The 13th Arangkada Philippines Forum convenes various stakeholders to explore perspectives on upskilling and upscaling human capital to accelerate the country’s growth.

It identifies opportunities and challenges for the labor market posed by shifting demographics and rapid technological advancements, with a focus on key economic sectors like agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and other emerging industries. It also aims to advocate for much-needed economic reforms that can pave the way for a future-ready workforce and uplift the lives of Filipinos.

As in previous years, representatives from government, experts, industry leaders, and members of the business and international development community will be invited to deliver keynote speeches and provide their insights in the panel discussions.

PROVISIONAL AGENDA

(As of October 21, 2024)

Time Start Time End Activity
7:30 AM 9:00 AM Registration
9:00 AM 9:05 AM Opening Ceremony
9:05 AM 9:10 AM Welcoming Remarks
Mr. Paulo Duarte
President, European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines
9:10 AM 9:15 AM Program Overview
Ms. Katie Stuntz
Project Director, The Arangkada Philippines Project
Opening Keynote
9:15 AM 9:20 AM Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Mr. Joseph Um
President, Korean Chamber of Commerce Philippines
9:20 AM 9:35 AM Opening Keynote Speech 1
Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma
Department of Labor and Employment
9:35 AM 9:40 AM Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Mr. Julian Payne
President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines
9:40 AM 9:55 AM Opening Keynote Speech 2
Usec. Rafaelita Aldaba
Competitiveness and Innovation Group, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
Panel 1UPSKILL: Adapting to A New Workforce

This panel will tackle the demographic and technological shifts that are reshaping the landscape of work. Panelists will dive deep into current trends and offer insights on how demographic dividends can be better leveraged to benefit the economy, highlighting the importance of upskilling and lifelong learning to level up our workforce. It will also focus on strategies to strengthen the linkages between the academe and the business community to address underemployment, job and skill mismatch, and other challenges in the labor market.

9:55 AM 10:00 AM Introduction of Panel Presenter, Moderator, and Discussants
Mr. Nobuo Fujii
Vice President, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc.
10:00 AM 10:15 AM Panel Presentation
Ms. Karthika Radhakrishnan
Senior Education Specialist, World Bank
10:15 AM 10:45 AM Panel Discussion
Ms. Karthika Radhakrishnan
Senior Education Specialist, World Bank

Atty. Cinderella Filipina S. Benitez-Jaro
Executive Director, Commission on Higher Education

Mr. Joey Concepcion III
Founder, Go Negosyo

Ms. Frankie Antolin
Executive Director for Talent Attraction & Development, IBPAP

Moderated by:
Ms. Ma. Flordeliza Leong
Vice President for Advocacy and Communications, PHILEXPORT

10:45 AM 11:00 AM Open Forum
11:00 AM 11:05 AM Health Break
Special Address
11:05 AM 11:10 AM Introduction of Speaker
Mr. Ebb Hinchliffe
Executive Director, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines
11:10 AM 11:30 AM Special Address
Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero
Senate President, Senate of the Philippines
Panel 2UPSCALE: Strengthening the Backbone of our Value Chains

The second panel will revolve around the crucial task of strengthening our workforce in the key sectors that form our value chain: agriculture, mining, and manufacturing. In the context of rapid technological advancements, experts will discuss the need for critical skills and technologies required to upscale our industries, address concerns on job displacement, and explore ways to generate higher quality jobs for Filipinos.

11:30 AM 11:35 AM Introduction of Panel Presenter, Moderator, and Discussants
Mr. Shigeru Shimoda
Vice President, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc.
11:35 AM 11:50 AM Panel Presentation
Ms. Ivanna Dela Torre
Senior Director, Coca-Cola Philippines
11:50 AM 12:20 PM Panel Discussion
Ms. Lilian Salonga
Director Bureau of Competitive Development, Department of Trade and Industry

Dr. Dan Lachica
Chief-of-Party, Advanced Manufacturing Development Alliance

Atty. Mike Toledo
Chairman, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines

Moderated by:
Mr. Bobby Batungbacal
Executive Director, Makati Business Club
12:20 PM 12:30 PM Open Forum
Lunch
Midday Keynote
1:00 PM 1:05 PM Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Mr. Harutaka Ishikawa
President, Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines, Inc.
1:05 PM 1:25 PM Midday Keynote
Mr. Khalid Hassan
Country Director, International Labor Organization
Panel 3UPLIFT: Nurturing Talents for the Future

The panel will focus on examining the emerging roles and skill sets necessary to accelerate the sustainable and inclusive development of the country. The discussion will emphasize the significance of investing and expanding green and digital jobs to fully transition to a green economy and examine social and economic interventions needed to empower and uplift the workforce.

1:25 PM 1:30 PM Introduction of Panel Presenter, Moderator, and Discussants
Atty. Mimi Lopez-Malvar
Director, Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters, Inc.
1:30 PM 1:45 PM Panel Presentation
Mr. Bilal Muhammad Khan
Social Sector Economist, Asian Development Bank
1:45 PM 2:15 PM Panel Discussion
Mr. Bilal Muhammad Khan
Social Sector Economist, Asian Development Bank

Deputy Dir. Gen. Nelly Dillera
Deputy Director General, Technical Education And Skills Development Authority

Ms. Mishy Co
Executive Director, GoDigital Pilipinas

Mr. Jo-A Lozano
General Manager, Emerson Electric Asia Ltd.

Moderated by:
Dr. Richard Abendan
Chief-of-Party, U.S.-Philippines Partnership for Skills, Innovation, and Lifelong Learning Program

2:15 PM 2:30 PM Open Forum
2:30 PM 2:35 PM Health Break
Arangkada Lifetime Achievement Awardee
2:35 PM 2:40 PM Introduction of Awardee
Mr. Julian Payne
President, Canadian Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines
2:40 PM 2:50 PM Acceptance Speech Mr. Alfredo Pascual
Closing Keynote
2:50 PM 2:55 PM Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Mr. Paulo Duarte
President, European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines
2:55 PM 3:15 PM Closing Keynote Speech
Ambassador Franz-Michael Mellbin
Danish Ambassador to the Philippines
3:15 AM 3:25 AM Special Address
Cong. Mark O. Go *video recording
Chairman of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education, House of Representatives
3:25 PM 3:30 PM Closing Ceremony
Networking and Cocktails
3:30 PM 5:00 PM Networking Session