Manila, Philippines — 2 May 2025 — The United Nations Global Compact and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York convened a high-level dialogue with participant companies and organizations of the Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP) on 2 May 2025, at the BPI Townhall in Makati City. The in-person session brought together a broad range of Philippine stakeholders, including nonprofit organizations, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and some of the country’s largest corporations, for strategic discussions on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The dialogue featured Ms. Tonilyn Lim, UN Global Compact Chief of Programmes, and Mr. Jesus Enrique Garcia II, Minister at the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. It was organized following the UN Global Compact’s participation in the High-Level Conference of Middle Income Countries hosted by the Philippine government on 28–29 April.
A key focus of the dialogue was the need to mobilize private financing for SDG acceleration, particularly in Lower Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like the Philippines.
“To accelerate SDG progress, we need a significant shift in how funding flows, particularly in lower middle-income countries where transitions are urgent and the potential for impact is high,” emphasized Ms. Lim, underscoring the need to strengthen ecosystems that enable businesses to drive large-scale, system-wide change.
Mr. Garcia reaffirmed the Philippine government’s partnerships with the private sector, especially in light of the country’s goal of transitioning to Upper Middle-Income Country (UMIC) status by 2026.
“The government supports enabling SDG-aligned businesses to thrive,” he said. “As the Philippines progresses towards UMIC status, we are putting in place the right conditions for purpose-driven companies to grow, not just economically, but sustainably and inclusively.”
The session drew strong engagement from GCNP participants, including Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., Ayala Corporation, ASSIST Asia, BPI, Globe Telecom, Inc., Goldrich Industrial Packaging Corp, Manila Doctors Hospital, Morination Agricultural Products, Philippine Marketing Association, PLDT Inc., and San Miguel Corporation. They represented sectors such as agriculture, banking, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing, and nonprofit organizations—all actively advancing the strategic priorities of the UN Global Compact and contributing to SDG targets through their ongoing initiatives and commitments.
“We are proud to stand alongside partners who believe in the power of business to drive sustainable change,” said Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, Chief Reputation and Sustainability Officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures and VP for Marketing of the GCNP Board of Trustees. “Our journey continues to be guided by purpose, accountability, and the ambition to create long-term value.”
The dialogue marked a pivotal step toward deeper collaboration between the private and public sectors. The UN Global Compact, through the Global Compact Network Philippines, and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the United Nations committed to working closely together to ensure that the key points raised during the session—particularly those related to financing, ecosystem strengthening, and policy engagement—are translated into concrete action in support of the SDGs.