Insider Spotlight
Speaking at the 2026 Philippine Sustainability Now Forum organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Makati City, Aboitiz Equity Ventures chief reputation and sustainability officer Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar said the company's approach focuses on creating stronger business linkages instead of relying solely on additional recycling infrastructure.
The big picture
“The future of circularity is not about building more recycling facilities. It is about building better business connections,” Hontiveros-Malvar said.
The strategy positions circularity as both an environmental and business imperative as companies face rising material costs, resource constraints and increasing sustainability expectations from investors and consumers.
The group also ranked among the top three Philippine conglomerates in the 2025 S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment, reflecting its environmental, social and governance performance, the company said in a release.
Across its businesses, Aboitiz Foods and Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines have expanded packaging recovery systems that have diverted more than 3,600 tons of plastic waste since the Extended Producer Responsibility law took effect in 2023.
Recovered PET bottles are processed by PETValue Philippines into food-grade recycled resin for new beverage bottles, helping reach one billion recycled bottles in 2024. Residual plastic materials are supplied to Republic Cement for use as alternative fuel, diverting more than 1.5 million metric tons of waste from landfills while reducing fossil fuel use.
Why it matters
The ecosystem approach also extends to other business units. At Aboitiz InfraCapital's LIMA Estate, water reuse, composting, materials recovery and renewable energy projects are integrated to improve resource efficiency.
AboitizPower is creating value from industrial by-products while expanding renewable energy capacity, while UnionBank is reducing resource consumption through digital banking and supporting sustainable financing initiatives.
“As the Philippines’ first techglomerate and as a diversified portfolio of businesses, we are creating value and helping industries become more sustainable by connecting businesses into one circular ecosystem,” Hontiveros-Malvar said.
Looking ahead, the conglomerate aims to integrate these initiatives more closely into a unified circular business ecosystem where resources, capabilities and partnerships generate greater value across its operations.
“For Aboitiz, our greatest opportunity is to transform from a collection of sustainable businesses into a truly circular business ecosystem,” Hontiveros-Malvar said. — Princess Daisy C. Ominga| Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
