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SGVeans participated in the 2022 Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Annual Planning Conference (APC) held at The Oriental Leyte from 24 to 25 June 2022. CPAs representing the national office, geographical area offices, regions, and chapters gathered to prepare for fiscal year 2022-2023.  Wena, Edsel, Maricris, a former SGVean,and Meynard at the 2022 PICPA APC National APC Committee Chair Maricris U. See gave the opening remarks on the first day while Co-Chair Meynard L. Sardalla formally closed the program on the second day. Members Edsel Francis T. Lima and Maria Edelwina E. Pastrana, Former PICPA President Marydith C. Miguel, PICPA National Board Member John T. Villa, PICPA Accountancy Week Celebration Committee Chair Sonia D. Segovia, PICPA Induction Committee Chair Meynard A. Bonoen, PICPA National Membership Committee Chair Peter John R. Ventura and PICPA Eastern Metro Manila Chapter (EMMC) President Michael A. Madlangbayan also joined the event. The 2022 APC delegates participated in numerous talks, planning sessions, roundtable discussions, and open forums. The sessions focused on leadership styles in the new normal, inclusivity and diversity, and understanding the roles of the officers with respect to the organization and its members.

This edition of the SGV Government and Public Sector Bulletin contains some of the highlights of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s first State of the Nation Address (SONA) where he presented his key policies and priorities, including priority bills of the Government.See full publication article here: https://www.sgv.ph/publications

The Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) team published a CCaSS thought leadership report entitled “Beyond the Bottom Line 2nd Edition: Sustainability Landscape in the Philippines” on 28 June 2022.  The publication contains a review of Philippine publicly listed companies’ 2020 sustainability reports which were submitted in 2021. Compared to the first edition, the 2nd edition extends the discussion to global and local developments around Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and the changing priorities of regulators, investors, and companies. The 2nd Edition of Beyond the Bottom Line: Sustainability Landscape in the Philippines can be accessed here. 

SGV signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with MakeSense Inc. to be part of the No Other Year for Plastics Initiative (NOYPI) 2025 Coalition on 30 May 2022. The program aims to provide alternatives to single-use plastics.  CCaSS team with other NOYPI Coalition Kickoff Workshop participants By joining the coalition, SGV commits to support the elimination of single-use sachets in the Philippines. The Firm also agrees to take part in a series of events organized by MakeSense. So far, two workshops in line with the program have been attended by members of the SGV Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) team on different dates from April to June 2022. Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) and CCaSS Partner Benjamin N. Villacorte, Director Erika N. Courteille, Associate Directors Diana A. Sadili and Yna Altea D. Antipala, and Senior Associate Erica Nicole D. Gomez attended the NOYPI Coalition Kickoff Workshop in April. In a breakout session, they shared services offered by the Firm which directly or indirectly help address the plastics problem in the country. Erika, Diana, and Nicole also attended the NOYPI Coalition – Sprint Workshop: System leveraging points and disruptive innovations mapping from 31 May to 6 June. The workshop focused on developing a system diagram that would help the NOYPI Coalition understand the events, patterns, trends, and underlying structures in relation to the plastics problem in the country. Two more Sprint workshops on sari-sari stores socio-economic system mapping and possible future system design will be conducted in July and August 2022.

SGV was the technical adviser and official tabulator in the 2022 European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) Europa Awards held on 23 June 2022. 2022 Europa Awards Tabulators Financial Accounting Advisory Services (FAAS) and Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) Partner Benjamin N. Villacorte, CCaSS Associate Director Diana Rose A. Sadili, and Associates Hans Juris A. Artillero and Lorenso Luis C. Bueno served as tabulators and technical advisers for the event. They provided technical advice on the awards categories and scoring framework developed by ECCP and tabulated data from ECCP’s technical judges. The Europa Awards aim to recognize companies with exceptional performance in and contributions to promoting sustainability in line with global standards and the Philippine Development Plan.

SGV Davao Partners Jose Raoul J. Balisalisa, Saha A. Bulagsak, and Thyrza F. Marbas participated in the Recent Developments in Philippine Taxation webinar organized by The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc.— Mindanao chapter (AmCham Mindanao) on 30 May 2022. Raoul and Saha with the organizers Ms. Saha was a resource speaker for the event. She talked about the most recent Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issuances and discussed their impact on various businesses. Mr. Raoul moderated the session and gave the opening remarks. Ms. Thyrza joined in the Q&A session and gave the closing remarks. Over 50 participants attended the event.

In line with the ASEAN Tax Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness (DE&I) vision of promoting inclusive leadership, sense of belonging, and social equity, the SGV Tax Team met with representatives from Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran (SPARK!) Philippines on 8 June 2022. SGV Tax Team with SPARK! Philippines teamIndirect Tax Senior Director Alden Patrick C. Labaguis, Associate Directors Gracia Mae A. Beronilla, Dawna Fya O. Bandiola and Senior Associates Lauren Antonette M. Mendoza, Catriona Janelle V. Gayatin, and Andrea Nicole C. Loreno met with SPARK! Philippines’ Executive Director Maica Teves and Project Officer Margot Catmunan in Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City and discussed programs which would foster DE&I in the workplace and at the same time expand the number of exceptional SGV Talents.Both teams exchanged ideas on how to further DE&I objectives by proposing training programs and webinars to help and inspire persons of all gender identities and social backgrounds. The teams also talked about gender sensitivity awareness, safe spaces in workplaces, and providing employment opportunities to diverse groups of people.The SGV Tax Team and SPARK! Team will be meeting again by the end of July. Both teams, together with ASEAN Tax DE&I Lead Victor C. De Dios and other stakeholders, will continue collaborating to strengthen networks and explore different ways to implement the proposed programs.SPARK! is an SEC-registered NGO composed of advocates for the empowerment of women founded by women champions committed to the nationwide development and inclusivity of women, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized sectors.

Climate Change and Sustainability Services (CCaSS) Partner Benjamin N. Villacorte (BNV) was one of the resource speakers at BPI Securities’ 1st Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-focused webinar entitled “Riding the Green Wave: Understanding ESG Investing in the Philippine Context” held on 1 June 2022. BNV discussing sustainability reporting BNV talked about the sustainability reporting landscape in the Philippines and the challenges and steps that management can take to integrate sustainability into their non-financial reporting. As an industry consultant, he shared his knowledge in understanding how listed companies report on sustainability initiatives. The event was organized by BPI Securities to further educate retail investors and customers on ESG investing in the Philippine context.

SGV Davao Partner-in-Charge Jose Raoul J. Balisalisa (JJB) and Tax Partner Atty. Thyrza F. Marbas (TFM) were speakers at the New Opportunities Waiting (NOW) in Davao City: Investment for Nordic Businesses online road show and business forum held on 18 May 2022. They represented SGV in the virtual event which showcased available opportunities for Nordic investors in Davao City. JJB and TFM with other speakers and guests JJB presented the Doing Business in Davao brochure produced by SGV and the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC), while TFM talked about investment and incentive opportunities in the Philippines and in Davao. They also participated in a panel discussion with business owners, investors, and members of the diplomatic corps from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway. The event was organized by the City Government of Davao through the DCIPC, in partnership with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Trade and Investment Center Stockholm, the Philippine Embassy in Sweden, and the Embassies of Denmark, Finland, and Norway in the Philippines to further promote investment opportunities in Davao City.

As part of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Global Future Cities Programme (GFCP) Cebu Delivery Team, SGV Consulting Partner Christian G. Lauron (CGL) and Associate Director Jerome Benedict Crockett along with other representatives from the GFCP delivery partners secured approvals for the City Development Strategy (CDS), an Affordable Housing Strategy (AHS), and a Social Situation Impact Analysis (SSIA) during a series of meetings with local government unit (LGU) officials and other stakeholders earlier this year. GFCP Cebu Delivery Team with Cebu LGU officials and other stakeholders CGL, Jerome, Junisse Mercado of Mott MacDonald, Allen Williams of Triple Line, and Cherrie Nuez, Philippine Program Adviser of the UK FCDO met with Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and the City Government’s Technical Working Group. They discussed the outputs delivered and a program continuity proposal focusing on climate-resilient housing and coastal infrastructure development. They also attended a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) transition workshop facilitated by UN-Habitat which allowed them to share their insights on the proposed continuity plan. During another meeting, regional Government officials from the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) expressed their support for the delivered outputs and the City’s overall master plan. Other SGV members of the GFCP Cebu Delivery Team include Senior Director Christian Edmund L. Chua, Associate Directors Elijah Jesus T. Puaben and Anderson C. Bondoc, and Associates Sarah Maia L Nelson and Jeron Enrico L. Miranda.  The GFCP for Cebu City is proposed to continue until the end of 2022. The GFCP is an Official Development Assistance (ODA) program of the UK FCDO. The GFCP provides technical assistance for a set of targeted interventions to encourage sustainable development and increase prosperity while alleviating urban poverty, based on three thematic pillars: urban planning, transport, and resilience. The GFCP is also expected to create significant short- and long-term business opportunities in growing markets.