Aboitiz Group chief to co-chair ‘Regional Economic Integration Working Group’ for ABAC
Aboitiz Group President and Chief Executive Officer and ABAC PH Member Sabin M. Aboitiz will take on a new role at the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) following his appointment as the new Co–Chair for the council’s Regional Economic Integration Working Group (REIWG) under Thailand’s chairmanship next year.
The REIWG will empower discussions and policy recommendations for the progressive pathways to the realization of the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP), support the World Trade Organization (WTO), strengthen regional services, trade and investments, and work on reopening borders for safe and seamless travel.
“I am looking forward to my new role in ABAC next year as we take the chairmanship to Thailand and tackle the challenges of the region. As Co–Chair of the Regional Economic Integration Working Group (REIWG), I fully commit to collaborative discussion and action on strengthening services, trade, and investment among the members of APEC,” Aboitiz said.
Aboitiz joined various business leaders at the APEC CEO Summit 2021 last November 10 to tackle the themes surrounding the continuing impact of the global health crisis, leveraging digital disruption, and the future of energy and sustainability.
With the Group’s growing footprint in the Asia-Pacific, Aboitiz was invited to share his unique perspective on how businesses can become a force for good as the region targets recovery in a post-pandemic world.
“In order for us to deliver on this, [businesses] must be able to generate profits and prosper, as our growth is directly linked to the growth of our country’s economy, which then ripples out to the region,” emphasized Aboitiz during the panel discussion, in which he was joined by Yumiko Murakami, General Partner of Japan’s MPower Partners, and Arihia Bennett, CEO of New Zealand-based Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.
Long before the establishment of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the widespread adoption of ESG (environment, social, and governance) practices, the Aboitiz Group has pursued principles of creating shared value through its products and services that are vital to the communities who depend on them. Paying close attention to the needs of these communities enables the company to facilitate relevant and inclusive programs that create opportunities to uplift lives. “It has always been a natural instinct of ours to drive change for a better world by advancing business and communities,” he affirmed.
“If each and every one of us here, representing our own companies and countries, are motivated by this business philosophy of ‘Doing Well by Doing Good’, then the societal needs of the community we all share—the APEC Region—will indeed be served and satisfied sustainably,” he added.
As the world recovers from the economic and societal consequences of the pandemic, Aboitiz called for closer regional cooperation in order to fast-track economic development and inclusive growth in the Asia-Pacific.
“Affecting meaningful societal change in our region is a responsibility we all carry. We carry it not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because it is the smart thing to do. It makes common sense for us to cooperate and innovate towards sustainability, because that is the only way we can truly thrive and survive as companies and as countries. Our societies depend heavily on our ability to drive economic growth and lift people out of the quicksand of poverty,” he concluded.
The APEC CEO Summit is attended by the world’s top CEOs, business leaders, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and government leaders. It is held in the lead-up to the annual APEC Summit between the heads of state of APEC economies.
