Business leaders convene for Asia CEO Cebu Forum

CEBU, Philippines —  Industry leaders convened at Fili Hotel at Nustar Cebu for the Cebu leg of the country’s largest business event series, to exchange insights and success stories from their respective sectors highlighting Cebu as a premier investment destination.

Held on June 19, 2024, the Asia CEO Cebu Forum brought together prominent CEOs and industry bosses to align themselves with the growth track the region is looking forward to. 

For the past 15 years, the Asia CEO Cebu Forum has served as a platform for industry experts to discuss growth opportunities, challenges, and achievements, particularly in sectors like the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry.

One of the speakers, Globe Telecom Vice President for External Affairs Patrick Gloria,  focused on the importance of internet connectivity in the Philippines and shared Globe Telecom’s efforts to enhance network infrastructure.

He highlighted the increasing demand for internet services, collaborative initiatives with the government, innovative solutions, sustainability commitments, and a call to action for digital infrastructure improvement.

Meanwhile, Patrick Zalazar, Global Delivery Head in Tech Mahindra, discussed on the current significance of the IT-BPM industry.

In an interview, Zalazar shared that the existence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been around for a long time and should not be a cause for worry as jobs will not be lost as initially feared. The workplace will rather transform but will still require humans to operate them, even with AI’s presence, as in the case in India.   

“I believe that both India and the Philippines will thrive despite the influx of AI… And in the next couple of years, we will be the best in the industry when it comes to AI both India and the Philippines,” he emphasized.

PLDT Corporate Relationship and Business Head Hazel Amoyan, for her part, highlighted the telecom firm’s vision of a connected and prosperous future driven by technology and collaborative efforts to uplift Filipino communities.

Lastly, Jericho Go, President and CEO of RL Commercial REIT, emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability with ambitious environmental goals, such as increasing the number of green-certified buildings of Robinsons Land, achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, and net zero emissions by 2050.

The Asia CEO Cebu Forum also featured other resource persons including Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) President Jay Yuvallos, Airspeed Visayas Head of Domestic Forwarding Jimboy Ochea, Concentrix Senior Director (Client Success) Dagny Estacio, Lexmark R&D Corporation President and CEO Stephan Bily, Wipro AVP (Talent Acquisition) and CSR Head Faye Cadungog, and CIB.O Executive Director Buddy Villasis.

The Asia CEO Cebu Forum 2024 provided a platform for industry leaders to exchange ideas, inspire the younger generation, and drive continued development in Cebu and the Philippines. – Renee Ross Villariasa, CNU Intern