The Philippine government, through the Board of Investments (BOI) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), recently presented to International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) the 2017 Guinogulan Award for Large Enterprises for the latter’s significant contribution to the country’s economic growth. The Guinogulan, which means “Lord of Gold” in Filipino, recognizes BOI-registered companies that contribute to the country’s economic growth through capital infusion, employment generation, introduction of new technologies and innovation, implementation of community relations, economic linkages, and adoption of inclusive business models in their operations. Gonzalez highlights inclusive business strategies, sustainability In a BOI interview, Mr. Gonzalez highlighted ICTSI’s inclusive business strategies in people management, stakeholder relations, environment and sustainability, and corporate social responsibility (CSR):  “We have long term concessions.  The very nature of our contracts would allow us to think and plan long term for our employees, the communities we are in, the governments we work with, the businesses and stakeholders in the supply chain, and the environment.  We have to think sustainably from the very start to survive as a business.” ICTSI Philippine employees are given the opportunity to work abroad in the Group’s global operations with the assurance that their jobs are secure when they return home.  “Employees on overseas assignment are given expatriate remuneration. They are expected to rollout ICTSI’s brand of terminal operations in a foreign port, but when they go back home, they have to share the knowledge they acquired overseas,” says Mr. Gonzalez. In providing value and in ensuring businesses and stakeholders in the supply chain remain profitable, ICTSI implements leading edge port technology and innovation to allow seamless systems and processes, and transparency; and a more empowered client base that could easily make decisions with the real-time information that ICTSI provides. “The technologies we employ, aside from providing value to all stakeholders in the supply chain, guarantee that all aspects of ICTSI’s port operations are environment-friendly.  Key considerations to our recent equipment acquisitions are carbon emission and noise pollution levels, and fuel efficiency, among others,” he adds. On CSR, Mr. Gonzalez says:  “The best CSR programs are the ones often unheard of.  Through our ICTSI Foundation, we have implemented programs that provide support mechanisms to the youth in the areas of education, health and community welfare, and sports.  We’ve closely coordinated with public schools and hospitals in our immediate communities.  We’re not only doing this locally, but globally.” MICT success story, BOI support  DTI Secretary Ramon M. Lopez presented to Christian R. Gonzalez, ICTSI senior vice president and head of Asia Pacific region, a commissioned trophy sculptured by Filipino artist Ramon Orlina during an awards gala at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. “On behalf of ICTSI chairman Mr. Enrique K. Razon Jr., and on behalf as well of the men and women behind the success story of the MICT, I would like to express our most heartfelt gratitude to the BOI and DTI,” says Mr. Gonzalez. “For the past 29 years, the BOI has been a key partner in the continuous development of the Philippines’ most important container terminal.  Thanks to BOI, our capital funding in Manila has institutionalized MICT as the largest, most modern and premier trade gateway in the country.  Without BOI, ICTSI would have not achieved its stature today—the only truly Filipino global multinational,” he adds. ICTSI is monitored for its multi-billion peso capital investments in MICT since its registration in BOI in 1990.  BOI ensures that ICTSI projects are completed and delivered on time in the light of government incentives.  For the last three decades, ICTSI has a proven track record of exceeding government compliance especially with its contractual commitments in the operations, management and development of the MICT. “Our MICT success story is what we have replicated in our concessions overseas, and this again would not have been possible without the BOI’s support.  This public-private partnership at the Port of Manila is something we Filipinos can all be proud of,” says Mr. Gonzalez. The MICT, as ICTSI’s flagship base, is the Company’s benchmark in the development of its terminals worldwide.  As of date, ICTSI has a portfolio of 31 port terminals and projects in 18 countries, and has a workforce of 10,000 employees worldwide, 2,000 of which are based in the Philippines. Filipino brand breaking through globally DTI Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo underscored a Guinogulan awardee’s stature as a world class and global Filipino company:  “The award does not only support Philippine global branding but also further highlights the competitive advantages of doing business in the Philippines with the awardees as living proofs and testimonies to the viability and profitability of doing business in the country.” The Guinogulan is the highest award conferred by a host government and its home country to ICTSI in recent months.  For the past years, ICTSI and its subsidiaries have been receiving local and international accolades for excellence in supply chain management, corporate governance, financial management, investor relations, people management, industrial relations, innovation and technology, sustainability, public relations and communication, and CSR and philanthropy.