PBSP elects new officers

Philippine Business for Social Progress, or PBSP, said it has elected Manolito T. Tayag as chairperson, Margot B. Torres as vice chairperson, Rossana A. Fajardo as treasurer, and Carolina A. Racelis as corporate secretary, while Manuel V. Pangilinan moved to the newly created role of chair emeritus and will continue serving as a trustee.

PBSP announced the leadership changes in a Feb. 26 statement.

The transition closes Pangilinan’s long run as chairperson, a post PBSP said he had held since 2000, during which the organization expanded its programs, deepened partnerships, and reinforced the private sector’s role in nation-building.

The leadership reshuffle comes as PBSP, founded in 1970, continues to position itself as the Philippines’ largest business-led NGO for social development, working at the intersection of corporate citizenship, sustainable development, and poverty reduction.

At its 55th Annual Membership Meeting in January, the organization said its network includes more than 260 member companies and individuals.

Tayag takes over the chairmanship after serving PBSP in several governance roles, including trustee from 2014 to the present, audit committee member from 2014 to 2015, audit committee chair from 2016 to 2021, and vice chairperson from 2022 to 2025.

PBSP said Tayag brings decades of experience in technology, consulting, and digital transformation, including his stint as Accenture Philippines country managing director until his retirement in 2022.

The organization also identified Tayag as vice chairperson of Philippine Business for Education, a trustee of the Makati Business Club and ASA Philippines Foundation, and an independent director of PHINMA Education Holdings Inc., Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., and FWD Insurance Philippines.

Torres assumes the vice chairmanship after her election to the board of trustees in 2025. PBSP said she currently serves as managing director of McDonald’s Philippines and has received distinctions including the lifetime Agora Award for Marketing Management and the first-ever Tambuli Chief Marketing Officer of the Year award.

PBSP said Torres also previously led the Philippine Association of National Advertisers and the Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines, and later served as private sector communications lead for Task Force T3 during the government’s COVID-19 response.

Fajardo, meanwhile, became a trustee and was elected treasurer in 2025, when she took over as country managing partner of Sycip Gorres Velayo & Co., or SGV & Co., which PBSP described as one of its founding members.

PBSP said Fajardo previously served as SGV Consulting Leader from 2015 to 2025 and currently holds the role of EY ASEAN Business Consulting Leader, a position she has held since 2020. It added that she brings more than three decades of experience in auditing, risk management, and governance, and is a former commissioner of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure.

Under its new leadership, PBSP said it plans to scale up its NextGen initiatives, described in the release as “off-the-shelf” programs meant to invest in the future of human capital. The organization said it committed PHP 10 million from its own surplus in 2024 to launch the initiatives.

Among the flagship programs is “Masustansyang Pagbubuntis, Masiglang Kamusmusan,” or MaMa, which PBSP said is designed to combat malnutrition, improve maternal care, and support early childhood development during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.

PBSP also highlighted its Literacy Enrichment Training and Reading Assistance, or LETRA, program, which it said addresses the country’s literacy crisis through teacher training and learner support for grades 1 to 3.

Another part of the NextGen portfolio involves helping companies comply with the Extended Producer Responsibility law, which requires covered enterprises to recover a portion of their plastic packaging footprint under Republic Act No. 11898 and its implementing rules. PBSP said net proceeds from that work help fund the MaMa and LETRA programs.

The organization said the rollout of these programs reflects a broader effort to turn business-sector resources into scalable social investments in health, education, and sustainability.

PBSP said the leadership transition also coincides with its renewed accreditation from the Philippine Council for NGO Certification, or PCNC, which it described as another marker of the group’s commitment to integrity, quality, and accountability.

According to PBSP, it has received PCNC accreditation six times since 1999 and is one of the council’s founding members. PCNC says its accreditation system serves as a prerequisite for NGO registration with the Bureau of Internal Revenue as a qualified donee institution, underscoring why reaccreditation carries weight for nonprofit groups seeking donor trust and tax-recognized status.

PBSP said the latest reaccreditation reflects the organization’s governance, management, and financial sustainability as it continues its mission of uniting businesses for social development.