Clifford Lee, Global Head of Investment Banking, DBS Bank; Tan Su Shan, Deputy CEO, DBS Bank; Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Bank; Sec. Frederick Go, Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs of the Philippines; Gonzalo Ordonez, President, FirstMetroSec; Carla Grepo,Commercial Counsellor, Philippine Trade and Investment Centre-Singapore; and Peter Anthony Bautista, Senior Vice President, First Metro Investment Corporation.
Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs Secretary Frederick Go delivered a keynote speech at the 2025 Pulse of Asia Conference held at The Fullerton Hotel Singapore. The annual flagship event, hosted by DBS Global Financial Markets, brought together global institutional investors, Asia’s leading corporate leaders, industry experts, and innovators to discuss the latest developments, trends, and opportunities shaping the region.
First Metro Securities Brokerage Corporation (FirstMetroSec), in collaboration with DBS Vickers Securities (DBS), invited Secretary Go to deliver a keynote message as part of key event highlights. FirstMetroSec President Gonzalo Ordoñez introduced Secretary Go, while FirstMetroSec Head of Institutional Research Estella Dhel Villamiel moderated the Q&A session that followed.
In his address, “Transforming the Philippine Economy: Building a Global Investment Hub,” Secretary Go detailed the significant progress the Philippines has made in establishing itself as a leading investment destination in Southeast Asia.
The Philippines’ economic czar emphasized the country’s economic momentum, manageable inflation, and investment-driven growth marked by credit rating upgrades and key policy reforms such as the CREATE MORE Act, Green Lanes for Strategic Investments (EO 18), and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Code. Secretary Go also identified key sectors for investment, such as renewable energy and tourism, and highlighted major infrastructure projects under the Build Better More Program, valued at P9.6 trillion.
During the conference, FirstMetroSec facilitated the participation of 13 PSE-listed companies, including ACEN Corporation (ACEN), Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGI), Ayala Corporation (AC), Century Pacific Food, Inc. (CNPF), Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC), GT Capital Holdings, Inc. (GTCAP), Megaworld Corporation (MEG), Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (MBT), MREIT, Inc. (MREIT), Puregold Price Club, Inc. (PGOLD), Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC), RL Commercial REIT, Inc. (RCR), and SM Investments Corporation (SM).
Mark Angeles, FirstMetroSec’s Head of Equity Research Division, participated in the conference’s Expert Speaker Series. During these sessions, DBS regional strategists shared their country outlooks for each covered market, while Angeles presented FirstMetroSec’s in-house perspectives on the Philippine equity market.
The Pulse of Asia Conference continues to be a premier platform for engagement, with over 400 institutional investors from 200 buy-side firms participating each year. This year’s event featured senior management from over 70 leading companies across Hong Kong/China, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, spanning over a dozen industries. Attendees also heard from senior government thought leaders and expert speakers, including ETF specialists and DBS macroeconomics experts.