BIZ BUZZ: Panlilio, Layug join Vivant boards

MANILA, Philippines – Cebu-based Vivant Corp. is beefing up its brain trust with the appointment of former PLDT chief executive and Management Association of the Philippines president Alfredo S. Panlilio as independent director.

Panlilio brings to the publicly listed conglomerate extensive leadership experience from his key roles on the boards of the MVP Group, including Manila Electric Co. and Smart.

Vivant said in a statement that with Panlilio’s long and distinguished career across the dynamic energy and technology sectors, he would add “strategic depth and governance strength as Vivant continues to deepen its leadership bench.”

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Vivant has likewise appointed former Department of Energy Undersecretary Jose M. Layug Jr. to the board of Vivant Energy Corp., the group’s power generation and energy solutions business unit.

Layug, a senior partner in Divina Law, is considered one of the country’s experts in Philippine energy law and has been helping the Vivant group since 2022. Most recently, he chaired Vivant’s related party transactions and corporate governnace committees, while also sitting on the audit and risk and sustainability committees.

Vivant said that the appointment of Panlilio and Layug “reflects Vivant’s efforts to align leadership with the evolving needs of the conglomerate—strengthening strategic oversight and governance at the corporate level, while reinforcing technical and sectoral expertise at the subsidiary level.”

With these, Vivant is in a better position to compete with the bigger boys in the vibrant energy sector. —Tina Arceo-Dumlao

PH taking on Asean business council chairmanship

The Philippines is ready to take the spotlight at the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Business Advisory Council (BAC) this October, turning the chairmanship into a platform for fresh milestones and bold moves.

But before the official turnover, Asean-BAC Philippines is throwing its first-ever retreat on July 7 and July 8 in Makati.

And no, this isn’t just another business meeting of the region’s private sector voice.

“This is not just a meeting, it is a reset,” said current Asean-BAC chair Tan Sri Nazir Razak of Malaysia.

He’s working with the Philippine team to map out the future of the council in a world shaped by nonstop disruption and economic shakeups.

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, who will lead the Philippines’ chairmanship, isn’t holding back either.

“We envision an Asean where no one is left behind; where digital innovation, sustainability, and entrepreneurship fuel inclusive growth that uplifts people, empowers communities, and benefits all nations,” Concepcion said.

And to make sure it’s more than just talk, global consulting firm McKinsey and Company has been brought in to help chart a new course for the council.

Their job is to guide the bloc’s business leaders in sharpening priorities ahead of the country’s one-year term.

Concepcion added that this retreat marks the bridge between Malaysia’s inclusivity and sustainability focus and the Philippines’ upcoming agenda to push ASEAN prosperity to new heights.

“This is the right moment to recalibrate. Together, ASEAN can and must move further, faster,” he said.

Looks like the Philippines isn’t just stepping in. It’s also stepping up. —Alden M. Monzon INQ