Management excellence for nation building
The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) is a non-profit organization founded in 1950 and composed of top management professionals, educators, and government officials who work to promote professionalism, integrity, and leadership. Its membership is a cross-section of the country’s CEOs, COOs, and other top management professionals from local and multinational companies, as well as from the academe and the public sector.
The MAP mission is to promote management excellence for nation-building through: sharing of best management practices; benchmarking with our counterpart organizations in other countries; networking with other business organizations here and abroad; educational activities that enhance the knowledge, skills and values of management practitioners and educators nationwide; training and development programs that produce professional managers; and advocacy for reforms that help shape a brighter future for the Philippines.
I am happy to share that I was elected to the 2025-2026 MAP Board of Governors. I am excited to be serving alongside newly-elected governors Paolo Borromeo, president and CEO of AC Health; Gil Genio, independent director of GT Capital Holdings; Maan Hontiveros, managing director of CEO Advisors, Inc.; and Wilson Tan, chairman and country managing partner of SGV & Co. Additionally, I’ll also be serving alongside the MAP holdover governors: former cabinet secretary Rene Almendras, senior managing director of Ayala Corp.; Atty. Noel Bonoan, vice chairman, COO, and head of advisory at KPMG R. G. Manabat & Co.; Rex Drilon II, vice chairman of the Center for Excellence in Governance (CEG); and Al Panlilio, chairman of Maya Bank and director of PLDT-SMART.
More to the fact, I am also elated and excited to share that my dear friend Al Panlilio was elected as the 77th MAP president and that I will be serving alongside him as the duly elected vice president.
Gil Genio was elected as secretary, Wilson Tan as treasurer, and Paolo Borromeo as assistant treasurer. My heartfelt congratulations to all, as we buckle down to the daunting task at hand, which is to steer the MAP to its heralded vision of being the leader in the ASEAN in promoting management excellence for nation building by 2028.
Our chairman and president at both Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and PLDT Inc., Manuel V. Pangilinan (MVP), was the guest speaker and inducting officer at the 77th MAP Inaugural Meeting and Induction of the MAP 2025 Board of Governors most recently held at the Shangri-La at the Fort in BGC Taguig City.
MVP had previously been honored as the MAP Management Man of the Year in 2005. The last time he spoke before the MAP was 19 years ago in 2006.
In his speech, MVP spoke at length about Artificial Intelligence or AI, calling on Philippine companies to “further embrace artificial intelligence (AI) to remain globally competitive”.
He mentioned that “AI is touted as this monumental technology that will forever alter the landscape of business. AI will be impactful. For us frontliners in the technology battlefield, it is simply another big challenge.”
MVP said that the Philippines needs to address data, talent and expertise, and infrastructure issues to boost AI adoption.
“For AI to work, companies need to feed their algorithms vast caches of data, which must be complete, high-quality, and available,” he said. “Talent and expertise are probably the scarcest resources because AI needs to be customized for particular business needs. Open-source solutions may not always work.”
MVP also said, in addressing fears that AI would replace human resource, that workers should not be worried by greater AI adoption, citing its potential to transform employee roles.
“The end of one job often signals the beginning of another,” MVP emphasized. “AI reflects not just the rhythm of progress; it is the heartbeat of mankind. Humanity has never been shaped by the jobs we lose. Instead, we are defined by the future we create.”
And this, I think, was the defining statement in his speech, that “Every generation, but especially those who come next — millennials, Gen Zs, alphas, and betas — are allies, not adversaries. AI with its immense power, is not an existential threat; it is a tool. Together, they form the scaffoldings of the next great cathedrals of progress.”
The MAP theme for 2025 is “Management Excellence for a Progressive Philippines” and this aligns with its mission to promote world-class management practices that contribute to the country’s sustained economic growth.
Under Al Panlilio’s leadership, the MAP 2025 board is set to focus on fostering innovative solutions for the evolving business landscape, promoting collaboration, and driving positive change across various sectors.
I’m looking forward to working with Al and this powerhouse board. Being the leading voice of the private sector, there is much to be done. Cheers! *
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