(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 27 March 2024) Easterlies affecting the eastern section of the country. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur will experience Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to Easterlies / Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.


Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Business leaders throw support behind PBBM; tout his strong leadership with compelling vision

The Philippine business community has thrown its support to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as he woos American investors to come to the Philippines and tap its potential as one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies.

Addressing global investors, traders, and other guests at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Monday, Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz invited US businesses to invest in the Philippines, backing President Marcos, who pitched what the country has to offer.

NYSE, the largest stock exchange in the world, is a microcosm of global trade and industry, making it the perfect stage to remind the international business community of the Philippines’ business potential.

“So we are here today to support our President and his genuine efforts to revitalize this relationship and remind you of our commitment,” Aboitiz told American investors and traders.

“We support his efforts to assure you of the integrity, of the stability, and the solidarity of his administration and the Philippine economic system, which is not without wounds but neither without the determination to heal them.”

“And, of course, to unlock the massive economic potential our country has to offer with the help of good friends like you.”

He said the Philippines remains one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, and as the world emerges from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the country is back on the fast track and accelerating its recovery with promising possibilities for the future.

With a new era of digital progress, the Philippines is right for investment, he said, highlighting the country’s large pool of young, talented, and English-proficient workforce.

The Philippines also has numerous operating economic zones and IT parks that are fully equipped with support capabilities making it easier for companies from all over the world to set up shop and conduct business with convenience and effectivity, he noted.

At the same time, the country has bountiful and beautiful natural resources that provide investment opportunities in the agriculture and tourism industries, Aboitiz said.

Its business process outsourcing, electronics, manufacturing, creative, maritime resources, and export industries have similar potential with track records of success, he noted.

‘Strong leader with a compelling vision’

In addition, with a strong private public partnership, the government is aggressively building critical infrastructure needed to support all industries and enable businesses to grow and thrive on a globally competitive scale.

“But most importantly, we have a strong leader with a compelling vision and a political will to realize it. With a unified support of our Congress and the Filipino people, the new Marcos administration is taking a whole-of-government and -nation approach to deliver on its promise to transform our economy,” he said of the new administration.

“We in the business community believe in this vision. And as our long-time allies and partners, we hope you will too.”

According to Aboitiz, who is a convenor of the Private Sector Advisory Council to the President, he witnessed Marcos’ ability to bring together the best minds in business, use them to find real solutions to real problems, and immediately implement them.

The country’s current decisive, action-oriented leadership inspires it to believe in its true worth, he said.

“And this is the kind of inclusive and collaborative leadership that will transform our economy into the next big thing in Asia,” he added. PND