The Business Manual Ushers in its New Era by Empowering Future Philippine Leaders
With the tagline "Connecting leaders to the future," the publication celebrated its new era as a premier authority on business and leadership.
The Business Manual gathered leaders of business and industry to celebrate the publication’s renewed era as an authority on business and leadership in the Philippines.
Held at the Sage Grill, Makati Shangri-La, the March 26 event encouraged conversations focused on key leadership lessons, the current economic climate, and the role of The Business Manual in shaping the future of Philippine business.
“Our mission is simple, but it is urgent," said Apples Aberin, vice president for One MEGA Group Lifestyle Media Brands. "We exist to connect leaders to the future. To offer clarity in an increasingly complex world, and to create space for conversations that move businesses forward, whether they are MSMEs [micro, small, and medium enterprises] or the country’s largest institutions."
His journey with The Business Manual began in the middle of the pandemic, said Archie Carrasco, the publication's acting editor-in-chief.
It the midst of all the uncertainty, he said, "we saw the fighting spirit of people who refused to give up."
"I saw a generation that was bold, creative, fearless, and hungry. A generation willing to start, willing to hustle, willing to dream big...but I also saw a painful reality," he said.
Many were entering business with passion and courage, but without enough guidance, preparation and a roadmap to sustain what they had started.
"That is where the idea for The Business Manual came from," Carrasco said. "I want it to be useful. I want it to be honest. I want it to be inspiring. Most of all, I want it to help people navigate the realities of business through the lessons of those who have lived it."
GMA Network Films president and CEO Annette Gozon-Valdes, Wildflour Hospitality Group president and CEO Ana Lorenzana de Ocampo, and Aivee Group co-founder and president Aivee Aguilar-Teo, three of The Business Manual’s March 2026 cover personalities, joined the event.
Several figures in the banking and investment industry also graced the occasion, including Karen Roa, First Metro Asset Management CEO and president; Koleen Davila-Paragas, SM Investment group head of sustainability; Philip Hagedorn, ATRAM Group president and CEO; Alessandra Araullo, ATRAM Group chief investment officer; Karen Cua, BDO Network Bank head of products; Valen Yu, RCBC chief marketing officer; and Meri Filart, Security Bank Credit Cards business head; and Paula Salak, retail deposit and payroll unit head Paula Salak.
SM Malls president Steven Tan and Rockwell Land Corporation president and COO Valerie Lopez-Soliven represented the real estate sector.
