May 2020

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! 

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.  

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.  

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 

FKS and LLL speak at ANZCHAM webinar  FKS and Tax Partner Leo L. Leaño (LLL) discussed tax deadlines and other BIR-related issuances at a briefing hosted by the Australia-New Zealand Chamber (ANZCHAM) on 28 April. LLL spoke on BIR issuances and updates related to the ECQ and FKS explained the latest provisions of Revenue Regulations No. 9-2020 on donations.  Title screens from FKS and LLL’s presentations at the ANZCHAM webinar 

PICPA organizes business resiliency and tax webinars  The Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants Metro Manila Region (PICPA MMR) and the PICPA Western Metro Manila Chapter (PICPA WMMC) conducted a seminar titled “Physical Return and Work Reimagined” on 6 May. Board of Accountancy Chairman Noe G. Quiñanola welcomed over 400 participants to the briefing. The webinar featured speakers SGV Partner and Advisory Leader Rossana A. Fajardo (RAF) and KSM. SGV Assurance Partner and former PICPA WMMC President Marydith C. Miguel (MCM) also moderated the session. They discussed the risks and challenges that businesses and their people face as well as the opportunities they can leverage on to achieve new energy, vision and resilience during the pandemic. They explained the areas that organizations need to focus on when facilitating the recovery and resumption of their business operations, and preparing their employees for work after the ECQ. They emphasized that organizational response must incorporate a people-centric approach in order to enable trust, agility and transformative resilience.    PICPA’s Physical Return and Work Reimagined webinar 

CCO and JGM speak at ECCP webinar  On 7 May, PICPA MMR organized another briefing on the ECQ-related BIR issuances and the extended tax deadlines. LLL discussed BIR issuances on donations, documentary stamp tax on qualified loans, authority-to-print, qualified imported goods, acceptance of tax payments, extensions of the due dates for filing and payment of tax returns, and tax document submissions and payments to LGUs. PICPA South Metro Manila Chapter President-Elect and SGV Tax Partner Maricris See hosted the webinar and facilitated the open forum.   LLL presenting at the PICPA webinar and CCO and JGM presenting at the ECCP briefing  Tax Partners CCO and JGM discussed extended tax deadlines and ECQ-related donations in a webinar hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines on 8 May. JGM explained the extension of tax statutory deadlines and the implementation of the tax exemption provision of RA 11469. CCO discussed tax incentives and requirements on donations made during the ECQ. 

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.