By Dhel Nazario
For leading the city’s sustainable development and digital transformation, 12 private sector partners were recognized at the 348th Araw ng Makati Vin d’Honneur Friday night.
Makati Mayor Abigail “Abby”Binay led the recognition of this year's awardees for putting their trust in the city. The Vind’Honneur was one of the highlights of the 10-day “Makati Makisalo” festivities commemorating the city’s 348th founding anniversary.
“I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all our partners, for their faith and confidence in the city, and for sharing our vision for Makati and the Makatizens,” she said in her keynote speech.
This year's Vind’Honneur awardees include Ayala Land, Inc., Outstanding Corporate Citizen-Hall of Fame; Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Valued City Development Partner; Makati Business Club, Business Organization of the Year; Asian Institute of Management, Business Academe of the Year; Rotary Club of Makati, Service Organization of the Year.
The Outstanding City Partner Award was conferred on Globe Telecom, iBayad Online Ventures, Mynt, GCash, and NeoConverge ICT Solutions, while the Outstanding Corporate Citizen-New Enterprise Award was given to Chang Hwa Commercial Bank.
Binay recalled that it was only a year ago when she had asked Makati’s business community to join the city government in building a “bolder, more exciting future” for the city anchored on technology and strengthened by public-private partnerships (PPP).
“Today, that shared vision is turning to reality. Our city now embraces technology in all facets of governance and public service. We believe that a digital Makati will make us more competitive in a growing digital world,” Binay said.
“By creating a digital community of Makati citizens, or “Makatizens” as they are proudly called, at no other time in our history are we as connected to our constituents as today. Through technology, we can now directly engage them, address their concerns faster, and create meaningful conversations with those we govern,” she enthused.
Ayala Land, Inc. was cited for being the undisputed lead partner of the city government in the environmental, economic, social, and cultural development of Makati. ALI president and chief executive officer Bernard Vincent Dy accepted the award.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) was recognized for its invaluable contributions to business growth and sustainable development in Makati. The award was accepted by PCCI president AlegriaSibal-Limjoco.
The Makati Business Club, represented by its chairman, Edgar Chua, was awarded for being a major catalyst in the socio-economic development of Makati, which remains the undisputed center of commerce and industry in the country.
The city government paid tribute to the members and countless volunteers of the Rotary Club of Makati for contributing to the social development of the city through meaningful initiatives and joint projects with the city government for the welfare of the less privileged sectors. Club past presidents Rafael Hechanova and Cesar Campos accepted the award.
The Asian Institute of Management was cited for its invaluable role in imparting knowledge and expertise on good governance and public service to Makati’s officials and civil servants. AIM president, Dr. Jiekyong Kang, accepted the award.
This year’s Outstanding City Partners were recognized for their key roles in jumpstarting the digital transformation of Makati through PPP. Globe Telecom was represented by its president and chief executive officer, Ernest Lawrence Cu. Other key officers who accepted the award were iBayad president and CEO Jose Paolo Angelo G. Saycon; CEO Anthony Thomas of Mynt and GCash; and AristotelesElvina, corporate secretary of Neo-Converge.
During the event, Binay also shared with the awardees the progress of flagship digital PPP projects undertaken by her administration which have started Makati’s journey toward digital transformation. These include the Makatizen Card, a multi-purpose, unified identification card for Makati residents and city government workers, launched last year through a PPP with Globe Telecom and iBayad Online Ventures.
The mayor emphasized, however, that the city’s digital initiatives do not end with the said initiatives.
The mayor vowed to make more public services online, including tax payments, payments of fines for traffic violations, and other government transactions, to make them “swift, accessible and more convenient”.