BALANGA CITY – The Board of the state-owned Bases Conversion and Development Authority got a spot as one of the finalists in the ongoing search of the Asia CEO Awards’ Most Admired Board of Directors, BCDA chairman Felicito “Tong” Payumo said here over the weekend.
He said that the BCDA is the lone government representative in a group made up of the private sector.
Other finalists include the Asian Institute of Management, Phinma Properties, and the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Based on its website, the Asia CEO Awards, presented by American Express, represents the grandest alliance of local and international business people ever created to promote the Philippines on the world stage.
As one of thelargest events of its kind in the Asia Pacific region, it is considered a must-attend occasion for business leaders active in Southeast Asia, said Payumo, also former chairman of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority .
The awards at stake are Executive Leadership Team of the Year; Top Employer Organization; Global Filipino Executive of the Year; Expatriate Executive of the Year; Most Innovative Company; Quality Excellence Company; Most Admired Board of Directors; Technology Team of the Year; Finance Team of the Year; and Sales and Marketing Team of the Year.
The winners will be known on November 8, 2012.
Payumo said the BCDA Board members have the daunting mandates, under Republic Act 7227, of accelerating the conversion of the former US military bases in Clark and Subic, and their extensions in Camp John Hay and Poro Point into productive economic uses.
This is done through raising funds though the sale of Metro Manila camps, such as the Fort Bonifacio and the Villamor Air Base, while also contributing a large portion of its funds to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, he said.
“As stewards and administrators of government assets, the Board has the dual responsibility of ensuring that they contribute to the socio economic development, not only of Central and Northern Luzon but of the entire country, while practicing good governance and transparency in the disposal of the land assets,” Payumo said.
Fort Bonifacio has been transformed into the Bonifacio Global City, and Villamor Air Base into the Newport City—development projects that have changed the landscape of south Metro Manila.
BCDA’s Public-Private Partnership business model has paved the way for the successful transformation of former military camps into premier commercial and business districts, said the former Bataan congressman.
While disposal of government assets had often been criticized and rocked with irregularities, the BCDA Board has hewed to the “Daang Matuwid” path of President Benigno Aquino III by ensuring that land assets disposal are done through transparent and competitive bidding, the chairman said.
Payumo said that the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway is a BCDA project that connects the Subic Seaport and Clark International Airport thereby creating a global gateway for the efficient movement of people, goods and services within Central Luzon and neighboring regions, an advantage valued by the locators in this age of just-in-time production and delivery.
BCDA Vice Chair and President and CEO Arnel Paciano Casanova said among the mega projects approved by the BCDA Board include an elevated monorail to address the traffic problems in the CBDs of Makati, Bonifacio Global City and Villamor Newport City up to NAIA III, and the Clark Green City—practically a new city half the size of Metro Manila to rise in Clark.
The BCDA Board is composed of Payumo as chairman, Arnel Paciano D. Casanova as vice-chairman and Zorayda Amelia C. Alonzo, Atty. Teresita A. Desierto, Aurora Geotina-Garcia, Vice Admiral Ferdinand S. Golez (Ret), Elmar M. Gomez and Maximo L. Sangil as directors.
