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Disclosure & Transparency
The Board and Management of the Company believe that a commitment to proper disclosures and transparency of the businesses elicit the trust and confidence of stakeholders. The Aboitiz Group puts a high premium to its reputation and work at keeping this well-earned trust of stakeholders gained over the years. Pursuant to the Group’s commitment to transparency and accountability, the Company continues to improve its dedicated corporate governance web page on its website.
The corporate website makes available to the public, copies of the annual corporate governance reports, annual reports, company disclosures, investor reports, organizational information, and Board and Board Committee membership, policies such as the Manual on Corporate Governance, Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, minutes of the ASM, Investor Relations Information, and other information relevant to stakeholders. The website serves as a resource center for stakeholders and the public. The Board Secretariat is also fully committed to ensuring full and accurate disclosures of information to shareholders, to the general public and all other stakeholders.
Transparent Ownership Structure
Monitoring of Insiders’ Share Ownership
While the Company encourages stock ownership by employees, to ensure ethical conduct, the Company through its Governance and Compliance Team and Board Secretariat, monitors the share ownership of directors, executives, officers and management team through the regular SEC disclosures of beneficial ownership (SEC Form 23-B), and tracking of compliance through the implementation of the Company’s General Trading Policy and Trading Black-out dates.
The Company is committed to elevating its standards of disclosure and transparency and the quality and depth of its corporate governance practices to enable the investing community to understand the true financial condition of the Company. Through the Investor Relations Office, the Office of the Corporate Secretary, the Annual Report, Aboitiz Integrated Annual Report, the Company website, the Company’s Information Statement and all disclosures to the PSE, PDEx and SEC, the Company publishes timely material information on all matters regarding the Company, including, the financial situation, performance, ownership, and governance of the Company. Regular disclosures include details of the Company’s subsidiaries, associates, joint ventures and special purpose vehicles, if any. There are no special arrangements enabling certain shareholders to obtain a degree of control disproportionate to their equity ownership that needs to be disclosed.
Identity of the Beneficial Owners Holding 5% or More Shares
Disclosure of Direct and Indirect Shareholdings of Major/Substantial Shareholders
Disclosure of Direct and Indirect Shareholdings of Directors and Senior Management
The Company discloses beneficial ownership in its Annual Report and Information Statements to the SEC including trading of Company shares of its directors and key officers. Non-compliance with the policy may carry criminal and civil liabilities as well as reputational damage to the Company, the Board, the Management and the Office of the Compliance Officer strictly enforce compliance with the Trading Policy.
The Company has an existing policy requiring the Board of Directors and the officers to report to the Office of the Corporate Secretary any transaction related to the purchase and disposal of Company shares within one business day from the date of the transaction. The Company discloses the direct and indirect (deemed) ownership or shareholdings of major and/or substantial shareholders and the details of the subsidiaries, associates, joint ventures and special purpose enterprises/vehicles. The Company’s Information Statement and Public Ownership Report regularly filed by the Company likewise show the direct and indirect ownership of the Company’s shareholders, which include its Board, the Management Team, and employees. Regular disclosures to the PSE, PDEx and SEC are made in the event of any dealings in Company shares. These disclosures are available at the Company’s website and can also be accessed from the PSE portal.
Based on the Company’s Public Ownership Report which was filed with the SEC and PSE and subsequently posted in the Company’s website, below is the direct and indirect ownership of directors and senior management of the Company as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020:
Insider Trading Prohibition
Insider trading is strictly prohibited under the Company’s General Trading Policy, the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, the Company’s Manual on Corporate Governance, and under the PSE and SEC rules. The Company’s General Trading Policy prohibits every member of the Company’s organization, from any misuse of insider information. All team members of the Company are mandated to exercise prudence in handling material non-public information in the course of their work and in relation to the trading or dealing with AEV securities. The Company strictly enforces its trading blackout and insider trading policy to curtail opportunistic dealings in the Company’s shares. Any violations are required to be reported to the Board Corporate Governance Committee.
Reporting of Share Trades
The Company ‘s General Trading Policy requires the Board of Directors and the officers to notify the Company at least one (1) day before they deal in the company shares. Directors and key officers are required to regularly report their beneficial ownership of shares in the Company and any dealings in AEV shares must be reported to the Corporate Secretary within one day from the sale or purchase of AEV shares. In addition, the Company discloses beneficial ownership in its Disclosures (SEC Form 23-B and Public Ownership Report, the Annual Report, and the Information Statements to the SEC including trading of Company shares of its directors and key officers. There has been no investigation of violation and conviction of insider trading and abusive self-dealing by directors, management and employees in the past five years that the Trading Policy has been in place.