Conference tackles implications of PH investment grade

Five officials from the government and the private sector will discuss what precisely the recent upgrade of the Philippine investment credit rating means.

In a roundtable conference on Friday, May 24, Cora Guidote of the SM Group will explain what rating agencies do and how institutional investors worldwide assess their ratings.

Guidote was the investor relations person at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) when Rafael B. Buenaventura was governor. She handled the difficult task of talking with foreign investors just when the Philippines suffered a downgrade and its bonds were considered by the international community as junk. That the Philippines was also blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force as an uncooperative nation in the anti-money laundering efforts did not ease her job at all. All that behind her, Guidote is expected to share insights from those interesting times.

Also in a unique position to give his thoughts is BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo who was also (and up now) in the thick of things watching and, to the extent possible and legal, titrating the impact of such events. He will deal with the macro-economic impact of the investment rating upgrade.

From the big picture, the conference will deal with specifics. Lawyer Mike Aguinaldo, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Office of the President, will deal with what the administration intends to do to not only hasten the expected trickle down to chosen sectors of society and areas in the country that need the energizing the most.

Sharing his own thoughts will be Gerard Mosquera who is a Deputy Ombudsman. Why a graft-buster in an investment seminar? Because at the Office of the Ombudsman, under his care, will be an office that is specifically designed to attend to complaints of investors, primarily against government officials who are not properly responding to the needs of foreign companies exploring the possibility of situating their operations in the country.

Finally, Marvin Fausto, a seasoned trust and investment officer who has many years of experience managing other people’s money, will provide the perspective of those who are willing to try out the country as a long-term investment destination.

A seminar fee of P3,000 will cover the refreshments and the materials that will be given to the participants in the conference from 1pm to 6pm at the Top of the Citi, 34th Floor, Citibank Tower on Paseo de Roxas, Makati City. For further details, please call Ms. Mel Maranan at 555-9592 or 813-4108.

Source: Press release