Press Statement
MBC Statement on the Case of the Government of the Philippines vs. Pilipinas Shell

9 March 2010 - The Makati Business Club notes with some satisfaction the apparent truce between the Philippine Government and Pilipinas Shell in their public disagreement over back taxes. The Office of the Solicitor General has accepted, and the Court of Tax Appeals has approved, Shell’s issuance of a bond to secure their alleged tax deficiency in the importation of catalytic cracked gasoline/light catalytic cracked gasoline from 2004 to 2009.

However, we believe the main issue remains to be the instability of government policies and regulations. The retroactive application of a ruling imposes a crushing burden on Pilipinas Shell, which had taken on good faith a Bureau of Internal Revenue opinion in settling its previous tax obligations, an opinion upheld by four BIR commissioners from 2003 to 2009. This reminds us of the case of the Yukos Oil Company in Russia where the government retroactively declared the company’s tax practices illegal and gave it only days to pay billions of Euros in back tax claims even as they froze the company’s assets. Read more

Press Statement
Who's Afraid of Namfrel?

11 February 2010 - We, the members of the business community, are dismayed and gravely concerned at the Commission on Elections' denial of the joint petition of the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and CBCP-NASSA for accreditation as citizens' arm in the May 10 elections.

This development is very alarming, given the crucial nature of these polls to a peaceful transfer of political power and its positive effects on the business and investment climate. The May 10 elections will be the first automated polls in the country's history. But the capabilities of the new system are untested, and the people are worried about the possibility of wholesale cheating, logistical failures, and unexpected power interruptions. Read more

General Membership Meeting
Sen. Manny Villar: A Strong Leader,
A Strong Nation

10 February 2010 – Nacionalista Party presidential candidate Senator Manuel Villar Jr. highlighted his business credentials when he presented himself as the type of strong leader needed by the country during the second installment of the Makati Business Club's Presidential Candidates Series. Villar was the guest of honor and speaker at the MBC meeting held on 10 February 2010 at the Dusit Thani Manila Hotel.

In his opening remarks, MBC chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. thanked Villar for giving the business community an opportunity to hear the concrete measures he proposes to take should he win the presidency. Villar promised in his speech, “A Strong Leader. A Strong Nation,” that he would “provide strong and honest leadership for our country.” He also clarified that although he is pro-poor, he believes businesses need to grow for the economy to move forward and to provide employment. Read del Rosario opening remarks | Read Villar speech

General Membership Meeting
Sen. Noynoy Aquino: A Philippines That Works

21 January 2010 – Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, presidential candidate of the Liberal Party, was the guest of honor and speaker at the launch of the Makati Business Club’s Presidential Candidates Series at the Peninsula Manila Hotel. The Presidential Candidates Series, organized by the MBC with the support of other business organizations, is a series of meetings that will feature the leading presidential candidates in the May elections.

Introduced by MBC chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr., Senator Aquino presented his economic vision and program of government to an audience of over 450 CEOs, senior executives, and members of the diplomatic corps. In his speech entitled “A Philippines That Works,” the senator stated that his “core belief is that the current approach to governance and power must change” and assured the business community that he will “encourage free and fair competition in a level playing field.”
Read del Rosario opening remarks | Read Aquino speech

Press Statement
MBC Statement on the Appointment of the Next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

18 January 2010 - The President's power to appoint the members of the Supreme Court, which is mandated, under Section 4(1) of Article VIII of the Constitution, to be exercised within 90 days from the occurrence of any vacancy, ceases, under Section 15, Article VII, for the period of two months immediately before the next presidential elections and up to the end of the incumbent president's term, except for appointments to executive positions when continued vacancies therein will prejudice public service or endanger public safety. Read more

MBC Survey on the May 2010 Elections
18 December 2009 - The results of a survey conducted by the Makati Business Club among its members indicated the business sector’s preferences for the country’s next president and vice president.

MBC members were asked an open-ended question: “Who among the candidates running in the 2010 elections would you prefer to see as the next Philippine President and Vice President?” Read more

Press Statement
MBC Statement on Joint Resolution
No. 50

15 December 2009 - The Makati Business Club strongly objects to Joint Resolution No. 50 introduced by Rep. Danilo Suarez (3 rd District, Quezon), which authorizes the Bureau of Internal Revenue to collect 10% of gross sales/receipts of all large taxpayers as advance payment for taxes for the next two years. Read more

Press Statement
MBC Statement of Concern Over Recent Comelec Decisions

11 December 2009 - The Makati Business Club expresses its grave concern over recent decisions issued by the Commission on Elections, particularly its Second Division. The Comelec's reversal of the 2007 electoral victories of Bulacan governor Joselito Mendoza and Isabela governor Grace Padaca is ominous because of its timing and political impact. We are just under five months away from next year's elections, where both officials will be running for re-election as frontrunners. Moreover, the unseating of Governors Mendoza and Padaca, both allied with an opposition political party, paves the way for the ascent to power of politicians identified with the Arroyo administration. Read more

Press Statement
MBC Statement on President Arroyo's Run for Congress

4 December 2009 - After months of playing coy, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has finally come clean with her plan to run for a seat in the House of Representatives in next year's elections. Two days after the Maguindanao massacre took place, as the body count was still rising and the public was still reeling in shock and outrage over the unprecedented scale of violence, President Arroyo did not head south to condole with the families of the victims but made her way north for her 50 th visit this year to her home province of Pampanga to inspect a dredging project. Read more

Press Statement
MBC Statement on the Maguindanao Massacre

26 November 2009 - The Makati Business Club expresses its deepest sympathies to the families of the victims of the November 23 Maguindanao massacre.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the brutal slaying of women, journalists, and other innocent and defenseless civilians. The perpetrators of this heinous crime have no place in society and no effort must be spared to consign them under the swift and full measure of the law. Read more

Business Matters
All About Hope

21 November 2000 – In his article for the Business Matters column of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Makati Business Club chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. explained why Noynoy Aquino is his personal choice for the presidential elections in 2010.
Read full article

Joint Membership Meeting
Compliance or Corruption—Is There a Choice?

23 October 2009 - Compliance officers of Siemens, the engineering conglomerate based in Germany, spoke before a group of Filipino and foreign executives about their experience in addressing and combating the culture of corruption that had plagued Siemens and placed it in the middle of a major bribery scandal. The German executives were the guests of honor at a joint luncheon meeting of the Makati Business Club, the European Chamber of Commerce, and other leading foreign chambers of commerce held on 23 October 2009 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Read more

Joint Membership Meeting
The Power of Dynamic Learning

2 October 2009 - Dr. Christopher Bernido, a theoretical physicist and president of the Central Visayan Institute Foundation, and his wife, Dr. Ma. Victoria Carpio-Bernido, also a physicist and CVIF’s principal, were the guest speakers at the joint meeting of the Makati Business Club and the Philippine Business for Education at the Peninsula Manila. The couple shared their views on Philippine education and their efforts to develop an efficient learning and teaching method for their school.
Read more

Press Statement
MBC Upholds the People's Right to Know

28 September 2009 - The Filipino people's basic right to information on matters of public concern is enshrined in the Bill of Rights (Article 3, Section 7) of the 1987 Constitution. It promotes transparency and accountability in governance, thereby making it one of the indispensable pillars of a democracy.

In recent years, however, we have repeatedly witnessed how an uncooperative government's withholding of official information has frustrated the people's search for truth on critical issues of public concern. Read more

Joint Membership Meeting
Transparency and Economic Recovery

10 September 2009 - Transparency leads to a better environment for business and paves the way for economic progress. This was the point highlighted by Transparency International chair Huguette Labelle in the special joint meeting of the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, and four foreign chambers of commerce at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel on 10 September 2009. Read more

General Membership Meeting
Election Roadmap 2010

28 August 2009 - In Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, town philosopher Anastasio advocated for the purchase of lightning rods to protect his community from lightning strikes, but the town’s Señor Capitan rejected the idea. Commission on Elections Commissioner Rene Sarmiento likens this situation to our struggle to automate elections. “If he were alive today, Tasio, the sage, would welcome change,” said Sarmiento during the Makati Business Club’s general membership meeting on 28 August 2009 at the Hotel InterContinental Manila. Read more

Press Statement
Makati Business Club Statement on the PCIJ Report on President Arroyo's Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and
Net Worth

14 August 2009 - We wish to commend the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism for a job well done on its three-part series on President Arroyo's still-to-be-explained wealth. The press serves a watchdog function and, disagreeable as it may be to those who have suffered its nasty bite, we must allow the press to perform this function, without coercion or threats.

It now behooves the President to personally respond to the issues raised by the PCIJ article. It is unfortunate that instead of clarifying matters, the President has opted to call in her legal advisers who have tried to attack the message as well as the messenger rather than respond in any meaningful and germane manner.Read more

Speech
Proud to Be Filipino:
A Tribute to President Cory

4 August 2009 - Makati Business Club chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. was one of 19 speakers invited by the family of the late President Corazon Aquino to deliver a eulogy at the necrological services for Mrs. Aquino held at the Manila Cathedral. In his speech, del Rosario lauded President Aquino for restoring the business community's confidence in our country and  making them proud to be Filipinos. The MBC chairman also had a message for the business community, saying "there is no greater tribute we can pay her than to abide by the tenets that guided her life: honesty, integrity, courage, transparency, selflessness, morality, and love of country." Read full speech

General Membership Meeting
Reforming the Budget Process29 July 2009 – The annual national budget reflects the fiscal resources of a country for that year and the ways in which these resources are to be utilized to meet national objectives. Under the Arroyo administration, the impounding of funds and the re-enactment of budgets year after year has led to the creation of savings, but according to Rep. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, House deputy minority leader and congressman from the second district of Bukidnon, these savings have actually cost the Filipino people lost opportunities and socioeconomic progress.
Read more

Speech
Areas of Cooperation Between Business and the Institutional Church  Towards Human Development

10 July 2009 - At the invitation of the Bishops-Businessmen's  Conference for Human Development, Makati Business Club chairman Ramon  del Rosario Jr. today spoke before officials of the Catholic Church  and representatives of the business community who attended the BBC's  33rd general assembly and annual meeting. The gathering's discussions  centered on areas of cooperation between the business sector and the  Church, to breathe new life into the dialogue between the two sectors  that began in 1971.

In his remarks, del Rosario outlined three areas of possible  collaboration: the pursuit of projects that will improve the lives of  Filipinos, especially the poor; the sharing of perspectives on key  development issues; and the fight against injustice and evil in  society, especially corruption. Del Rosario followed this up with a  strong warning that our democracy is under threat and proposed that  concrete action be undertaken to deter this threat. The MBC head  concluded his remarks with an exhortation to the Church to provide  guidance and inspiration in the building of a just society. Read full speech

Press Statement
Statement on the Withdrawal of Total Information Management Corp. from the Election Automation Project

01 July 2009 - The Makati Business Club is deeply disturbed by the announcement of the withdrawal of the Filipino entity of the consortium that won the contract to automate the national elections in 2010. Total Information Management Corporation's decision to terminate its participation in the automation project it won with partner Smartmatic International places the fate of the critical 2010 elections under a cloud of uncertainty.

Rather than comment further on this development, we would like to study all options still available under the current law and under the new time constraints, including the possibility of combining manual voting and counting with automated transmission and consolidation of the election results.

Joint Membership Meeting
World-Class Corruption11 June 2009 – As the nine-year term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo nears its end, economic and business analysts have varied opinions on how the Philippine economy fared under her almost decade-long leadership. Wallace Business Forum president Peter Wallace shared his views on the matter during the first Independent Business Clubs Conference held on 11 June 2009 and co-organized by the Cebu Business Club and the Makati Business Club.
Read more

Joint Membership Meeting
Building an Education Nation

11 June 2009 – “We are in search, not just for a President, but for an Education President.” This was the declaration of Philippine Business for Education president Chito Salazar as he introduced the Education Nation campaign to businessmen during the first Independent Business Clubs Conference held on 11 June 2009 in Cebu City. The gathering of independent business groups from all over the country, hosted by the Cebu Business Club and with the Makati Business Club as co-organizer, opened up a rich discussion about the ills of the Philippine education system and how the private sector can lobby for its improvement. Read more

Press Statement
Statement on House Resolution No. 1109

09 June 2009 - We are appalled at the indecency and blatant disregard of the Filipino people's will displayed by the House of Representatives in its adoption of House Resolution No. 1109 that allows itself to convene as a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution, without the necessary participation of the Senate. The question all Filipinos should ask is: For whose interest was this action taken? Certainly not the Filipino people's, as there is no widespread clamor to amend the Constitution, especially now that we are less than a year away from a presidential election. The resolution contains no issue of profound impact to the people's welfare. Read more

Joint Membership Meeting
The Role of Responsible Media in Nurturing Good Governance

21 May 2009 – Print and broadcast media have played a critical role not only in the promotion of good governance but also in the restoration and advancement of democracy in the country. Today, media is again at the vanguard in defending the public’s right to information and exposing corrupt misdeeds. Two veteran television journalists, Cecilia “Cheche” Lazaro and Maria Ressa, were the guest speakers at the joint general membership meeting of the Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines at the Peninsula Manila. Read more

Press Statement
The Unrelenting Suppression of Truth


29 April 2009 - The arrest of whistle-blower Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. and the filing of 16 criminal and civil cases against him and members of his family are blatant acts of harassment with the object of suppressing the truth about the overpricing and bribery that attended the NBN-ZTE deal. It is highly ironic that while Mr. Lozada’s testimony is now being used against him, the persons implicated in his testimony are still immune from prosecution. No less than a Cabinet member, former NEDA director general and now SSS president Romulo Neri, testified under oath that then COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos had offered him a bribe in exchange for the facilitation of the approval of the NBN-ZTE contract. And yet, the Ombudsman has yet to file any charges against Mr. Abalos. The Makati Business Club joins former President Corazon Aquino and the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines in expressing our full support for Mr. Lozada and his fight against corruption. We remain hopeful that despite current setbacks to hold erring officials accountable before the courts of law, there will come a time for these officials to account and for truth to triumph in the end. We call on the Filipino people to remain vigilant against all efforts to use our justice system to intimidate whistle-blowers in order to suppress the truth.

General Membership Meeting
The Philippines and the Global Crisis

17 April 2009 – World Bank country director Bert Hofman shared his perspectives on the current global crisis that is already affecting the Philippines with members of the Makati Business Club at the Hotel InterContinental Manila.
Read more

Ricardo J. Romulo Lecture Series
Economic Roadmap for 2010 and Beyond25 March 2009 – The third staging of the Ricardo J. Romulo Lecture Series on Business and Society was held at the Dusit Thani Hotel ballroom on 25 March 2009. Apart from the Makati Business Club, the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, the Bankers Association of the Philippines, and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines co-sponsored the event. The ballroom was packed as the members and guests of the four organizations came to hear three professors from the UP School of Economics, all former Cabinet-level economic officials, outline an “Economic Roadmap for 2010 and Beyond: A Blueprint for Philippine Development.” Read more

Joint Membership Meeting
Microfinance: Hope for the Poor

24 February 2009 - At the joint meeting of the Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines held today at the Hotel InterContinental Manila, Washington SyCip urged businessmen to help the poor through microfinance. The event marked the third anniversary of the PinoyME Foundation, the social investment banking arm of the PinoyMe consortium.Read more

Big Companies to Feel Impact of Crisis
in 2009

27 January 2009 - The Makati Business Club released today the results of its latest Business Opinion Survey Series conducted among its members to gauge the probable impact of the global financial crisis on their business operations and workforce in 2009.

Nine of 10 MBC members expect their businesses to feel the impact of the financial crisis this year. More than 6 out of 10 (64 percent) say the crisis will have a slight impact, while nearly 3 out of 10 (29 percent) expect it to have a substantial impact. Only 7 percent believe it will have no effect on their business.
Read more

Joint Membership Meeting
A Conversion on the Extension of Carl

16 January 2009 - To shed light on the latest developments regarding the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law, the Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines invited Ernesto Garilao, former agrarian reform secretary, and Christian Monsod, chairman of the Philippine Agrarian Reform Foundation for National Development, as guests speakers during their joint general membership meeting held last 16 January 2009 at the Peninsula Manila.Read more

Press Statement
For A Green and Clean Subic

12 December 2008 - The Makati Business Club expresses its concern regarding the issues being raised by the architect Felino "Jun" Palafox Jr. related to the development of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.

Architect Palafox warns that 366 trees, of which 36 are said to be endangered species, will be affected by a hotel-casino project being undertaken at the Subic freeport. At a time when the adverse impact of deforestation on climate systems is being felt all over the world, we strongly urge the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to review the terms of this project on the basis of its environmental impact. Read more

Joint Press Statement
Call to Action Against Corruption

1 December 2008 - Corruption is the gravest threat to Philippine democracy and society today.

In the Millennium Challenge Corporation's just released Philippine scorecard for fiscal year 2009, the country failed to meet the performance standard in the control of corruption category, with its percentile ranking falling to 47% from 57% in fiscal year 2008.

In the 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index released by Transparency International in September, the Philippines placed in the bottom quarter of 180 countries. The country tied for 141st place with Cameroon, Iran, and Yemen. Read more

Joint Membership Meeting
Implications of the World Financial Crisis for the Philippines

27 November 2008 - Outgoing International Monetary Fund resident representative to the Philippines Reza Baqir told the members of the Makati Business Club, the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, and the Bankers Association of the Philippines that reforms in the fiscal, power, and financial sectors have placed the country "in a much stronger position to weather the crisis today." However, like the rest of its neighbors in the region, the Philippines "is not immune to what happens externally." Baqir spoke at the joint membership meeting of the three groups at the Hotel InterContinental Manila on 27 November 2008. Read more

Press Statement
On National Renewal in 2010

27 November 2008 -- The Makati Business Club expresses unequivocal opposition to any moves to amend the Constitution for the purpose of prolonging the hold on power of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other elected officials.

The world is experiencing the worst financial crisis in decades and the Philippines will not be spared the ill effects of this crisis. The full extent of the negative impact on our economy has yet to unfold. Given such circumstances, what the country needs at this time is certainly not the haphazard change of the fundamental law but a strong and credible leadership that enjoys the support of the Filipino people. Read more

Joint Press Statement
On Worsening Corruption:
A Call for Change

20 November 2008 -- We support the call of the five senior bishops led by Jaro Archbishop ANGEL LAGDAMEO that the time for radical reforms to rebuild our country economically, socially and politically; and to conquer complacency, cynicism and apathy, is NOW. We should NOW prepare for a NEW KIND OF GOVERNANCE. Read more

Press Statement
Top Business Executives See Recession, Weak Peso and Job Losses in 2009

11 November 2008 ­– Majority of businessmen expect a recession in 2009, a more difficult credit environment, and a reduction in jobs, according to a business opinion survey conducted by the Makati Business Club, the country’s premier business organization composed of senior executives from the country’s largest corporations. Read more

Joint General Membership Meeting
The Reproductive Health Bill

17 October 2008 -- At the joint general membership meeting of the Makati Business Club and Management Association of the Philippines at the Peninsula Manila, three speakers—Prof. Felipe Medalla, Atty. Ricardo Romulo, and Dr. Roberto De Vera—shared their views on House Bill 5043, or the Reproductive Health and Population Development Act. The controversial measure, popularly known as the RH bill, was first filed in 2001, but it is only in the current 14th Congress that it reached second reading in the House. Read more

MBC and Kuala Lumpur Business Club Seal Partnership

15 October 2008 - The Makati Business Club has entered into an official partnership with the Kuala Lumpur Business Club. The tie-up was sealed with a handshake between MBC chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. and KLBC president Rohana Tan Sri Mahmood at a breakfast meeting held today at the Tower Club in Makati City.

Ms. Rohana advanced the proposal for a formal MBC-KLBC tie-up after a productive one-hour discussion participated in by KLBC’s 16-man high-level delegation, members of the MBC Board of Trustees, and representatives of the Philippines-Malaysia Business Council. The group discussed economic trends, emerging industries, and business opportunities in the Philippines and Malaysia.The partnership will allow members of both organizations to tap the partner group’s assistance for networking when visiting the partner’s country. It is expected to open doors for MBC and KLBC members to a wider business network. The MBC has 400 member-corporations, while the KLBC, the pre-eminent business organization in Malaysia created by the Malaysian government in 2003, has 100 members that include the country’s largest corporations.

Press Statement
On the Presidential Pardon of Claudio Teehankee Jr.

9 October 2008 ­– Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita is correct in saying that the power to commute sentences and grant pardons is a presidential prerogative enshrined in the Constitution. However, in resorting to this argument to parry widespread criticism of the executive clemency granted to convicted murderer Claudio Teehankee Jr., the government betrayed a disturbing lack of respect for victims’ rights and the public’s right to information. Read more

Joint General Membership Meeting
The Business of Education

3 September 2008 – More than 11.6 million Filipinos from 6 to 24 years old are out of school and considered illiterate, and there is no guarantee that those who are in school are getting quality education. This was the grim picture shared by Education Secretary Jesli Lapus and former education secretary Edilberto de Jesus during the joint membership meeting of the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, and Philippine Business for Education on 3 September 2008 at the Hotel InterContinental Manila. Read more

Press Statement
Joint Statement on the Implementation of the Tax Relief Package Law

1 September 2008 - On June 17, 2008, the President signed into law Republic Act No. 9504 (RA 9504), otherwise known as the "Tax Relief Package Law," which exempts minimum wage earners from income tax and increases the tax exemptions allowable to individuals. This social legislation was heralded by both the Legislative and Executive brances of government as their immediate response to the ordinary workers' clamor for increase in wages in the midst of rising food and fuel costs and double-digit inflation. More than two months after RA 9504 was signed, workers have yet to feel the benefit of said law.
Read more

Press Statement
Constitutional Convention: Proper Mode for Constitutional Change

26 August 2008 -- At long last, the administration’s game plan has become transparent. Through whatever means, the people must be seduced into thinking that the Constitution must be amended now. Now, before the incumbent president’s term ends in 2010. Now, when the only viable way is through a Constituent Assembly. Now, when those who will propose are members of the current Senate and the pro-administration House of Representatives.Read more

Press Statement
MBC Statement Opposing the GRP-MILF MOA on Ancestral Domain

14 August 2008 -- We are for peace in the entire Philippines, in Mindanao, in Visayas, and in Luzon. We are for a peace process that consults all and involves all. We are for transparency at every step of the process, from negotiation of the terms, through to the articulation of the agreement and the implementation of its provisions. We are for a permanent peace by all, for all, for all time. Read more

Press Statement
Retain VAT, But Help the Poor

MBC Briefings
Scenarios on the Future of Energy

23 July 2008 – Another expert from Spain’s IESE Business School was the guest speaker at a forum hosted by the Makati Business Club at the Peninsula Manila on 23 July 2008. Instead of painting a doom and gloom scenario, Ricardo Barcelona said he believes high oil prices present businesses with opportunities to plot strategic positions in the energy sector. Read more

Press Statement
MBC Statement on the Appointment of Romulo Neri and A.O. No. 232

11 July 2008 - Malacañang announced this week the appointment of CHED chairman Romulo Neri as president of the Social Security System replacing Corazon de la Paz effective August 1. At the same time, Palace officials announced the signing on July 8 of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s AO No. 232, which clusters the existing social welfare programs of the SSS, DSWD, DOH, GSIS, and other agencies under a National Social Welfare Program to be overseen by the SSS Administrator, who will be given Cabinet rank. Read more

Press Statement
On Presidential Doleouts

25 June 2008 - The President recently announced the expenditure of P2 billion for a program to award grants to poor families, among several other new subsidy programs. We laud her intention to assist the poor especially during this difficult period. However, we strongly disapprove of:

• the President’s circumvention of constitutional processes in coming out with these programs.

This expenditure program was not authorized by Congress in the recently passed 2008 budget. The President thus violated a constitutional provision that no money will be paid out by the Treasury unless authorized by the General Appropriations Law.
Read more

Joint General Membership Meeting
Partners in Development and Peace

17 June 2008 – “Security and development are both sides of the same coin—one cannot exist without the other,” said General Alexander Yano, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, at the joint general membership meeting of the Makati Business Club, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, and Management Association of the Philippines held on 17 June 2008 at The Peninsula Manila. Read more

Press Statement
On the Abduction of
Ces Oreña-Drilon, et al.

13 June 2008 - We condemn in the strongest terms, the abduction of broadcast journalist Ces Oreña-Drilon and her two cameramen Jimmy Encarnacion and Angelo Valderama, as well as Professor Octavio Dinampo, a peace advocate. We express great relief that Mr. Valderama has already been released, and we fervently pray that the three other victims will soon be safely returned to their anxious families, with whom we deeply sympathize. Read more

Press Statement
On Good Governance in the Electric Power Industry

5 June 2008 - In its ongoing campaign to replace the current management of the Manila Electric Company, the Arroyo Administration, represented by the General Manager of the Government Service Insurance System, has damaged several public institutions and sent wrong governance signals to the private sector. Read more

Joint General Membership Meeting
The Business of Migration

4 June 2008 – “The Business of Migration,” the theme of the 4 June 2008 joint general membership meeting of the Makati Business Club, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, IDEALS, and the Management Association of the Philippines, tackled the things the business sector needs to know to contribute to the global synergy of managing migration for development. Read more

Joint General Membership Meeting
China Into the Future

29 April 2008 – China today presents “one of the biggest opportunities and one of the biggest threats of the century,” according to W. John Hoffmann, co-founder and principal of the Exceptional Resources Group (XRG), a China-based strategy and transactional consultancy. He spoke before members of the Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines on 29 April at the Peninsula Manila in Makati.
Read more

Joint General Membership Meeting
The Economic Miracle of Chile

17 April 2008 – At the joint membership meeting of the Bankers Association of the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, and the Makati Business Club held on 17 April 2008 at the Renaissance Hotel, the former director and chief debt negotiator of the Central Bank of Chile, Hernán Somerville, recounted the tribulations and the rewards of Chile’s transformation from being a highly protected state to becoming a globalized economy. Read more

Press Statement
An Urgent Appeal to the Supreme Court

8 April 2008 - The Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) support the Senate's decision to ask the Supreme Court to weigh carefully the consequences of its decision in the Neri case.

Unless the exercise of power is limited, the inherent tendency of those who wield the power is to expand its scope more and more. In this regard, three cases come to mind - Bayan Muna vs. Ermita (calibrated pre-emptive response), Senate vs. Ermita (Executive Order 464) and Davide vs. Arroyo (emergency powers). This is precisely why our Constitution has created checks and balances between the three branches of government. In the case of Neri, we believe the decision of the Supreme Court has distorted the balance in favor of the Executive Department by expanding and creating not one, but two executive privileges, namely, the “presidential communication privilege” and the “deliberative process privilege.” Read more

General Membership Meeting
Think Global, Act Global

28 March 2008 - In his speech before members of the Makati Business Club on 28 March 2008 at The Peninsula Manila, Dr. Bernardo Villegas related that one of the important lessons he has gained in the 15 months that he has been based at the IESE Business School in Barcelona is summed up by the adage, “think global and act global .” In the Philippines for a short visit, he urged Filipino businessmen to shelve the old precept of “think global and act local” to avoid missing out on opportunities in the competitive world stage. He remarked, “We engage too much in navel watching, and if we are going to contribute to sustaining the 7.3% growth that we attained last year, we, the private sector, have to be the engines of growth.” Read more | Download presentation

Joint General Membership Meeting
He Did IT the Acer Way

6 March 2008 – Dr. Stan Shih, co-founder of the Acer Group, spoke today before members of the Makati Business Club and Management Association of the Philippines to share his insights on branding and innovation. In his famous “smiling curve” business model, research and development as well as branding provide the highest value in the production chain. Moreover, aside from producing high-quality products, Shih says that after-sales service can spell the difference in today’s competitive high-tech industry. Read more

Joint General Membership Meeting
The "Four Speed World" and the Bane of Corruption

5 March 2008 – Speaking before an audience of academics, graduate students, representatives of multilateral agencies and the business and diplomatic communities, MBC chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. today highlighted the problem of corruption as a major impediment to the country’s full and sustainable economic development. Read full speech

Joint General Membership Meeting
Moral Dimension of People Power

26 February 2008 - At a joint membership meeting of the Makati Business Club and the Management Association of the Philippines held today at the Hotel InterContinental Manila, former President Corazon Aquino talked of the need to empower ordinary Filipinos to stand up with dignity in the midst of the poverty that continues to engulf their lives. This, according to Mrs. Aquino, is the rationale behind PinoyME, a multi-sectoral consortium she formed two and a half years ago that seeks to extend microfinancing to 5 million poor Filipinos. She mentioned, however, that one cannot turn a blind eye to the moral and political crisis facing the nation today, emphasizing the need for Filipinos to discern and act with a sense of moral purpose and urgency. "These critical times call for strong moral leadership," she said. Read full speech

Press Statement
A Call for Accountability and the Pursuit of Truth

12 February 2008 --We salute Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada Jr. for overcoming his personal fear of the consequences of revealing what he knows about the scandal-ridden National Broadband Network project. He claims that his life was threatened, that he was enticed with assurances of his personal safety and promises of other considerations, and that he was abducted by persons belonging to the state security apparatus. Read more

Press Statement
Makati Business Club Statement on the Abduction of Jun Lozada

8 February 2008 --We are outraged that Rodolfo "Jun" Lozada Jr., the emerging star witness in the ZTE scandal, was abducted by the police under the guise of securing him. We reject the explanation by the Chief of the Philippine National Police that it could not have been an abduction since the family had solicited their protection. Mr. Lozada himself and members of his family deny requesting protection. Read more

Press Statement
Makati Business Club Statement on the Role of Malacañang in the Ouster of
the Speaker

6 February 2008 --The ouster of Jose de Venecia Jr. as Speaker of the House of Representatives last Monday was a naked display of power by Malacañang. It was retribution for the acts of his son Joey de Venecia who exposed high government officials involved in corruption in the ZTE deal. It sent a strong signal to those who would fight corruption in this country that to do so would mean putting your business, your career, and perhaps, even your life on the line. Read more

Press Statement
Makati Business Club Statement on the Proposed Suspension of VAT
on Oil Products

5 February 2008 --The Makati Business Club, the Management Association of the Philippines, and the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines do not support the proposed temporary suspension of VAT on oil products, for the following reasons:

1. Fiscal stability - The revenue losses for a six-month suspension are roughly estimated to be P27 billion. This would make it more difficult to achieve the Administration’s goal of a balanced budget in 2008. The losses could be even greater if the period of suspension is extended, which is a great temptation inasmuch as suspending taxes is a politically popular measure. Read more

Press Statement
Makati Business Club Statement on Presidential Prerogrative and RP's Downgrade by the U.S. FAA

23 January 2008 --The recent downgrading of the country to Category 2 by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is a glaring example of what we can expect with the deterioration of our government bureaucracy. Apparently, the Air Transport Office (ATO) failed to comply with six out of seven air safety categories in the July 2007 audit of the FAA. Were there no competent professionals in the ATO to address this problem or to at least call the attention of the head of the agency to signal a pending disaster? Read more

Top difficulties in doing business in RP

9 November 2007-As part of the Makati Business Club's participation in the National Competitiveness Council which aims to improve the business and competitiveness climate of the country, a survey was conducted to identify major constraints in the conduct of doing business in the Philippines as experienced by its member companies. Read more

Press Release
RP gains ground despite corruption and inadequate infrastructure 1 November 2007--The World Economic Forum reports the Philippines rose to 71st from 75th place in their 2007-2008 Global Competitiveness Report. The Philippines' improved ranking, climbing four places from its 2006-2007 rank, is attributed largely to macroeconomic stability, a decrease in inflation rate and interest rate, and lower government deficit and debt. Read more | View RP Profile

Press Statement
Makati Business Club Statement
on the pardon of Joseph Ejercito Estrada

26 October 2007--We are dismayed by the pardon of Joseph Ejercito Estrada, especially the haste with which it was done. 

When the former president was convicted by the Sandiganbayan of committing plunder, it sent a strong message to all Filipinos that the rich and powerful are equal under the law to the poor and the powerless. We had finally caught the big fish!  Unfortunately, the pardon which came just a few days after the convicted president's lawyers withdrew his motion for consideration, sent a message that things have not really changed in this country and in fact, may have deteriorated even further.  Setting the big fish free appears more useful to the powers that be than setting a moral example for the whole country. We fell out of that elite club of nations that have brought their erring presidents to the bar of justice. Read more

General Membership Meeting
Climate change is a threat to global food security – I RRI director general

24 October 2007--The world has been fighting a war against poverty and hunger since the 1960s. The declining rate of growth in rice production is particularly alarming to Asian and sub-Saharan African countries whose people depend largely on rice as the primary dietary staple and source of livelihood. That is almost half of the world's population whose staple food is rice. Majority of these are also the world's poorest people. Clearly, rice production is one of the world's most important economic activities, as well as an integral aspect in the global war against poverty, hunger, and malnutrition. Read more

Press Statement
Makati Business Club Statement
on the 26 September 2007 Senate Hearing
on the NBN Project

26 September - We commend CHED Chairman and former NEDA Director-General Romulo Neri for his courageous testimony before the Senate. By implicating COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos in an attempt to bribe him in connection with the national broadband network project, Chairman Neri placed his personal safety as well as his professional career at grave risk. However, we regret that he invoked executive privilege at a point in his testimony which prevented certain facts from being revealed.
Read more

Press Statement
A Growing Culture of Impunity

We are appalled that the culture of impunity among certain government officials appears to have spread to an extent exceeding that of all past administrations. This impunity seems also increasingly evident in many agencies of government.
Read more

Press Statement
The Right to Know

3 August 3007 – The attempts by the Marcos family to recover assets hidden by the dictator’s cronies raises questions to which the Filipino people deserve answers. Read moreABS-CBN Interactive:
MBC: Why is Marcos family asserting claim on assets now?

GMANews.TV
Makati traders suspect gov’t-Marcos ‘secret deal’
on ill-gotten wealth

PhilStar.com
MBC: Is there a secret deal with the Marcoses?

Press Statement
Reform Our Electoral System Now

20 July 2007 - Despite the many flaws in the process and administration of the May 14 elections, it appears the popular will of the electorate was generally able to manifest itself in the final results of the election. Read full statement

SWS Business Survey:
‘Corruption still a problem’

29 June 2007 – The recent survey on businessmen’s perception on the level of corruption in the country remains high. The good news, though, is that 17 of 29 government agencies improved in their sincerity ratings to fight corruption over the last two years. Sixty-one percent of managers also see a good or excellent business weather over the next two years.The 7th annual SWS Business Survey on Corruption, conducted in partnership with Makati Business Club and The Asia Foundation, also point to declining incidence of bribery for government contracts in Metro Manila. However, the survey also revealed that 3 of 5 managers were still asked for a bribe in 2006 on at least one government transaction.
Read more

Human resource upgrade
is key to attracting foreign
investments – AIG President

Jose Cuisia Jr. and Martin Sullivan

21 June 2007 – In 1947, two years after the end of World War II, the American International Group took a risk and invested in the Philippines. The world leader in insurance and financial services put up the Philippine American Life Insurance Company to help re-establish the local business environment that was still laboring under severe financial constraints. Today, 60 years later, Philamlife is the largest insurance company in the Philippines.
Read more

Philippine Coffee Board
Kape Isla store in Serendra

12 March 2007 -- The Philippine Coffee Board is pleased to announce the opening of Kape Isla, its new flagship store on the ground floor of Serendra in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Kape Isla is a café and store featuring coffees from all over the Philippines. It serves coffee brands and blends produced and roasted by the members of the Philippine Coffee Board.
Read more

2007 Elections a test of our vision of democracy — Monsod

8 March 2007 – “Every election is critical for its own reasons. If the 1986 elections were a test of our courage, and the 1992 and subsequent elections a test of our maturity, then the 2007 elections are surely a test of our vision of democracy,” said former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod at a joint meeting of the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, and Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry held today at the Dusit Nikko Hotel, Makati City. Monsod urged businessmen to support various organizations’ efforts to monitor the national elections in May. He recalled the “image of businessmen and citizens guarding ballot boxes together, with utter disregard for their safety, with no thought of reward or benefit, protecting the ballot as if it was the most sacred blessing in their lives.” He said civil society organizations and business groups, which were divided on certain issues in the past, are now united in achieving a more lofty purpose—clean, orderly, and peaceful elections. Monsod is convinced that the 2007 elections will be credible if all Filipinos will play their part in ensuring this. He cited three key principles upon which credible elections are founded: (1) one-man, one-vote; (2) allow people to freely exercise their right to vote; and (3) count correctly what’s in the ballot. Read full speech

RP Tourism is Sustaining its Momentum

23 February 2007 – “This will be another great year as far as tourism is concerned,” assured Department of Tourism Secretary Ace Durano in his presentation before MBC members held at Hotel Inter-Continental Manila.Durano notes that despite the meager P900 million-budget from the national government last year, DOT managed to maximize this fund by crafting a market prioritization framework. The said framework helps the agency focus its promotion effort in its core market: China, Japan, and Korea. The high-performing government agency is expecting 3.2 million tourists this year, 14% better than the record-high 2.8 million visitors in 2006.

With the sustained momentum, DOT hopes to achieve a total of 5 million visitors by 2010. But together with the booming demand and interest in Philippine tourism, government’s infrastructure support remains the biggest challenge in spite private sector’s response of constructing and expanding hotels all over the country. Download presentation

General Membership Meeting
Infrastructure investment key to RP growth—World Bank country director

Joachim Von Amsberg and MBC Executive Director Alberto Lim

25 January 2007 – At the Makati Business Club’s first General Membership Meeting for the year, the World Bank’s country director for the Philippines Joachim Von Amsberg presented an analysis of the country’s competitiveness in relation to its infrastructure investments and development.

Mr. Von Amsberg asserted that 2007 presents a unique window of opportunity for the Philippines to join the rapid growth of other East Asian countries and that reviving infrastructure investment is a critical ingredient in grabbing this opportunity. He also emphasized that the public sector needs to keep and sustain its fiscal reforms, commit itself to priority projects, consistently apply policy reforms, and pursue private-public partnerships for the successful delivery of infrastructure projects. Download presentation

FOCAP Prospects Forum
MBC Chair Tackles Governance and Accountability Before Foreign Media

Governance and accountability were the main topics of MBC chairman Ramon R. del Rosario Jr.’s presentation before members of the foreign media at the Prospects Forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines held at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on 19 January 2007. The forum sought to take an advance look into what the Philippines expects in 2007 in the fields of business, security, politics, and other areas that may affect the country in the coming year. Other speakers were Sen. Richard Gordon, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, former National Security Adviser Jose Almonte, and Henry Schumacher of the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philipppines.Regular FOCAP members work for international news organizations, but it also has associate members coming from the diplomatic corps and the business community. Read full speech