Aboitiz Group President Sabin Aboitiz addresses the New York Stock Exchange: Philippines is ‘the Next Big Thing in Asia’
Private Sector Advisory Council convenor and Aboitiz Group CEO Sabin Aboitiz speaks before the investors at the New York Stock Exchange, representing the Philippine business community.
New York City, United States — On Monday, September 19, Aboitiz Group President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz addressed global investors, traders, and the rest of the audience at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). As the largest stock exchange in the world, NYSE is a microcosm of global trade and industry, the perfect stage to remind the international business community of what the Philippines has to offer.
“As a representative of Philippine business, and on behalf of the delegation with us today, I want to thank you for the invitation to be here, in the financial center of the universe, touching base with our friends in the American business community,” Aboitiz began, addressing NYSE Chairman Sharon Bowen, NYSE Vice Chairman John Tuttle, and the rest of the distinguished members in the audience.
“The friendship between our two countries has always been like Wall Street itself, a busy two-way street of economic give-and-take, and we sincerely hope and believe it will remain this way forever. We are here today to support our President in his genuine efforts to revitalize this relationship and remind you of our total commitment to it. We are here to underscore his efforts to assure you of the integrity, stability, and solidarity of his administration and of the Philippine economic system, which is not without wounds, but neither without the determination to heal them — and to unlock the massive economic potential our country has to offer, with the help of good friends like you.”
“We live in uncertain times, but in our corner of the world, the Philippines remains one of Asia’s fastest growing economies,” he continued. “And with the pandemic now largely out of the way, we are back on that fast track, accelerating out of recovery mode and onto the promising possibilities of the future. Now more than ever, with the dawn of a new era of digital progress, and an environment that has never been more enabling and conducive for business, the Philippines is ripe and open for investment.”
PSAC convenor and Aboitiz Group CEO Sabin Aboitiz addresses global investors, traders and the crowd at the New York Stock Exchange.
Aboitiz was one of the 30 representatives of the Philippine business community selected to accompany the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)–led government delegation to the United States. The trip was organized to strengthen mutually beneficial bilateral business relations between the two countries.
The short program at the NYSE began with remarks from Secretary of Finance Benjamin Diokno, followed by Secretary of Trade and Industry Alfredo Pascual. After Aboitiz spoke, NYSE Chairman Sharon Bowen touched on the dynamic opportunities for Philippine companies to list on the NYSE. After a tour of the NYSE building in the Financial District of New York City, there was the ceremonial ringing of the bell to mark the closing of the day’s trading.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. rings the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. With him (from left to right), House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Alfredo Pascual, First Lady Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Sandro Marcos, NYSE Vice Chairman and Chief Commercial Officer John Tuttle, Department of Finance Sec. Benjamin Diokno, and PSAC Convenor and Aboitiz Group CEO Sabin Aboitiz.
Much like the NYSE building that the delegation had the distinction of visiting, the Aboitiz Group stands tall as a century-old landmark amidst the evolution of trade and industry. As the Aboitiz Group undergoes its Great Transformation growth strategy, it is positioned to become the Philippines’ first Techglomerate. This will set the innovative entrepreneurial tone of Philippine business and empower local industries to continue to be a force to be reckoned with on the international level.
Sabin Aboitiz is also the Convenor of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), which was formed to provide President Bongbong Marcos with practical recommendations, and strengthen the collaboration between the private and public sector. In this distinguished capacity, the Aboitiz Group President has witnessed firsthand the Marcos administration’s dedication to fostering productive ties between government and business to uplift the country and, most importantly, the average Filipino citizen.
“I’ve seen many presidents in my lifetime and they all have their strengths. The one we have today has quite cleverly gotten 30 of our country’s busiest CEOs to voluntarily work for him and for our country,” Aboitiz observed. “I know this because I’m one of them. As Convenor of the Private Sector Advisory Council to the President, I have witnessed the ability of this man to bring together the best minds in business, use them to find real solutions to real problems, and then immediately implement them like he was flipping a switch.”
The Philippine business delegation was filled with the most highly-regarded business minds of the country: International Container Terminal Services Inc. Chairman and President Enrique Razon; Metro Pacific Corp. Chairman and President Manuel V. Pangilinan; San Miguel Corp. Chairman, President, and CEO Ramon Ang; Ayala Corp. Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala; JG Summit Holdings Inc. President and CEO Lance Gokongwei; Magsaysay Group President and CEO Doris Ho; and SM Prime Holdings Director Hans Sy, among others.
“This is why we work for him. Because he listens to reason and gets things done. Because he has the humility to seek the help of those who know more, in order to provide help to those who need more. This is the kind of decisive, action-oriented leadership we have in our country today,” Aboitiz concluded. “And this is the kind of inclusive and collaborative leadership that will transform the Philippine economy into the Next Big Thing in Asia.” #
