ASOG, Ayala Organized a Virtual Discussion on Public-Private Collaborations During and Post-Crisis

On March 3, 2021, the Ateneo School of Government, in partnership with Ayala Corporation, conducted an online event entitled "Leadership during Crisis: Ensuring a Resilient Economy through Public-Private Collaboration" which discussed the public-private collaboration efforts that were instrumental in addressing the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event recorded more than 1,000 participants in both Zoom and Facebook Live audience, and has a good mix of attendees from the private sector, government, academe, civil society, and the media.
 
The panel discussion featured representatives from various sectors namely: Mr. Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation; Fr. Roberto C. Yap, SJ, President of Ateneo de Manila University; Hon. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, Senator of the 18th Congress; Mr. Coco Alcuaz, Executive Director of Makati Business Club; Hon. Vivencio B. Dizon, Deputy Chief Implementer of the National Action Plan Against COVID-19; Mr. Guillermo M. Luz, Chief Resilience Officer of Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation; and Ms. Cosette V. Canilao, President and CEO of Aboitiz InfraCapital.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Zobel de Ayala provided three areas of public-private collaboration in response to the COVID-19 crisis namely: collaborative response, collaborative recovery, and collaborative resilience. First, collaborative response emphasizes the steps taken by the public and private sector to support immediate and extended constituencies and create more partnerships to generate a more lasting impact. Second, collaborative recovery focuses on the need to spread recovery among a greater number of sectors, more especially on the most affected ones. Lastly, collaborative resilience highlights the established foundations of trust and cooperation between the public and private sectors as a means to move forward.
 
He then identified healthcare, digital technologies, MSMEs and other high growth industries, and education as the four sectors where the academe, the private sector, and government can work together for deeper partnerships.
 
In his message of leadership and inclusiveness, Fr. Yap SJ stressed the essential nature of inclusive leadership during times of crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the utmost importance of collaboration, cooperation, and coordination across various sectors in our society. He stressed the idea of inclusion of the marginalized and those who suffered the most and described how Ateneo as an institution is at the forefront of creating people, whose foundational character involves a commitment to social inclusion. Moreover, he tackled the idea of servant leadership whereby sharing authority and responsibility with the community deepens the commitment and engagement of each individual and develops community resilience.
 
In his keynote address, Senator Angara stressed the crucial role of the private sector in the recovery process from the COVID-19 crisis, which will be buttressed by the vaccine rollout. He then emphasized that the heightened level of engagement between government agencies, private companies, academe, and civil society needs to continue beyond the pandemic. Further, he explained that the country’s growth and prosperity can be supported by economic self-reliance through boosting the competitiveness of Filipino industries and professionals. He also underscored the need to harness economic complexity and accelerate MSME development. His Tatak Pinoy initiative aims to push these goals to fruition.
 
The panel discussion and open forum, which were moderated by Mr. Alcuaz, touched upon crucial points regarding the public-private collaboration. The panelists tackled queries on several topics: (i) the effectiveness of the public-private partnership response and factors contributing to the success of such collaborations; (ii) collaboration among private sector and their competitors in crisis response activities; (iii) need for an agile response from public sector despite bureaucratic rigidity; (iv) the role of the private sector in restoring consumer confidence; (v) prioritization and localization of PPP collaborations to address gaps in infrastructure and logistics in various sectors; and (vi) equitable access of local and smaller businesses such as MSMEs.
 
To capitulate, Dean Mendoza gave his closing remarks emphasizing the importance of public-private partnerships and collaboration between the two sectors in crisis response and economic recovery. He emphasized the need for inclusiveness of the MSME sector which accounts for the bulk of the country’s workforce.
 
A recording of the morning session is available through the ASOG Facebook page.

The highlights of the event can be viewed here.