After completing a three-year term on the board of the UN Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP), Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) said its formal governance role may have ended but its push for sustainability and responsible business practices is far from over.
The listed diversified conglomerate of the Aboitiz Group used its board participation as part of a broader strategy to align corporate leadership and operations with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global framework aimed at advancing inclusive economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection.
GCNP serves as the local arm of the United Nations Global Compact, mobilizing Philippine companies to adopt responsible business standards. It promotes the Compact’s Ten Principles covering human rights, labor, environmental stewardship, and anti-corruption, while encouraging firms to contribute to the 17 SDGs.
During its tenure, AEV helped foster stronger collaboration among corporations, nonprofit groups, small and medium enterprises, and development partners pursuing sustainability initiatives in the Philippines. The company also used the platform to highlight its approach to embedding sustainability into corporate governance and day-to-day operations.
Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, AEV’s chief reputation and sustainability officer, said the board experience reinforced the importance of collective action in driving responsible business practices.
“Serving on the Board of Trustees of the UN Global Compact Network Philippines has been a privilege,” Hontiveros-Malvar said. “The experience reinforced the importance of collaboration among responsible businesses in advancing sustainability and inclusive growth.”
The company added that it will continue integrating sustainability across its diversified portfolio—including power, banking and financial services, infrastructure, food and beverage, and real estate—as the Aboitiz Group advances its strategy to become the country’s first “techglomerate.”
While AEV’s formal governance role within GCNP has concluded, the partnerships and insights gained through the network are expected to continue shaping the conglomerate’s sustainability roadmap—underscoring how environmental and social commitments are increasingly embedded in long-term corporate strategy.
