MBC honors partners in first-ever partners’ night

29 January 2024 – MBC honored its partners in its first Partners Night cocktail on Jan. 24 at New World Hotel, Makati, thanking them for supporting MBC’s learning events, policy advocacies, and ESG projects.

MBC Chairman Edgar O. Chua and Vice Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala led other board members and staff in welcoming the partners. Around 30 joined, including CEOs, development organization heads, and ambassadors.

“Your support has been valuable in enabling us to foster job creation, and improve the environment in the country,” Mr. Chua said. “Our country faces so many challenges, and no one entity can actually address that, including the government. So MBC really is appreciative of the fact that you have been our partners in this common objective of improving lives, and improving the Philippines as an attractive investment opportunity”

“We believe that capitalism should be a force for good, and not just for personal gain,” Mr. Zobel de Ayala said. “And that we have a role in society that’s broader than our businesses by itself. That’s why I have remained a part of MBC for so long. That’s why I thank all of you for being part of it. It’s important that we keep MBC strong, progressive, and engaged. That can’t be done alone, that has to be done together with partners. So I hope you’ll continue looking at us as a partner organization.”

MBC Executive Director Coco Alcuaz opened the evening by thanking the partners for being pioneers in MBC’s efforts to convene leaders around the country’s challenges. The individual partners were acknowledged by Michelle Dee, Partnerships & Operations Head, Catch Ofilada, Policy & Projects Head, and Bianca Malonzo-Castro, Membership & Events Head.

MBC’s 2023 partners included:

• Acciona, SM Investments, SteelAsia: series sponsors, F2F with CabSecs Series
• Angkas, Delbros Group, MPTC, Wilcon Depot: individual session sponsors, F2F with CabSecs series.
• SGV and Accenture: series sponsors, Global Leaders Series
• BPI and Xendit: individual session sponsors, Global Leaders Series
• Optum, Converge, Oracle Netsuite, Amkor, Citi, Cruz Marcelo & Teñafrancia, and Jollibee Foods Corporation: sponsors, GMM with US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson
• Macquarie and Telstra: sponsors, GMM with Australian Ambassador HK Yu
• Bain & Company: partner, Global Outlook Series
• Microsoft: partner, Developing Generative AI: Future Workforce in the Philippines
• SSI Group, Inc., Philippine Wine Merchants: sponsors, Annual General Meeting
• USAID and Unilab Foundation: leads, Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Development Project-AMDev (MBC is secretariat)
• USAID and Chemonics: proponent, SPEED project (MBC is a member)
• ATIN – Alliance of Tech Innovators for the Nation: MBC serves as secretariat
• Climate Smart Ventures: proponent, Just Energy Transition (MBC is a partner)
• Center for International Private Enterprise: funder, ESG Training for SMEs and other ESG initiatives
• Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands: funder, Circular Economy project
• Shell and DOW: funder, Business for Biking project
• Center for International Private Enterprise: sponsor, Access to Information project
• Konrad Adenaeur Stiftung: sponsor, Digital Democracy project
• Investing in Women: sponsor Women In C-Suite diversity project
• EU Delegation: convenor, Welcome Reception for President Von Der Leyen (MBC co-organized)