Category: Business Mirror

Pasay City – Senator Mark A. Villar has filed Senate Bill No. 2391, or the ‘PRC ID 5-year Validity Act,’ seeking to extend the validity of Professional Identification Cards (PICs) issued by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) from the current three years to five years.

Villar said the measure is aimed at reducing the time, expenses, and administrative burden faced by Filipino professionals who are required to regularly renew their PRC identification cards.

Recent data reveals that there are more than 5,887,714 registered professionals across 65 PRC-regulated professions. The PRC currently operates one central office, 14 regional branches, 21 satellite service centers, and four offices located in One-Stop Service Centers for Overseas Filipino Workers. Under the existing system, PICs are valid for only three years, after which professionals must undergo the renewal process.

‘Our professionals have already invested years of study, training, and continuing development to serve the country. We should not add unnecessary burdens to their work through frequent and costly renewal transactions,’ Villar said.

‘Extending the validity of the PRC ID to five years is a practical reform that will save our professionals time and money, reduce congestion in PRC offices, and allow them to focus more on their careers, their families, and the people they serve,’ he added.

Under SB 2391, all PRC-issued PICs would be valid for five years, subject to compliance with existing legal and procedural requirements. The measure also directs the PRC’s Information and Communication Technology Service and other concerned offices to undertake the necessary systems enhancements, including improvements to the Licensure Examination Registration Information System and other administrative processes. The bill provides for the finalization of the revised assessment of annual registration fees within six months from its effectivity.

Senator Villar hopes that this measure would espouse a more efficient PRC renewal system that would benefit professionals across the country while supporting the government’s broader goal of reducing red tape and improving public service delivery.

‘Every hour saved from unnecessary queues and every peso saved from repeated transactions can instead be spent on productive work and professional development. Through this measure, we are making government services more convenient for the people who help keep our country moving,’ Villar said.

The Department of Agrarian Reform has distributed more than 400,000 land titles covering over 500,000 hectares to agrarian reform beneficiaries in the past four years, DAR Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III confirmed following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address.

The President directed the DAR to complete the remaining land title distribution by 2027 and finish all remaining debt condonations this year.

A TOTAL of P6.182 trillion of this year’s national budget has been released in the first seven months of the year as the government tries to pick up the pace in spending and improve budget execution.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) disbursed 91 percent of this year’s P6.793-trillion budget as of end-July, according to its Status of Fiscal Year 2026 Budget report.

The release rate was slower than the 93.8 percent recorded in the same period last year, although the amount released was higher than the P5.936 trillion made available through July 2025.

Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the DBM allocated P3.356 trillion, or 91.4 percent, of the P3.671-trillion allotment for line departments, including agencies in the Executive branch, Congress, the Judiciary and other constitutional offices.

About P497.668 billion, or 69.2 percent, of the P719.074-billion program was also distributed as special purpose funds (SPFs), which are budgetary allocations for specific socioeconomic purposes.

These include the Contingent Fund, Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, Pension and Gratuity Fund, as well as budgetary support to state-run corporations and allocation to local government units.

Meanwhile, a total of P2.158 trillion, or 89.9 percent, of the P2.402 trillion allotted for automatic appropriations had been released as of end-July.

The DBM has fully released the P1.190 trillion in National Tax Allotment, P93.982 billion in block grants, P480,000 in pensions for former presidents or their widows, P42.229 billion for the Special Account in the General Fund and P14.5 billion for the Tax Expenditures Fund.

An additional P186.554 million was also issued in July to augment the P82.194 billion originally allotted for retirement and life insurance premiums of government employees, bringing total releases for the item to P83.108 billion.

Another P21.525 billion was released for net lending, while P712.5 billion was made available for interest payments.

Beyond the 2026 GAA, the DBM released P49.898 billion to line departments and SPFs under continuing appropriations from the 2025 budget.

Some P2.063 billion was also released in July for unprogrammed appropriations-particularly P23.787 million for the Department of Health, P654.760 million for the Department of Public Works and Highways and P1.384 billion for the Department of Transportation.

The additional allotments brought total releases to P87.716 billion. Unprogrammed appropriations are standby appropriations that authorize additional agency expenditures for priority programs and projects when revenue collections exceed the resource targets or when additional grants or foreign funds become available.

Meanwhile, P32.515 billion was disbursed for other automatic appropriations, which include grants, special accounts in the general fund, the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s Modernization Program and the tax expenditures fund.

For 2027, the government has proposed a P7.2-trillion national budget, 6 percent higher than this year’s allocation and equivalent to 21.7 percent of gross domestic product.

The DBM separately submitted the 2027 National Expenditure Program to the House of Representatives and the Senate last week, beginning congressional review and deliberations on the proposed budget.

Property developers in the country are beginning to divest their non-core assets in their bid to have leaner balance sheets, real estate consultant Property Interactive Marketing Enterprise Realty Corp. (Prime Philippines) said.

As of said, it said asset rationalization has become close to a standard practice among the sector’s biggest names in both institutional and mid-sized developers.

‘This has exposed a bifurcation between highly leveraged and financially stable entities, with the former pushing ‘good deal’ acquisitions and the latter divesting properties to service debts,’ Prime said. The sellers, some of which have acquired their properties during 2018 to 2019, are likely to dispose these assets at a loss as commercial land values have reverted to 2017 levels. This was compounded by elevated taxation that stemmed from zonal values that now exceeded market prices between 10 percent to 20 percent.

‘Headwinds are real. Inflation shocks, slowing growth, political noise and environmental risk continue to weigh on sentiment.’

Debt financing has also become harder to secure for those who can afford to look for asset acquisition, renovate developments or service existing debt. Meanwhile, real estate non-performing loan ratios have exceeded the overall industry rate, as banks become cautious on extending credit to the property companies.

Nationwide demand for office spaces in the first half fell 15 percent, as the share of business process outsourcing (BPO) sector dropped more than 21 percent. The BPOs were overtaken by government agencies and traditional firms mostly from professional services and wholesale and retail. Prime said the drop in BPO’s share was caused by the resolution to raise the allowable work-from-home scheme to 90 percent from the previous 50 percent, while industry estimates puts automation from artificial intelligence exposure at about 80 percent for customer service roles and 75 percent for data processing.

‘These temporary shocks should not be read as a severe hallmark for full retrenchment of the BPO labor base. The evolution of artificial intelligence is proving as a much as a source of new job creation as it is a driver of displacement.’

The industry, it said, still expects close to 2 million jobs and $42 billion in export revenues by the end of the year. The demand is shifting toward analytics, business intelligence, program and project management, and other highly-technical work.

Despite the recent ambush targeting Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, Malacañang has confirmed that the autonomous region’s first-ever regular election will push through as scheduled.

‘As mentioned in the President’s message, this will not hinder any plans for continuous reform aimed at establishing a democratic government within the BARMM community,’ Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing last Monday.

Quoting the Commission on Elections (Comelec), she said preparations for the BARMM polls in September are still ongoing.

The poll body also noted that except for the recent attempt on Macacua’s life by still unidentified gunmen last Saturday afternoon in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, the security situation in BARMM remains peaceful.

During the weekend, Marcos ordered all concerned government agencies to intensify security in BARMM and to hold accountable those responsible for the said attack.

The Chief Executive also called for calm in the region in the aftermath of the said ambush attempt.

‘However, we will leave the operations to identify those behind this to the PNP, and we cannot disclose the details of their ongoing investigations and operations to the public,’ Castro said.

The BARMM election is scheduled to be held on September 14, 2026. It was originally set to be held in May 2022, but it was deferred multiple times because of the pandemic and decision from the Supreme Court.

Comelec earlier said it has spent P63 million to complete the printing of 2.3 million ballots, which will be used in said polls.

At the General Membership Meeting of the Federation of Philippine Industries on August 13, I reported to our domestic manufacturers, allied industries, and partners several developments that helped boost the level playing field for businesses in the country.

I particularly cited the Office of the President and the Bureau of Customs for displaying effective governance.

I commended the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Through the Office of the President, Presidential Management Staff, Office of the Executive Secretary, and the concerned departments-PBBM has been responding to the concerns and proposals that we brought to his attention, both through my letters and column here in the BusinessMirror.

Notably, PBBM took cognizance of the following:

1) Illegal importation of palm olein-The Office of the President directed the Department of Agriculture to work with us in addressing the duty-free importation of palm olein purportedly for compounding of animal feeds. This was also investigated by the NBI and BIR. Eventually, this illegal importation, which robbed the government of an estimated P45 billion in revenues over a period of five years, was stopped and an importer has been penalized.

2) Illegal collectors and smelters of used lead acid battery (ULAB)- PBBM’s office ordered the DENR to act on our complaint and investigated the smelters who lack the necessary permits and licenses while operating their environmentally hazardous facilities in San Simon, Pampanga. Their operations were stopped, although one is still doing guerilla smelting.

3) Cigarette smuggling-Our advocacy against the proliferation of smuggled cigarettes in the market continues to bear fruit as various agencies-the NBI, PNP, BOC-have been raiding and seizing millions of pesos worth of smuggled cigarettes.

4) LPG cylinders-We reported to the government that importers are declaring the value of their imported LPG cylinders at only P400/cylinder but refillers are collecting deposits from consumers ranging from P1,400 to P1,900.

5) Imported goods being sold with no Import Commodity Clearance-This is a continuing campaign as despite actions taken by concerned agencies, including raids conducted by the DTI, NBI, and PNP, we continue to see imported products in the market that do not bear the ICC mark, which means they did not pass the requirements prescribed by law.

6) SRA’s order to put additional bureaucratic red tape on the entry of ‘other sugars’-We acted on the complaint of our members in the confectionery and beverage industries that the SRA’s memo would gravely affect their operations. We wrote to the President and also held press conferences. The SRA administrator eventually withdrew his order.

7) Substandard imported automotive batteries-Through our coordination with the NBI and DTI, about P100 million worth of substandard imported automotive batteries were seized in Quezon City, which, to date, is the biggest haul of DTI’s Task Force Kalasag in its campaign against substandard and counterfeit products.

8) BPS order to replace mandatory testing of imported LPG cylinders with factory audits – We campaigned against this memo from the BPS because it runs counter to laws and issuances concerning product standards and mandatory testing by independent third-party testers to protect the consumers.

9) Appeal to issue EO extending inter-agency campaign on smuggling of agricultural products to also include industrial goods to protect domestic industries-the Office of the President wrote a letter to all concerned departments to submit their comments/response to our letter to the President.

10) MOA with the BOC for close coordination with FPI – We have signed a memorandum of agreement with the BOC, strengthening our partnership and creating avenues for better coordination.

11) Assist the steel industry in fast-tracking the elimination of PNS 49:2020 with PNS 49:2026- The 2026 Standards for Reinforcing Steel Bars removes all non-seismic grades. Its immediate implementation means that only seismic bars can be manufactured and sold locally.

12) TRO vs product standards- The Supreme Court has already acted on our petition to include in the Rules of Civil Procedure a provision that only the Supreme Court can issue an injunction order against the implementation of product standards by the DTI and FDA. The Supreme Court has already ordered both the DTI and FDA to submit their comments within 30 days from receipt of the order. This is an offshoot of the TROs issued against the standards of flat glass.

I am also happy to report that the FPI and BOC, under the leadership of my friend, Commissioner Ariel F. Nepomuceno, have strengthened their partnership.

I was having lunch with Ariel in Greenhills about one week before he became BOC Commissioner; that was when he informed me of his transfer from the OCD. I was very excited because the BOC is very important to us domestic manufacturers, and Ariel, leading that agency will be a major boost for us.

And we have seen measurable progress.

From July 2025 to June 2026, the Bureau of Customs conducted 1,090 enforcement and intelligence operations, resulting in the seizure of approximately P40.47 billion worth of illicit goods. The BOC also filed 30 cases involving Customs fraud, smuggling, and unlawful importation.

These figures matter to local manufacturers because every illegally imported or fraudulently undervalued product removed from the market helps restore fair competition.

Just as important to FPI is the renewed partnership between the Bureau and our Federation. Under the BOC-FPI agreement, accredited Industry Technical Experts can assist Customs in monitoring and inspecting high-risk shipments nationwide. The BOC has committed to act on ITE reports within seven days, while a joint monitoring committee meets quarterly to review implementation.

Commissioner Nepomuceno has also made legitimate trade easier. Customs valuation processing has been shortened from five days to three days, while importer, exporter, and customs broker registrations have been extended from one year to three years.

At the same time, stronger post-clearance audits generated about P3.07 billion, reinforcing compliance even after shipments have been released.

In one sector alone, illicit tobacco, the BOC conducted 187 enforcement operations in just five months, seizing approximately P13.5 billion worth of smuggled cigarettes and tobacco products.

For FPI and its members, the most important accomplishments of Commissioner Nepomuceno are not simply higher Customs collections, which, for the first seven months of the year, reached P587.711 billion, the highest collection ever recorded for the January-to-July period.

More meaningful to us at FPI are the reforms that increasingly address a longstanding concern of Philippine manufacturers:

A local manufacturer that pays the correct taxes, follows Philippine standards, employs Filipino workers, and complies with government regulations should not have to compete against imported goods that enter the country through smuggling, undervaluation, misdeclaration, or other fraudulent practices.

The combination of stronger enforcement, better valuation, the reinstatement of FPI Industry Technical Experts, industry data-sharing, digitalization, faster processing, tougher internal controls, and closer government-industry cooperation helps move us toward that level playing field.

We don’t really need to be pampered or be protected, like some would call us THE FEDERATION OF PROTECTED INDUSTRIES.

We just want a level playing field. And we are happy because Commissioner Nepomuceno is taking the time to meet with us regularly to help ensure we achieve that level playing field.

In closing, I want to congratulate the directors, officers, and members of the FPI on a highly successful General Membership Meeting. Your strong turnout underscores our shared commitment and re-energizes our collective fight against smuggling and all forms of illicit trade.

Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the Chairman Emeritus of the Federation of Philippine Industries and concurrent Chairman of the Anti-Smuggling and Anti-Illicit Trade Committee.

Watsons, the international health and beauty brand, reinforces its retail philosophy in the Philippines of championing more sustainable ways of doing business while working with partners to explore solutions that can be ‘practical, scalable and impactful.’

On August 14 at its distribution center at the Laguna International Industrial Park in Biñan, Watsons signed a partnership with Mober, the Philippines’ pioneer in 100-percent electric logistics. This means that electric vehicles will be integrated into Watsons’ delivery operations.

‘Every day, products make their way from distribution centers [in Laguna, Pampanga and Cebu] to stores and, ultimately, to the customers and communities that Watsons serves [nationwide],’ said Sharon Decapia, senior AVP for marketing, PR and sustainability of Watsons Philippines.

‘With Mober, Watsons is taking a step toward making these deliveries more sustainable by using electric vehicles, helping reduce carbon emissions while supporting the continued movement of health, beauty and wellness products. It is a practical step toward making better choices for people, communities and the planet,’ added Decapia.

In 2002, AS Watson Group joined hands with SM, the country’s leading shopping-mall developer. The partners opened the first Watsons stores in SM Megamall and The Podium (Ortigas). Since then, Watsons has grown to 1,200 stores all over the Philippines.

INNOVATIVE, INCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP

THE collaboration with Watsons and Mober demonstrates how sustainability can be translated into practical everyday action by finding better ways to operate while continuing to deliver the quality service that Watsons’ customers expect from the brand. ‘We see this [partnership] as an important step and opportunity to explore what more we can achieve together. Because creating a more sustainable business requires more than good intentions,’ said Watsons managing director Danilo S. Chiong. ‘It requires action, innovation, and partnerships that turn commitments into everyday practice. And this is closely aligned with what Watsons stands for: Look Good, Do Good, Feel Great.’

Dennis Ng, the chief executive officer of Mober, also lauded Watsons’ introduction of EVs into its logistic network.

‘More importantly, this initiative also creates opportunities for women to take the wheel and build careers in an industry that are mostly dominated by men. I added this because in Mober, we are very conscious of inclusivity,’ explained Ng.

‘Currently, Mober has eight female truck drivers in the barricade. Eventually, we’ll deploy more here in Watsons. Driving EV is easier than driving an ice truck. We are proud that many drivers will be part of this journey, showing that women can lead not only in the workplace but also on the road,’ Ng noted.

PILLARS OF SUSTAINABILITY

Decapia underscored that Watsons’ sustainability programs are classified into three pillars: The Planet Initiatives, People Initiatives, and Product Initiatives.

‘So, this [partnership] is part of our Planet Initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint. In fact, we have started thinking or planning about this several years back already because in the other Watsons markets, especially in Europe, it’s already the standard,’ she said.

Unfortunately, in the previous years, it was still not feasible in terms of availability and cost. But starting with Mober, navigating through the requirements of a 100-percent electric vehicle to deliver products will be much easier.

‘Then we have the second pillar, which is People. Apart from taking care of our own employees, we have programs for the community. So, our focus is medical missions three times a year, like the Operations Smile Partnership, which provides free surgery for kids with cleft lip and cleft palate conditions. These initiatives are very transformative,’ Decapia proudly shared.

For Products, which are sold both online and in physical stores, the brand has dedicated spaces for sustainable choices. These are products that are considered under Clean Beauty, products with better ingredients, with better packaging, and, most importantly, the refill packs which they are pushing for.

‘The refill packs are good for the planet because they use or consume 75 percent less energy versus the bottled version,’ Decapia concluded. ‘And it also allows our customers to save. So. it’s good for the planet, and it’s good for the budget, as well.’

Subic Bay Freeport – The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) reported an P874-million consolidated gross income from port operations in the first half, driven by a 24- percent surge in bulk and break-bulk cargo volume and an 88-percent surge in rice imports.

SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Port Operations Ronnie Yambao said the first-semester revenue represented an 8-percent increase over the P806-million income record for the same period last year.

Yambao said the Seaport Department contributed the bulk of the first-half operations income at 78 percent, the Airport Department 14 percent, while the Trade Facilitation and Compliance Department (TFCD), which handles import and exports processing, monitoring, and logistics support, accounted for the remaining 8 percent.

The Seaport Department reportedly generated P683 million-a 10-percent hike in its gross income-primarily due to an 18 percent rise in non-containerized cargo, particularly bulk and break-bulk cargo, which increased by 24 percent.

This was driven by an 88-percent jump in rice imports handled in Subic, one of the only 17 ports of entry in the country authorized by the Bureaus of Plant Industry and Customs for milled rice imports.

Yambao also said that while Subic airport operations income fell by 3 percent due to a slowdown in military logistics services, a 17-percent revenue increase recorded by the TFCD with the implementation of a new policy for the admission of trucks, heavy equipment, and regulated goods, adequately shored up the aggregate group income.

Yambao said the SBMA Port Operations Group achieved the record growth despite discounts on vessel charges, cargo charges, storage fees, and SBMA shares in response a directive from President Marcos last March to mitigate trade disruptions due to the Middle East conflict.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño said the SBMA has tallied some P81 million in discounted fees and shares in response to Executive Order (EO) 110.

‘The sustained growth of port operations reflects our ability to adapt to changing market conditions while continuing to support the country’s supply and logistics requirements,’ Aliño said.

‘At the same time, we remain committed to implementing measures that help cushion the impact of external disruptions on our stakeholders, consistent with the President’s directive under EO 110.’

The Subic agency already recorded P113.7 million in port operations income as early as January, buoyed by increased grains importation: rice by 484 percent; corn, 230 percent; wheat, 48 percent; and soya, 3 percent.

Last year, SBMA’s port operations generated revenues totaling P1.77 billion, with seaport operations contributing P1.47 billion of the total income.

DESPITE ongoing budget reforms triggered by last year’s multibillion flood-control fund scandal, there are still ‘questionable’ lump sum appropriations for infrastructure projects of a government agency in the P7.2-trillion proposed national budget for 2027, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said.

Lacson said he will demand an explanation or clarification from the officials concerned, as he flagged some item at the weekend, adding that he may raise the issue at the briefing of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), initially scheduled on August 27.

‘We spotted lump-sum appropriations that we don’t think should be lump sum. When we say lump-sum appropriations, an aggregate amount is appropriated for a project, activity or program [PAP], or group of projects without detailing the breakdown of the cost of each PAP,’ he said in English and Filipino in a radio interview.

‘I will seek clarification on the details of these lump sum appropriations. Lump-sum appropriations are allowed for calamity funds because we cannot predict when calamities occur. But it becomes questionable if it’s for infrastructure projects. That is what I saw and I will ask for details on the matter,’ he added.

Lacson and his staff have started poring over the National Expenditure Program (NEP), after it was transmitted to both houses of Congress last week.

He said they will also check the NEP for possible special provisions that may potentially abuse the unprogrammed appropriations. He cited a past General Appropriations Act where the bicameral conference committee at the time added two additional and ‘highly questionable, even unconstitutional Special Provisions.’

Such provisions had included those allowing the executive branch to transfer the funds of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) such as the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the national treasury; and Foreign Assisted Projects, ‘which could have been disastrous, if disbursed for purposes other than what it was intended.’ These were removed in subsequent national budgets.

Lacson also reiterated they will maintain the reforms initiated by the Senate and adopted all the way to the bicameral conference committee by then Senate Finance committee chairman and now Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, including livestreaming the proceedings of the bicameral conference committee and posting online all documents related to the budget process.

This early, he said Finance committee Chairman Jose Victor Ejercito assured him he will not allow insertions in the bicameral conference committee, if they are not in the Senate or House versions of the General Appropriations Bill.

‘I hope this year that under Sen. JV’s chairmanship, he will fulfill his promise not to allow insertions in the bicameral level,’ he said.

Lacson said such a policy would address a longstanding problem in the bicameral conference committee, where provisions that do not appear in either the Senate or House versions of the General Appropriations Bill have, in the past, been inserted during the final stages of the budget process.

Senators have been somewhat split on the matter of ‘insertions,’ with several of them stressing that the ‘insertions’ they were accused of introducing were actually part of their work as people’s representatives, championing urgent, even life-saving initiatives that had long been ignored.

The matter reached a high point last week when Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri took the floor-and was later supported by several peers-and took issue with reports that he was in control of a multibillion ‘Leadership Fund’ that allowed senators to divert funds to pet projects. As then Senate President when the so-called fund alluded to by former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan was introduced, Zubiri said he had been ‘hands off’ specific budget items and directed all requests to the then chairman of the Finance committee.

Wilcon Depot Inc. and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Philippines formalized their partnership through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), on August, 7, 2026, strengthening their shared commitment to advancing resilient growth, social equity, and inclusive opportunities across the Philippines and the broader ASEAN region.

The partnership comes as the Philippines takes on the ASEAN Chairship in 2026 under the theme ‘Navigating Our Future, Together,’ with the collaboration supporting initiatives focused on upskilling people and advancing women-led initiatives toward a more stable, forward-looking, and integrated ASEAN community.

Embodying its commitment to fostering inclusive growth through collaboration and shared purpose, Wilcon Depot formalized its partnership with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Present during the MOU signing were (L-R) ASEAN-BAC Philippines Executive Director, Mr. Patrick Chua; Chair of ASEAN-BAC 2026 and Founder of Go Negosyo, Mr. Jose Ma. Concepcion III; Chairman Emeritus of Wilcon Depot, Dr. William T. Belo; Director and Executive Vice President – Chief Product Officer, Ms. Careen Y. Belo.

During the ceremony, Wilcon Depot Founder and Chairman Emeritus Dr. William T. Belo expressed his appreciation for the partnership and his long-standing relationship with Go Negosyo and its founder, Jose Ma. ‘Joey’ Concepcion III.

‘Thank you, particularly to Joey [Concepcion]. We’ve been together for 10 – 15 years since Go Negosyo times. It’s a pleasure for us to be part of the ASEAN BAC,’ he shared, congratulating Mr. Concepcion on his leadership as chair of the ASEAN-BAC.

Meanwhile, Mr. Concepcion acknowledged Mr. Belo’s continued support for Go Negosyo and its efforts to strengthen micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He highlighted the organization’s work in developing people and creating opportunities, citing Trabaho at Negosyo as one of its significant initiatives in support of skills development and employment.

With the signing of the MOU, Wilcon Depot and ASEAN-BAC reaffirm their commitment to creating meaningful opportunities that extend beyond business, supporting people and communities through skills development and inclusive initiatives.

The partnership also looks toward creating a lasting impact on sustainability and economic development as the Philippines carries the ASEAN Chairship in 2026, contributing to policies and initiatives that can help shape a stronger and more inclusive future for the region.