National Security Adviser (NSA) Clarita Carlos held a meeting with some of the country’s top business leaders recently to discuss partnership in boosting the country’s security initiatives.
In a statement sent to the media Monday, Dec. 19, the National Security Council (NSC) said the meeting held at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati City was the first time that an NSA met with members of the business community. The meeting was co-presented by Ramon V. del Rosario Sr., from AIM’s center for corporate responsibility.
During the meeting, Carlos highlighted the role of the business community in preserving the country’s security, saying that every stakeholder has a part to play to keep the communities safe.
“National security is human security. National security is the security of the individual. You go to work, go home, and have a fair assurance that you’ll come back walking, and not dead,” Carlos said.
“The government regulates wealth creation and distribution while the private sector generates value and leads the distribution of resources. In this light, the government depends on businesses to ensure that more people benefit from the scarce resources,” she added.
Among the concerns raised by Carlos to the business community was the emergence of security threats concerning data privacy and cybersecurity.
“(It is) a direct national security threat in the event that the company’s proprietary information falls into the wrong hands,” she noted.
On the other hand, the business sector vowed to support the government’s national security initiatives.
Ed Chua, chairman of the Business for Sustainable Development and the Makati Business Club, thanked Dr. Carlos for leading the efforts in ending red-tagging, saying this is “highly-divisive” and does not address the root cause of insurgency. Red tagging refers to the malicious branding of an individual or organization as a communist rebel or terrorist if they express dissent with government policies.
Meanwhile, Toti Chikiamco, President of the Foundation for Economic Freedom, praised Dr. Carlos for involving the business community in national security concerns.