Manila global forum to push Asean entrepreneurship

TOP economic leaders around the globe will aim to further advance entrepreneurship in an already robust Southeast Asian economy at a four-day economic and business forum in Manila next week.

The Global Peace Foundation (GPF), together with the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands, or The Chamber, is set to hold the forum from Marriott Convention Center in Pasay City (Metro Manila).

Nicolas Ardito Barletta Vallarino, former president of Panama and former vice president of the World Bank’s Latin America and Caribbean division, will be one of the distinguished speakers during the event.

As Panama’s president, Vallarino in 1984 launched programs to grow the economy and fight corruption.

He will discuss “Asia/ Asean Emerging Economies: Unleashing Entrepreneurial Power for Peace a.m. session on March 1.

Vallarino was known for his campaign to reestablish democracy, economic development,

After his term ended, he served as the director of the Department of Economic Affairs of the Organization of American States, founded the Latin America Export Bank and became a member of the Carter Center’s Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas.

Vallarino took part in negotiations that led to the signing of the Panama Canal Treaty in 1977.

Joining him in the same session is GPF Founding Chairman Hyun Jin Preston Moon, an organizer of the same three- day event in Washington, D.C.

A humanitarian and entrepreneurial leader, Moon founded organization that promotes “a compelling vision of peace based on universal principles and values shared by the world’s great religious and cultural traditions.”

“A new standard of public leadership must be promoted [ that is] globally built upon moral authority that arises from an ethic of public service and living for the greater good,” he said.

Other speakers at the March 1 session are Young Hoi Lee, former managing director of Asian Development Bank; Kartikeya Sharma, managing director ITV Media Networking of India; and Jose Luis Yulo Jr., president of The Chamber, the Philippines’s oldest business institution.

Arthur Yap, chairman of the Committee on Economic Affairs of the Philippine Congress, will be the keynote speaker at the opening

Session One entitled “Entrepreneurship: Key to Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction” will follow and be led by Olivia Limpe-Aw, the president of Destileria Limtuaco and Co. and vice president of The Chamber.

Aw will be joined by Johnlu Koa, the founder and chief execu

Robert Bleu, president of True World Group, will serve as the moderator.

A Tourism Resource session follows, which will expound and explain why “sustainable tourism has a built- in economic incentive to preserve and protect the natural environment and unique cultural heritage, as it also builds understanding and relationships across borders.”

Speakers for this session include Aileen Clemente, president and chairman of Rajah Travel Corp; Jeffrey Ng, president of Astoria Hotel Group; and Ambassador and Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, president of Africa Leadership Institute.

former undersecretary of Tourism Promotions Board, will facilitate the session.

A networking reception will be hosted after the two sessions.

On March 1, the case study of Paraguay’s National Transformation Model, which adopted the Index for Economic Freedom serving as roadmap for economic dynamism and prosperity, will be presented at 9 a.m.

Yulo said the Philippines’ ranking for 2017 will be announced for

Anthony Kim, policy analyst of Index of Economic Freedom, was appointed as the main speaker while respondents are Youngmok Kim, former president of KOICA; Juan Francisco Facetti, IDPPS board and former minister of environment; and Editha Martin, executive director of Pilipinas Investment Relations of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Thomas Field, IDPPS president and Latin American Regional Director of GPF, will moderate the session.

A two-hour corporate CSR Lun

Yulo said the working session will “engage leaders from corporations, governments and NGOs [non-government organizations] to share common challenges and opportunities and generate ideas and action steps for partnering to Development Goals.”

The third session for March 1 is on “Trade and Investment as a Catalyst for Peace and Regional Stability” with Huiyao Wang, CEO of the Center for China and Globalization and chairman of Chinese Abroad Chamber of Commerce; Gov. Abdusakur Mahail Tan, president and chairman of AMT Group of Companies; Jose Eliton de Figueredo Jr., vice governor of the State of Goias of Brazil; and Melito Salazar, Jr., vice president of The Chamber, as speakers.

Speakers including Hideo Kawabata, CEO of KANSHA Co. Ltd.; Jikyeong Kang, president of Asian Institute of Management (AIM); and Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing of Wings Creativity Consultants will lead the talk on “International Business Success and Cultural Competencies” as

There will be a Business to Business (B2B) matchmaking event capping the sessions where the attendees meet with or visit tables of participating corporate partners from here and various countries of the world.

Summaries of reports of the different sessions, the closing plenary and presentation of outputs are scheduled for March 2.

When warranted, more B2B meet