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 more

ABS-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

Executive Director Bill Luz Retires
Changing of the Guards

15 December 2006 -- After 24 years at MBC -- 19 of them as Executive Director – Guillermo “Bill” Luz is retiring this December. Bill is being replaced by Alberto A. Lim, recently retired from Ten Knots Development Corporation (owners and managers of El Nido resorts).Read full story

MBC 25th Anniversary
MBC Christmas Gift to the Public

A grateful public for the Pundaquit Virtuosi concert presented by MBC

20 December 2006 - To cap off its 25th anniversary celebration, the MBC held a free Christmas concert at the Greenbelt 3 Park on 18 December at 6:00 in the evening. In partnership with Sony Ericsson Mobile Telecommunications, San Miguel Corporation and the Ayala Malls Group, MBC featured the Pundaquit Virtuosi, a unique children’s ensemble composed of the most advanced students in the Cuerdas String Program of Casa San Miguel, or the Center for the Arts in San Antonio, Zambales. Read full story

MBC 25th Anniversary
Celebrating Christmas with Children’s Hour

Pundaquit Virtuosi serenades Children’s Hour supporters

20 December 2006 – For the fourth year now, MBC helped organize a Christmas lunch for the benefit of Children’s Hour. The 18 December event held at Every Nation Leadership Institute proved to be a great treat for almost 500 people who were serenaded by a children’s string ensemble – Pundaquit Virtuosi of Casa San Miguel, Zambales – and who partook of a special meal prepared and donated by Chef Billy King.
Read full story

Press Statement
A Statement on the House of Representatives' Move to Pursue A Constituent Assembly

7 December 2006 - In utter disrespect for the rule of law, Administration allies in the House of Representatives have voted to conveniently amend their own rules in order to pursue their scheme of a Constitutional Amendment through a Constituent Assembly. The move sets a dangerous precedent and does not augur well for the future of democracy and the prospects of policy formulation, predictability, and stability. Read more