SGV’s Consulting Team joined the 3rd annual summit of the Business Continuity Manager’s Association of the Philippines (BCMAP) titled When the Unexpected Happens last 20 November. The summit featured sessions on how businesses are adapting and responding to the latest disruptions and challenges.  PBC and Shaun presenting at the BCMAP Summit  Consulting Principal Philip B. Casanova (PBC) and Associate Director Shaun Cusi discussed the EY Enterprise Resilience Framework which identifies nine key areas businesses can address to build a structured and comprehensive approach to crisis management and business continuity across the now, next and beyond. They also shared ten practical ways organizations can enhance their resilience.      Jay and Alvin presenting at the BCMAP Summit  Senior Associate Jay Yabes then led a session titled How it pays to be resilient. He discussed how different stakeholders view resilience, emphasizing its value in their continuous support and commitment to businesses. Senior Director Alvin Manuel talked about embedding agility in business continuity and resilience practice. He discussed how organizations can use agile principles to manage and respond to complex disruptions.   During the members meeting held after the summit, Jay and Alvin were also elected as Directors of the BCMAP for 2020-2021. BCMAP is a non-profit organization established to promote best practices and standards for business continuity and disaster recovery.

CGD joins panel at ECCP virtual conference  Consulting Partner Carlo G. Dimarucut (CGD) was one of the panelists at the Cybersecurity Risks & Trends online conference hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) last 17 November. CGD discussed cybersecurity governance trends and emphasized the importance of cybersecurity awareness. He also shared the impact of privacy on COVID-19 research efforts.    CGD with the other panelists at the conference   Other panelists included representatives from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), technology companies, and a professional services firm. They discussed emerging cybersecurity threats as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as their impact on different organizations. They also shared tips on how businesses can prepare and protect their organizations against these cyberthreats.