FROM THE MARGINS I visited Vietnam recently, reconnecting with old friends and partners in development. I met the leaders and clients of the Tinh Thuong Microfinance Institution (TYM or Affectionate Fund), Vietnam’s first licensed microfinance institution, and I remember what Kofi Annan,...
FROM THE MARGINS Even as we were preparing for Severe Tropical Storm Leon, my family and I spent the weekend repacking goods for distribution to communities that were devastated by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine. It was the most destructive storm we have had this year — killing more than a...
FROM THE MARGINS Last week, Henry Tan, a partner at SGV & Co., published an article entitled, “Why Entrepreneurs are Critical to the Philippine Economy.” Citing worldwide and local statistics, he made a very convincing point on why we should celebrate the success of entrepreneurs and why we...
FROM THE MARGINS It is difficult to speak truth to power, but if we want social reforms, we need to do it. Through the years, the concerted efforts of advocates of social and financial inclusion to engage with policymakers and government regulators have yielded positive results. We had...
FROM THE MARGINS Last month, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed into law Republic Act (RA) No. 12022, the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, one of the priority bills of his administration. The passage of the law is a welcome development in the government’s fight against agricultural...
FROM THE MARGINS As I am writing this article, Typhoon Julian is unleashing violent winds and heavy rains over Northern Luzon, prompting officials to evacuate villagers, close schools and halt inter-island ferries. News reports showed the slow-moving super typhoon wreaking havoc in Cagayan...
FROM THE MARGINS I had the honor of being invited by the Peak Reinsurance Company Ltd. (Peak Re) to be one of the panelists in its inaugural Forum 2024, “Sustainability in a Changing World.” This was held at the Hong Kong Palace Museum Auditorium last Sept. 23, 2024. More than 150 participants...
FROM THE MARGINS In one of our meetings, I conducted a quick survey of our management teams using Mentimeter. This is a very convenient app used in learning sessions, which allows people to participate in real-time polling activities using a mobile device, tablet, or laptops. Here is what I...
FROM THE MARGINS There is no truer statement: food is everyone’s business. This was the theme of the “Agriculture and Food Security Summit” that the Makati Business Club (MBC) held last Sept. 16 at the BGC Arts Center. This is part of its ongoing efforts to engage stakeholders and find ways...
FROM THE MARGINS Namaskar! My wife and I were in India recently, for a week of activities arranged by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards and the 75th year of Philippine-India Friendship. Many Filipino and Indian...
FROM THE MARGINS Last Aug. 22, I had the privilege of attending the launching of the “Conflict Alert Triennial 2021-2023 Report” by the Council for Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCAA), an independent local NGO dedicated to promoting sustainable and lasting peace by addressing the...
FROM THE MARGINS An exemplary philanthropist-businessman and six young brilliant entrepreneurs were honored in this year’s Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR) Awards for having exemplified outstanding corporate citizenship and a fervent commitment to nation-building across various industries. The...
