The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said Principal Architect and Urban Planner Felino Palafox Jr. will lead this year’s 49th Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E).
PCCI President George T. Barcelon announced the selection of Palafox following an executive session by the PCCI Executive Committee that “unanimously voted” for the urban planner.
The PCCI said Palafox is the Chamber’s Vice President for Trade Mission and Director of the Environment & Climate Change, Infrastructure and Construction Committee.
Barcelon described Palafox as “someone who can stir the conference to greater heights by showcasing his long-term vision for the country’s urban, regional, and national development.”
“We are happy to announce the appointment of Jun as the 49th PBC&E Chair. The PCCI believes in his capability, expertise, and commitment to lead this conference,” he said.
For his part, Palafox said, “I am deeply honored for the trust of my colleagues in PCCI to lead this conference. I know the task ahead will be daunting but everything will become easy with their support and guidance. I will definitely make this conference worth remembering.”
Palafox is the founder of multi-disciplinary firm Palafox Associates, with fields of expertise encompassing Architecture, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Planning, Site Planning, Master Planning, Urban Design, Interior Design, Engineering, and Strategic Development Advisory.
The PBC&E is PCCI’s annual business event that gathers policymakers, business leaders, diplomats, members of the academe, and micro, small, and medium enterprises to meet and discuss issues and come up with policy recommendations.
In last year’s 48th PBC&E, under the leadership of Ferdinand Ferrer, Chairman and CEO of EMS Group of Companies, the PCCI called on the national government to focus on attaining food security and enabling the free flow of electricity nationwide by integrating the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids, among others.
During the business conference, the PCCI unveiled a set of policy resolutions which it submitted to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. The conference and expo kicked off in October 2022.
The major business group also prodded the government to reform the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation into a “science-based and transparent” healthcare system and encourage Public-Private Partnerships in the implementation of the Universal Healthcare Law.
On employment, the business group urged the government to work together with the private sector to “reenergize” the economy by supporting new investments to generate employment, providing assistance to pandemic-surviving micro, small, and medium enterprises, amending all “restrictive and punitive” labor laws and enact laws that will increase productivity.
PCCI also called on the government to provide “world-class” integrated transport systems and water and waste management infrastructure and to “decouple” the regulatory and commercial functions of the Philippine Ports Authority and other similarly situated transport agencies.
Image credits: palafoxassociates.com