Lim, president and COO of DITO CME Holdings Corp., said the group will prioritize measurable programs that deliver impact beyond its membership.
“Our country does not need more spectators analyzing its challenges from the sidelines. It needs leaders willing to get into the arena, to work with calloused hands and open hearts, and to build something that outlasts our individual tenures,” Lim said during his inauguration as MAP’s 78th president, alongside the 2026 board of governors.
“It asks us to lead not only for profit, but for people; to lift not only our enterprises, but our nation. And while the challenges are real, they are not insurmountable,” he added.
MAP’s 2026 work plan
• Cluster MAP committees into cross-sector groups focused on sustainability, healthcare, and inclusive growth.
• Align MAP programs with Visayas and Mindanao priorities and bring regional members into national planning.
• Launch a Partnerships for Nation Program to expand collaboration beyond MAP.
• Work with government agencies, local government units, academe, civil society, and the private sector.
ASEAN year, higher stakes
Lim said 2026 raises the bar as the Philippines takes the ASEAN chairmanship, with business expected to take a bigger role in the region.
“The Philippines assumed the ASEAN chairmanship for 2026. This is not only a diplomatic milestone; it is a leadership test for us in the private sector,” Lim said.
“It means shifting from programs that serve only our members to initiatives that serve the nation. It means measuring our success not by the number of seminars we conduct or the size of our membership rolls, but by the tangible difference we make in the lives of Filipinos who may never attend a single one of our gatherings,” he added.
Digital push and next-gen bench
He said MAP will provide private-sector inputs on trade, sustainability, and digital integration, while expanding cross-border dialogues, business missions, and partnerships.
Innovation will be a major track, with MAP backing policies that expand digital infrastructure and digital literacy nationwide.
“MAP has always stood for management excellence - but excellence, if it remains only an aspiration, is not enough,” Lim said.
“Excellence must be lived. Excellence must be acted upon. Excellence must be shared. The result of such excellence must be beneficial to all,” he added.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
