Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV), the portfolio manager of the Aboitiz Group, underscored its long-standing commitment to Cebu’s growth and prosperity at the Cebu Business Investment Forum held on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 in Cebu City.
Organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the event brought together business leaders, government officials, and local stakeholders to discuss Cebu’s critical role in fueling national development.
AEV President and CEO Sabin Aboitiz, who also leads the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), emphasized Cebu as an integral part of the Aboitiz story. “ Cebu isn’t just our roots — it’s part of our identity. You can’t talk about Aboitiz without Cebu. And I’d like to think you can’t talk about Cebu’s progress without mentioning Aboitiz,” Aboitiz said. He highlighted how Aboitiz has grown alongside Cebu, from early trading ventures to establishing power plants, shipbuilding facilities, banks, residential communities, and economic zones that now anchor the region’s progress.
Aboitiz pointed to major investments by the Aboitiz Group in Cebu, including AboitizPower’s energy facilities that sustain the province’s fast-growing industries, and Aboitiz InfraCapital’s projects such as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport — a gateway that connects Cebu to the world.
He also highlighted the Mactan Economic Zone 2 Estate in Lapu-Lapu City, focused on industrial and commercial growth, and the West Cebu Estate in Balamban, the country’s shipbuilding hub now diversifying into other industries. Both PEZA-registered estates are self-sufficient communities offering complete infrastructure, utilities, and workforce support, driving local development and enhancing the Philippines’ industrial competitiveness.
Aboitiz also noted UnionBank’s strong presence in Cebu, supported by its subsidiaries CitySavings Bank and Petnet, which provide essential banking and financial services that fuel business and community growth across the region.
He further cited the Group’s partnership with Tsuneishi in Balamban, which transformed a small coastal town into a global shipbuilding center, creating thousands of jobs and economic opportunities. Beyond infrastructure, Aboitiz shared how the Group, through the Aboitiz Foundation, is investing in carbon sequestration in Cebu via the CarbonPH program, advancing environmental sustainability and local livelihoods.
As head of PSAC, Aboitiz stressed that these kinds of high-impact investments only work through close collaboration between business and government. “That’s where PSAC comes in. When President Bongbong Marcos created PSAC, his vision was clear: bring the private sector to help speed things up, to bring the corporate way of doing things — fast, nimble, no-nonsense,” he said. PSAC is working to improve ease of doing business, streamline services like PhilHealth, strengthen food security, and advance regional projects such as the continued modernization of Cebu’s airport — ensuring that systems work for people and businesses alike.
Aboitiz closed by reaffirming Cebu’s position as a vital hub for trade, culture, and innovation, calling on all sectors to work together for long-term growth. “Now, more than ever, Cebu can lead again — not just in numbers, but in how we do things. The private sector is ready. Aboitiz is ready. Our new governor is on a mission, and we’re ready to go on that mission with her. Let’s build something that lasts. Something that outlives us all,” he said.
