Left to right: Jozsef Acabo, Vice President at ESGpedia, Benjamin Soh, Founder and Managing Director at ESGpedia, Jonas Marie Dumdum, Vice Chairman, Sustainability Committee at Institute of Corporate Directors Philippines, Frances L. Ariola, Head of Corporate Communications at Energy Development Corporation, a First Gen Group Company, Joneil Año, Head of Sustainability at Metrobank, and Thibaut Meurgue-Guyard, Co-Founder at AlterCOP
Manila, Philippines, 23 June 2026 –
As Philippine companies prepare for sustainability and climate-related disclosures under Philippine Financial Reporting Standards (PFRS) S1 and S2, ESGpedia today convened business leaders, sustainability practitioners, and corporate decision-makers for an executive forum focused on helping organisations transform ESG reporting requirements into opportunities for stronger governance, improved access to capital, and long-term business resilience.
The forum comes as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) advances the adoption of PFRS S1 and S2, bringing Philippine sustainability reporting in line with ISSB standards. As investor and regulatory expectations continue to rise, listed companies face growing pressure to strengthen ESG governance, and improve the quality and consistency of their disclosures.
“Across Asia, we are witnessing a fundamental shift in how sustainability performance is measured, managed, and communicated,” said Jozsef Acabo, Vice President at ESGpedia. “For Philippine businesses, the latest PFRS S1 and S2 disclosure requirements represent an opportunity to strengthen governance, improve transparency, attract investment, and build long-term business resilience. Our goal is to help organisations navigate this transition with confidence and practical digital solutions.”
In the Panel Discussion ‘PFRS Reporting: What does this mean for Philippine Businesses?’, panelists dived into common reporting gaps observed across Philippine listed companies and what it takes to embed ESG into strategy, risk management, and operations.
Participants explored how digital technologies can streamline ESG data collection, carbon accounting, and disclosure processes, improving both efficiency and data quality. Real-world examples highlighted how companies are using sustainability data to support financing opportunities, build stakeholder trust, and meet rising investor and customer expectations.
Jonas Marie Dumdum, Vice Chairman of the Sustainability Committee at the Institute of Corporate Directors Philippines, said: “We are seeing board directors that are either interested or are becoming serious in taking a more active role in overseeing environmental and social topics, as their connection to enterprise value becomes clearer and more pronounced to those that they leave a mark on. Rather than treating sustainability as a separate reporting exercise for the sake of regulatory compliance, leading organisations are integrating sustainability-related impacts into strategy, risk management, and even to financial and infrastructure investment decisions. This enables firms to better align sustainability initiatives with long-term resilience and create value for all of their stakeholders.”
Joneil Año, Head of Sustainability at Metrobank, said: “Sustainability disclosure is increasingly shaping how customers, investors, lenders, and regulators assess the way a company conducts its business and how it prepares for future challenges and opportunities. We recognize that the sustainability journey can be difficult, especially for companies in sectors with more complex transition needs. Financial institutions have an important role to play in engaging with these firms, understanding where they are in their transition journey, and supporting them as they take practical steps forward. As PFRS S1 and S2 promote greater consistency in reporting, sustainability information will become more important in supporting better conversations on financing, investment, and long term value.”
Frances L. Ariola, Head of Corporate Communications at Energy Development Corporation, provided her perspective as a company navigating increasingly rigorous disclosure requirements: “Reliable sustainability reporting starts with reliable data. Leveraging ESG tracking tools to establish clear data ownership, strengthen internal controls, and embed ESG data collection into existing business processes is critical to improving consistency and auditability. As disclosure expectations continue to evolve, companies need to treat sustainability data with the same level of rigor as financial data.”
With Philippine companies serving as key suppliers to regional and global markets, ESGpedia noted that the ability to provide transparent, credible ESG data will be pivotal for maintaining competitiveness in international value chains and capturing new growth opportunities. The forum builds on ESGpedia’s ongoing work helping organisations across Asia simplify digital ESG data management, calculate greenhouse gas emissions, generate audit-ready sustainability reports, and advance supply chain ESG management.
“As sustainability requirements continue to evolve, organisations need a clear pathway from compliance to business value,” added Acabo. “By combining technology, expertise, and practical implementation support, ESGpedia aims to empower businesses to transform sustainability from a reporting obligation into a catalyst for growth and competitiveness.”
For further information, please contact:
ESGpedia (www.esgpedia.io)
Grace Lim, Vice President – Marketing & Communications
Email: [email protected]
About ESGpedia
ESGpedia (ESGpedia Pte Ltd) is Asia’s leading ESG data and technology company, headquartered in Singapore. The ESGpedia platform serves as a one-stop digital platform for sustainability, empowering more than 1,000 corporates, SMEs, and financial institutions in achieving ESG excellence and various sustainability outcomes. It provides end-to-end ESG solutions, covering digital data management, carbon calculation, ESG reporting, supply chain ESG, and sustainable finance. ESGpedia has presence in over ten Asia-Pacific countries, and powers key initiatives across the region, including the ESCAP Sustainable Business Network (ESBN) Asia-Pacific Green Deal digital platform. ESGpedia is GRI-licensed and ISO 14064-validated. For more information, please visit www.esgpedia.io.
