Ayala prepares phased-in transition to ‘new normal’

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Corp., the country’s oldest conglomerate, is preparing a phased-in transition to a post-quarantine “new normal.”

During the company’s annual stockholders meeting yesterday, Ayala Corp. chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said the conglomerate is shifting to a proactive and solutions-oriented approach to transition the company to a new business environment amid the coronavirus disease 2019  or COVID-19 pandemic.

Malacañang announced yesterday that the enhanced community quarantine would be extended until May 15.

“There is no existing playbook for this kind of situation. However, we had reset our planning cycle into three short-term phases to address the current situation and how to move forward with our business in a post-COVID environment,” Zobel said.

Phase one of the transition will involve preparing for the re-entry of the workforce and making sure they are well prepared and safe to go back to work, he said.

Phase two will involve ensuring business resiliency.

“Within two months after the lockdown is lifted, we will closely monitor consumer behavior, market, industry and regulatory shifts, supply chain situations, and how the overall economy will restart,” he said.

He noted for instance that there has been a significant increase in the use of digital channels during the quarantine, particularly the BPI online platform and GCash.

“We envision this level of adoption to continue even after the quarantine,” Zobel said.

Ayala president Fernando Zobel de Ayala said that in terms of COVID-19 response, the group has been working together to survive this crisis.

“As a group, we are proud to have contributed over P5.5 billion – through employee support, business operations waivers, and monetary and in-kind donations – as a response to the COVID-19 crisis in the Philippines,” he said.

“We feel it is equally important to recognize the ways in which we have grown through this crisis. The ability to adjust in progressive and sustainable ways is key to long-term survival and relevance – and we are proud of our ability to have done this at key moments in our country’s economic history,” he added.

Ayala’s businesses include banking, telecommunications, water, healthcare, infrastructure and energy.