AEV earns four Golden Arrows, alongside AboitizPower and UnionBank, reflecting the Group’s continued adherence to corporate governance standards. From left to right, AboitizPower (AP) Corporate Secretarial and Legal Manager Kat Arsua, AP Corporate Secretary Atty Ranulfo Javelosa, III, Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Atty Connie Chu, Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) Corporate Governance and RPT Advisory Unit Head Atty Jessa Cedeño-Buyco, UBP Financial Crimes Risk Advisory and Regulatory Compliance Head Atty Cyril Arnesto, AEV Vice President for Governance and Compliance Atty Mailene De La Torre, AEV Assistant Vice President for Governance and Board Learning Atty Sam Santos.
The Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) has once again recognized Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) for consistently meeting high standards of corporate governance, awarding the company four Golden Arrows at the 2026 Golden Arrow Awards held at Makati Shangri-La.
AEV earned four Golden Arrows, reflecting its sustained commitment to transparency, accountability, responsible leadership, and the protection of stakeholder interests.
Two others from the Aboitiz Group were also recognized. Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) received four Golden Arrows and Aboitiz Power Corporation (AboitizPower) earned three Golden Arrows, highlighting the Group’s continued efforts to uphold good governance across its businesses.
The annual Golden Arrow Awards recognize publicly listed companies that meet corporate governance standards under the ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard (ACGS). The assessment looks at how companies protect shareholder rights, disclose important business information, manage risks, and ensure effective board oversight.
The 2026 awards are based on the 2025 ACGS assessment, which reviews governance practices and disclosures covering 2024 operations. The assessment follows the 2023 Revised ACGS, which places greater emphasis on sustainability, business resilience, shareholder protection, and board responsibilities.
For AEV, the latest recognition builds on years of consistently meeting governance standards and strengthening practices that support responsible business decisions.
These include maintaining transparent reporting, protecting shareholder interests, managing business risks, and ensuring that the Board provides effective oversight of the company’s direction and performance.
Beyond policies and compliance, AEV believes that good governance must also be reflected in how the company treats its employees, serves its customers, works with partners, and engages with communities.
AEV President and CEO Sabin M. Aboitiz emphasized that the Group’s people-first mindset is central to responsible leadership and building stakeholder trust.
“For us at Aboitiz, good governance always starts with putting people first. It means listening to all our stakeholders, understanding their needs, and making decisions that consider their interests. Strong governance is not about what we write in our policies. It’s about the decisions we make and how we conduct ourselves every day,” Aboitiz said.
“It’s good to be recognized by ICD, but what matters more is that we continue to hold ourselves to high standards and keep finding ways to do better,” he added.
This commitment is especially important across AEV’s diversified businesses in power, banking and financial services, food and beverages, infrastructure, and real estate, where business decisions directly affect customers, employees, investors, and communities.
At the awards ceremony, ICD Executive Director Mardi Mapa-Suplido emphasized that good governance plays an important role in building stronger businesses and earning public trust.
“Good governance is not just about compliance. It is about creating value,” Mapa-Suplido said.
She highlighted how transparency, accountability, effective board oversight, and protection of stakeholder interests help companies strengthen investor confidence, remain competitive, and create opportunities for sustainable growth.
Across the Aboitiz Group, these principles guide how its businesses operate. For AboitizPower, good governance supports responsible energy investments, regulatory compliance, and environmental management. For UnionBank, it helps strengthen financial risk management, customer protection, and confidence in banking services.
ICD also seeks to encourage more Philippine companies to adopt strong governance practices and remain competitive in regional and international markets.
“We want Philippine companies to set the standard for good governance in ASEAN and beyond,” Mapa-Suplido said.
For AEV, the continued recognition from ICD reinforces the importance of maintaining strong governance practices while adapting to changing business needs and stakeholder expectations.
As the Aboitiz Group continues to grow, it remains committed to strengthening transparency, accountability, board oversight, and stakeholder engagement, recognizing that good governance is not a one-time achievement but an ongoing responsibility to the people and communities it serves.