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SGV Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) Partner Katrina F. Francisco and Director Reynaldo C. Azarcon, Jr. earned the title of Certified Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) Professional after successfully passing the BERDE Professionals Qualifying Examination. BERDE is a tool to assess, measure, monitor, and certify the performance of projects above and beyond existing national and local building and environmental laws, regulations, and mandatory standards. Certified BERDE Professionals Rey and Katrina at the Building Green 2023 Conference Katrina and Rey completed the training for BERDE - Buildings Version 4.2.0. They also attended the Building Green 2023 Conference, which focused on "Pursuing Public-Private Cooperation in Net Zero through Green Building." The training and conference were held from 26 to 28 September 2023 at the Modala Beach Resort Hotel in Bohol. The conference covered Local Actions on Green Building, National Programs on Sustainability, Regional Perspective on Public and Private Cooperation to Advance Green Building, and the Latest Green Building Innovations, Strategies, and Solutions (IS2).  The BERDE Program was established by the Philippine Green Building Council (PHILGBC) as an appropriate response to the Philippine construction industry's need to proactively address the negative impacts of climate change.  Congratulations, Katrina and Rey!
SGV was the technical adviser and official tabulator in the 2023 European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) Europa Awards held on 11 October 2023 at the Raffles and Fairmont Makati. 2023 Europa Awards Tabulators with the ECCP Europa Awards organizing team Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) Partner Benjamin N. Villacorte, CCaSS Directors Diana Rose A. Sadili and Ricardo S. Maulion Jr., Senior Associate Marsha P. Batusbatusan, and Associate Sofia Maria J. Evangelista served as tabulators and technical advisers for the event. They provided technical advice on the awards categories and scoring framework developed by ECCP and tabulated data from ECCP’s technical judges. The Europa Awards aim to recognize companies with exceptional performance in and contributions to promoting sustainability in line with global standards and the Philippine Development Plan.
The SGV Bacolod team conducted a tree planting and hiking activity on 16 September 2023 at the Gawahon Eco Park in Victorias City, Negros Occidental. The HIKE-UNA MATATA 2023 was conducted in observance of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which is celebrated annually. SGV Bacolod team group photo Twenty-seven participants from the SGV Bacolod team planted a total of 100 bamboo seedlings. As part of the program, Assurance Associate Robert John F. Bacusa was also declared the Strava walkathon winner for walking 675.2km in the walkathon challenge conducted from 10 July to 8 September. SGV Bacolod team planting bamboo seedlings The Strava walkathon challenge aimed to encourage staff to be physically active and to consider walking instead of commuting. It also aimed to encourage staff to curb vehicle emissions by supporting activities such as walking, that would lessen ozone layer depleting substances.
The SGV Business Tax Services (BTS) team conducted a webinar on surviving Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax audits. Around 250 participants from different industries attended the webinar. (From left to right) Senior Associates Tom Lui M. Estrella, Samantha Gaile A. Reyes, Partner Donna Frances G. Ylade-Torres, and Senior Associate Mariecar S. Reyes-Agbayani SGV BTS Partner Donna Frances G. Ylade-Torres was the speaker for the webinar, while Senior Associate Trixia Lou A. Diaz served as the host and moderator during the Q&A portion. Some of the topics discussed during the webinar were the BIR Audit Program, Subpoena Duces Tecum, the stages of BIR audits, relevant jurisprudence on BIR audits, general defenses, and survival tips. (From left to right) Senior Associates Niño Louis M. Belarma, Ron Christian T. Eupeña, Ernest Adrian F. Co., Senior Director Melissa Joyce Y. To, and Senior Associates Trixia Lou A. Diaz, Geremae M. Mata, and Joseph Santiago E. Quiño Webinar participants The Surviving the BIR Tax Audit webinar is part of a series of tax webinars conducted by the SGV BTS team. It aims to help and guide taxpayers in handling assessments with the BIR through keeping the participants updated on the latest Supreme Court decisions on tax cases, BIR enforcement strategies, and recent BIR issuances involving clarifications on tax laws and procedures.
SGV Cebu hosted the “Symposium for Business Owners: Strengthening Family Businesses for Generations to Come” on 20 September 2023 at the SGV Cebu Office. The symposium featured SGV Partners and was attended by business owners. Symposium attendees SGV Cebu Partner-in-Charge Margem A. Tagalog and Tax Leader Atty. Fabian K. Delos Santos gave their welcome remarks, while Tax Partner Cheryl Edeline C. Ong, Global Compliance and Reporting (GCR) Partner Saha P. Adlawan-Bulagsak, Consulting Partner Maria Kathrina S. Macaisa-Peña, Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) Partner Aris C. Malantic, and Private Leader Kristopher S. Catalan talked about Corporate Restructuring, Tax Health Check, Business Transformation, Enhanced Financial Reporting, and Leading in Private Boards, respectively. The event also included free one-on-one consultations with the key speakers to address the participants’ business concerns.
SGV Chairman and Managing Partner and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX) President Wilson P. Tan was featured in CNN Philippines’s The Final Word on 28 September 2023.  Wilson during the interview He gave an overview on the FINEX Week which was held from 2 to 6 October 2023, where online and in-person sessions engaged participants around resilience and recalibrating their sustainable growth strategies while navigating the uncertainties prevailing in the present business environment. Wilson was joined by FINEX Week Committee Co-Chairperson Mailene Bisnar. Wilson’s interview can be viewed here.
SGV Chairman and Managing Partner and Philippine Financial and Sustainability Reporting Standards Council (PFSRSC) Chairman Wilson P. Tan attended the World Standard-setters Conference organized by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation from 25 to 26 September 2023 in London. The conference provided national standard-setters with updates on the IFRS Foundation’s activities, panel discussions, interactive Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities with fellow delegates. (From left to right) SGV Chairman and Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan, IASB Board Member Jianqiao Lu, PH SEC – OGA Atty. Noel Artiza, and IASB Technical Staff and SGV Alumnus Jan Carlo Pereras Wilson was joined by International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) Board Member Jianqiao Lu, Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) General Accountant Atty. Noel Artiza, and IASB Technical Staff and SGV Alumnus Jan Carlo Pereras. 
SGV Chairman and Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan was a panelist at the Makati Business Club’s “A CEO Briefing: The State of Sustainability Reporting in the Philippines” on 18 September 2023. The briefing gathered club members, C-Suite level representatives, CSR, Operations, and Sustainability Officers from various organizations. Wilson (lower right) at the CEO briefing Wilson discussed current trends and developments in sustainability reporting and how International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards could impact future sustainability reporting. He reiterated the role of regulators, investors, and stakeholders in the need to communicate sustainability information.
To celebrate the achievements of the Global Compliance and Reporting (GCR) team and its members, the GCR team held a thanksgiving event with the theme “Proud2bGCR” at the Paco Arena Events and Sports Center. All GCR clusters participated in the face-to-face event including staff from the Clark, Cebu, and Davao offices. SGV Chairman and Country Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan with the SGV GCR team The event commenced with a thanksgiving mass and was followed by a welcome message from SGV GCR Leader Sonia D. Segovia, expressing her gratitude to the GCR team members for their dedication and successful undertakings in the past fiscal year (FY 2023).  GCR Partners with Fr. Marc Will Lim, SDB SGV Chairman and Country Managing Partner Wilson P. Tan graced the event and highlighted the GCR team’s impact on the Firm’s success throughout the years. Tax Leader Atty. Fabian K. Delos Santos shared how proud he was at how much the GCR team had grown over the years. ASEAN Tax Leader Amarjeet Singh and ASEAN GCR Leader Julian Wong also virtually delivered their messages of gratitude. SGV GCR Partners GCR team members participated in activities and games and showcased their talents during the TikTok and runway competitions. The event culminated with socials and a get-together among clusters. 
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