Mayor Abigail Binay on Thursday convened the Makati Business Development Council (MBDC) to assist the city government in charting its long-term economic development strategy.
This is the first time the MBDC has convened since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city chief executive expressed confidence that the business council will help develop high-impact innovations and initiatives that will spur business growth, raise the city’s competitiveness, and secure Makati’s stature as a premier investment destination.
“As we reconvene, we are tasked with facing the challenges of recovery and renewal in the coming years. The MBDC will be playing a critical role in providing advice and guidance on programs and initiatives that will help businesses in Makati to restart, rebuild, and grow,” said Mayor Binay, who also chairs the council.
The MBDC was created in January 2003 under the administration of Binay’s father former Vice President and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay to gather representatives from the business sector and discuss business-related matters.
The business council has been providing the city leadership with inputs on investments and business-related concerns, and developing sustainable plans and promoting inclusive growth.
Under the present administration, Makati has forged strategic partnerships with industry leaders through public-private partnerships to promote better connectivity, mobility, resilience, and sustainability in the city.
Among the city’s successful PPP projects are the Makatizen Card, the first multipurpose ID in the country that can be used to send or receive money, and the Makatizen App, the first digital citizen app that allows users to report crimes, emergencies, and community concerns.
Also in the PPP pipeline are two infrastructure projects – the Makati Life Medical Center in District 1 and the Makati Subway.
Binay also introduced 10 new members of the MBDC during the meeting. They are George Barcelon, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Calixto Chikiamco, president of the Foundation for Economic Freedom; Edgar Chua, chairman of the Makati Business Club; Michael Arcatomy Guarin, president of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines; Victor Andres Manhit, chief executive officer and managing director of the Philippine Stratbase Consultancy, Inc.; Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr., president of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines; former Labor secretary Marianito Roque; Shinichiro Shimada, president of The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc.; Frank Thiel, president of The American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, and Hyun Chong Um, president of the Korean Chamber of Commerce Philippines, Inc.