Business E-Journal: January 2023

SwissCham Philippines welcomes the first issue of our second volume e-journal collection with much optimism and excitement as we continue to co-create value to our stakeholders and members. It is in this spirit of partnership that we will embark on a series of meet and greet with members this 2023 to know your priorities, industry experience, and together implement joint initiatives with strategic importance to business and development. The Chamber will actively engage with public and private sectors to discuss common issues in roundtables surrounding our environment, economy, job creation, digital innovation, and government regulation. We would like to see cooperation in action through small, direct, and targeted issue-based discussions, and proactively suggest sustainable ways moving forward. This is the kind of cooperation we wish to engineer as we already see its benefits for both countries.

Early this year, we have seen the efforts of PEZA and BOI in promoting the Philippines to Swiss entrepreneurs in Bern and Zurich on the framework of the PH-EFTA Free Trade Agreement. SwissCham through our partnership with SECO and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) embarks on encouraging our member companies to acquire necessary skills in developing their own sustainability reporting templates as more and more authorities require mandatory reporting on sustainability measures and governance.

For this issue, we are happy to witness the launching of the Circle of Life Project, which uses data and digital infrastructure to reach and help cancer patients' early detection and navigation spearheaded by Novartis, ICanServe Foundation and the City Government of Taguig. Another Swiss company, Holcim Philippines successfully converted around a million ton of qualified wastes into alternative fuels and raw materials for cement production. These are all fascinating and remarkable achievements, and more are coming. Nencki for instance, is looking at the Philippine market to share their experience in rail infrastructure developments especially now that the country pursues the Build, Better, More Infrastructure Projects of the present administration.

'Trust in the future', this is how Nicolas Souvlakis of Philip Morris take in navigating uncertainty, and this aptly resonates to many of us and many of our businesses. We have disruptions at various levels, some may view as challenges but others may view as opportunities. Perspectives clearly influence our actions and I guess we draw from our inner optimism, confidence, and resilient character to transform these uncertainties to many shapes of success.

As a new year begins, a new chapter for SwissCham Philippines shall emerge, and this we start by publishing a complete 2023 SwissCham Philippines Directory no later than end of first quarter. Each member will receive a complementary copy of our directory so you can connect directly with your peers for business meetings, joint ventures, or simply getting in touch to discuss common concerns. Thus, to
make this happen, we reiterate our request to fill-out our membership directory update and renew your 2023 membership.