Philippine chief financial officers want a bigger role in shaping corporate growth, but gaps in investment authority, technology readiness, and skills are limiting their ability to drive value creation, according to the latest EY Global DNA of the CFO survey.
The study showed 55 percent of Philippine CFO respondents believe they should be involved in value creation, yet only 23 percent actually lead key investment decisions, while 35 percent lead discussions on value drivers. Just 10 percent said their organizations view finance as a key partner in creating value.
The gap could leave companies without finance leaders playing a stronger role in decisions on investments, technology, and other initiatives whose returns may be difficult to quantify upfront.
Value measurement is another constraint. Some 45 percent of Philippine CFOs said traditional metrics fail to adequately capture value generated by technology, data, new roles, and long-term investments, while 48 percent cited difficulty proving returns on investment upfront. As a result, 65 percent said current metrics need to be redefined.
AI readiness is also holding finance teams back. Only 20 percent of Philippine respondents rated their finance function’s AI preparedness as leading or advanced.
Yet CFOs see significant potential for AI in business decisions, particularly growth forecasting, cited by 58 percent of respondents, data analysis at 53 percent, and dynamic pricing at 40 percent.
Turning that potential into business value remains difficult. Some 55 percent cited data-quality problems as a barrier, while 43 percent said they struggle to explain AI’s benefits and 40 percent pointed to insufficient skills or capacity.
Aris C. Malantic, SGV Assurance Growth Areas and FAAS Leader, said Philippine finance teams remain in the early stages of their AI journey and need stronger data-driven capabilities and adaptability to improve strategic decision-making and long-term value creation.
The skills gap extends beyond AI. Sixty-three percent of Philippine CFO respondents said new skills and leadership styles are needed for finance leaders to remain effective.
The findings suggest that giving CFOs a greater strategic role will require more than moving them into investment discussions. Companies also need to equip finance teams with the data, technology, skills, and measurement tools needed to translate financial insight into growth decisions.
