Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines 2013 search comes to Cebu

The search for the 2013 Entrepreneur Of The Year (EOY) Philippines hits the road with Cebu City as its first stop.

Members of the Cebu business community and media attended a presentation on the program at the SGV Cebu office on 26 April. SGV Cebu partner-in-charge Wash Roqueza welcomed the participants while EOY program manager Marlu Balmaceda gave a brief overview of the global awards program and its nomination and selection process. A lively open forum followed the presentation.

Nominations end on 31 May. For nomination forms and other information, please contact the EOYP secretariat at 891-0307 local 7766 or e-mail at eoy.info@ph.ey.com

SGV holds transfer pricing lecture for the Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce

SGV recently conducted a lecture on transfer pricing for members of the Australian-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Chamber’s Business Investment, Issues and Trade Committee. Transfer Pricing Group Head Atty. Rommie Danao briefed the participants on the salient features of the newly issued Philippine transfer pricing regulations, followed by an open forum. The briefing was part of the Committee’s bimonthly lecture series, which features discussions on key business issues, market trends and government regulations for the benefit of its members. MG7 Leader Jimmy del Rosario and senior director Katrina Francisco also participated in the briefing.

SGV Cebu conducts seminars on transfer pricing and tax updates

SGV Cebu recently welcomed participants from the Aboitiz Group of Companies at the Parklane International Hotel for a transfer pricing seminar. More than 60 financial and accounting executives were present. The next day, participants from different companies all over Cebu attended the Seminar on Transfer Pricing and Recent Developments in Taxation held at the SGV Cebu Office.

Transfer Pricing Group Head Atty. Rommie Danao and managers Emmylou Limwan and Nilo Mendoza facilitated the discussions, with the assistance of Marygrace Cebu and Ethel Grengia.

SGV celebrates the end of busy season 2013

April 15 marked the end of this year’s busy season, the first under SGV’s new Market Group structure. After months of working long hours, partners and staff took the time to thank and congratulate one another for a job well done. In celebration, catered lunches and meriendas were served in the respective MG areas.

Chairman and Managing Partner Vic Noel and Deputy Managing Partner Itos Cruz paid tribute to our people by noting that “Each and every one of you are credits to the Firm, and the integral components of SGV’s unblemished reputation as the country’s foremost professional services firm. Your diligence and hard work have once again sustained our reputation for the best quality services.”

Congratulations to everyone!

SGV Cebu joins the USC Industrial Engineering forum

The SGV Cebu Advisory team recently participated in the Industry Forum conducted by the University of San Carlos – Industrial Engineering Department for its graduating students. The theme for the forum was Globalized Education: Owning our Challenges. Associate director Charles Andrew Tan spoke of an industrial engineering graduate’s career path in the Firm, and shared some of his own experiences. This is a first for SGV Cebu in its quest to tap future industrial engineers in line with the Firm’s goal of strengthening its advisory presence in the Visayas and Mindanao market.

Customs and transfer pricing lecture held

SGV recently conducted a joint lecture on customs and transfer pricing for Sojitz Philippines Corporation and its affiliates. Senior director Stephanie Vicente-Nava discussed the basic concepts of the Bureau of Customs’ rules on importation, import valuation system, post-entry audit procedures, the Voluntary Disclosure Program and best practices. Senior director Emmylou Limwan also briefed the participants on the newly issued Philippine transfer pricing regulations. The lecture was followed by an open forum with Transfer Pricing Group Head Rommie Danao and Indirect Tax Country Leader Mark Tamayo.

SGV welcomes BPI officers

On 17 March, executives and officers of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) joined the partners of SGV for a social gathering at the Shang Grand Tower. The event, which celebrates the long-standing friendship between the two organizations, was hosted by SGV Partner Francis Lumbres.

SGV Chairman and Managing Partner Vic Noel formally welcomed the guests to the event. Afterwards, BPI President Aurelio Montinola III also shared a special message recognizing that both companies have always provided the highest quality service and share the same core values of excellence and integrity. “The relationship between SGV and BPI has been a long standing one, going back to before BPI acquired its present group of companies,” he said. “We look forward to continuing this fruitful relationship between SGV and BPI in the future.”

The evening was the capped off with a ceremonial toast by SGV Deputy Managing Partner and Assurance Head Itos Cruz.

Congratulations to our new lawyers!

The results of the 2012 Philippine Bar examinations released last 20 March included 17 SGV professionals who passed. They are among the 949 who successfully passed the examinations conducted last October. We are very proud of our new lawyers:

Name
Alvarez, Aila May S.
Arias, Michelle C.
Baloro, Joemyl J.
Buagnin, Venice B.
Cardona, Sarah Jeane P.
Casio, Jo Ann Marie O.
Cledera, Kim Debra C.
Cubero, Ronald S.
Dimaculangan, Roberto Miguel I.
Eltanal, Felwin Rau
Hernandez, Patricia Andrea O.
Quilates, Donelle Jay A.
Salvani IV, A.D. Vincent B.
Sayson, Charlotte Lyza R.
Talledo, Harold Christian S.
Viñas, Sheiryl G.
Ylade, Donna Frances G.

Congratulations on your outstanding accomplishment!

SGVF and WBCP publish book celebrating Filipino women entrepreneurs

As part of the 10th year anniversary celebration of the Entrepreneur Of The Year Philippines (EOYP) program, the SGV Foundation (SGVF) and the Women’s Business Council of the Philippines (WBCP) jointly published Aspirations & Inspirations: Filipino Women Entrepreneurs, a book that celebrates the achievements of our country’s top women entrepreneurs. Written by Jessica Zafra and launched last 19 March, the book features the women winners and finalists of the Ernst & Young EOYP program whose passion, talents and sense of nurturing have helped them build significant enterprises. Former SGV partner and WBCP Chair Boots Garcia was also in attendance during the book launch.

The Woman Entrepreneur Of The Year award has been an integral part of the EOYP program since the program was first launched in 2003. To date, the program has recognized 42 outstanding women.

Program Director Atty. Antonette Tionko believes that women entrepreneurs have a special gift. “Aside from having innate business sense, these women also show the power of compassion,” she says. “They have the ability to understand people and work within the dynamics of family, business and society. The abilities of women entrepreneurs are beyond question; but it may be their capacity for caring that makes them even better at what they do.”

Chicago Bar Association delegates visit SGV

Chicago Bar Association delegates visited SGV last 25 March as part of a one-day business conference on the topic “Doing Business in the Philippines and Asia.” The delegates’ trip was in partnership with the United States Department of Commerce.

In his welcome remarks, Deputy Tax Services Head Willie Villanueva noted, “[The] visit follows an increasing number of visiting delegations to the Firm, such as delegations from Vietnam, Indonesia, China and other countries. We are always glad for these significant interactions, which allow us to not only build stronger regional ties in the name of friendship and business, but also allow us to share our company’s history and values.”

Tax partner Louie Ferrer gave a presentation on doing business in the Philippines and Transaction Advisory Services director Alex Dacanay discussed the economic outlook for the country and ASEAN. Afterwards, the delegation went on a tour of the Asia Pacific Talent Hub.