The forum titled “Growth corridors: Pathways out of poverty,” was held at the SAFAD Theater in �������� Talamban Campus. The event brought together a diverse assembly of stakeholders, including representatives from the private sector, government agencies, civil society organizations, the academe, and students from various regional institutions.

The dialogue served as a platform for �������� SBE—the only academic unit in Central Visayas holding Level III bachelor’s and Level II master’s accreditation in Economics from PAASCU—to lead critical discussions on the region’s fiscal future.

Fr. Francisco Antonio T. Estepa, SVD, Ph.D., President of the University of San Carlos, opened the proceedings by reminding attendees that while urban corridors hold immense potential as engines of commerce, they must primarily serve as “platforms for inclusion.”

“Potential is not destiny,” Fr. Estepa said, noting that sustainable growth requires deliberate choices, trusted institutions, and planning that views people as the purpose of economic growth rather than “footnotes” to it.

Irene Arzadon, an economist from the World Bank Group, presented “Closing the gaps: The role of urbanization and local service delivery for integrated development in the Philippines.” Arzadon noted that while economic convergence is underway, significant disparities persist. She emphasized that well-managed urban corridors in the Visayas can accelerate development by transitioning workers to higher-productivity jobs. 

Arzadon urged local government units (LGUs) to leverage increased budgets from the Mandanas-Garcia ruling to prioritize health, education, and digital connectivity.

Offering a broader fiscal perspective, World Bank Senior Country Economist Jaffar Al-Rikabi discussed the “Philippines macroeconomic update.” Al-Rikabi presented a “gloomy” 2026 outlook following a slowdown in GDP growth to 4.4% last year, which he attributed to a collapse in public investment. 

Despite low inflation of 1.7%, Al-Rikabi warned that the Philippines trails its peers in tourism recovery and expressed concern over a fiscal shift from infrastructure to operating expenses. He projected that growth could recover by 2027 if the government restores institutional credibility and manages climate risks.

The subsequent panel discussion, facilitated by Francisco M. Largo, Director of the Office of Population Studies, delved into regional specifics.

Evelyn Nacario-Castro, Assistant Regional Director of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Regional Office VII, highlighted Central Visayas’ 7.3% growth rate. She noted that the “Sug-Bohol” coordination via Executive Order 82 is vital for reaching single-digit poverty targets.

Virgilio “Nonoy” Espeleta, Trustee of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warned that Metro Cebu has reached a “breaking point” regarding water and traffic. He advocated for clustering LGUs into “shared services” hubs to eliminate administrative bloat.

Ar. Joseph Michael P. Espina of Espina, Perez-Espina and Associates, proposed a “multinodal” dispersal of growth. He suggested a “ridge-to-reef” greenbelt and electric P2P bus routes to protect watersheds while decongesting the urban core.

In his closing remarks, Julius P. Relampagos, Ph.D., Dean of the �������� School of Business and Economics, called for a “four-point agenda” to transform urban corridors. Relampagos emphasized that despite national “investment headwinds,” the Visayas remain the focal point for closing welfare gaps. He acknowledged the insightful flow of the day’s panel and stressed that success depends on completing backbone connectivity and modernizing local financial management.

The Philippine Economic Update is a flagship, biannual report of the World Bank. This edition underscores that while urban corridors are vital for growth, achieving true poverty reduction requires strong institutions and effective local service delivery to ensure no region is left behind.

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Under the MOA, the University will provide “an innovative management development course exclusively to select CCLEC employees and employees of NLEX and MPT Mobility based in Cebu.” The certificate program is in line with Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation’s (MPTC) succession planning and talent development program known as the Building Leadership Depth (BuiLD) program. 

According to CCLEC President and General Manager Engr. Allan G. Alfon, he is confident of the University’s quality of education, as he himself is an alumnus who studied at �������� from kindergarten to college. Engr. Alfon is also currently a member of the University’s Board of Trustees. 

“I brought them here because we wanted them to be equipped with more competencies and learnings from this prestigious university,” he shared.

Meanwhile, �������� President Fr. Francisco Antonio T. Estepa, SVD, expressed his appreciation for CCLEC in partnering with the University. “We hope this partnership will help the selected employees grow as professional practitioners in their respective fields. We’ll help you become the professionals you all wanted to be.” 

The following were present during the MOA signing: Engr. Alfon, Fr. Estepa, CCLEC Vice President and Project Manager Herbert C. Laboy, SBE Dean Lauro Cipriano R. Silapan Jr., DBA, SBE Assistant Dean Myrla Gidayawan, Ph.D., External Relations and Internationalization Office (ERIO) Director Br. Bela Lanyi, SVD, M.Arch., SBE program chairs and faculty members, and selected CCLEC employees (below). 

Apart from helping CCLEC develop and hone its future leaders, the University of San Carlos also aims for the certificate program to serve as a starting point for more partnerships with other industries, supporting business growth and further boosting the economy in Cebu and the Philippines.

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Topline Business Development Corporation, represented by School of Business and Economics (SBE) alumnus Eugene Erik C. Lapasaran Lim, made the donation as part of the University’s Research, Infrastructure, Scholarship, and Endowments (R.I.S.E) Program on October 12, 2023.  

Meanwhile, the family of the late Jon Ramon Aboitiz also donated two smart classrooms in the Downtown and Talamban campuses for the University’s science and engineering programs.

During the July 8 smart classroom blessing, Topline officers were represented by Mr. Lim and other officers of Topline, namely: Alvin L. Lato (Commercial Fuel Trade Vice President for Operations), Atty. Constance Marie C. Lim (Vice President and Chief Finance Officer), and Brigitte Carmel C. Lim (Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer).  

The Jon Ramon Aboitiz smart classroom was inaugurated on July 18 and was graced by the Aboitiz family represented by Maria del Rosario V. Aboitiz, Eduardo Alfred V. Aboitiz, and his wife, Natalia Zobel Aboitiz.

�������� President Fr. Francisco Antonio T. Estepa, SVD, Ph.D., Vice President for Administration Atty. Joan S. Largo, Ll.M., Vice President for Academic Affairs Fr. Jesuraj Anthoniappen, SVD, Ph.D., SBE Dean Melanie R. Banzuela, Ph.D., SBE Assistant Dean Lauro Cipriano R. Silapan Jr., D.B.A., and Dean Rosana J. Ferolin, D.I.T. of School of Engineering, faculty, staff, and students also participated in the respective events.

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This partnership between the University of San Carlos and Deloitte Philippines follows the success of the team of third-year B.S. Accountancy students composed of Nefalin Demafiles, Danielle Mae Louise Go, Christian lan Omandam, and Lawrence Sarigumba, known as “Happy and Deloitted,” who won the championship in the Southeast Asia Deloitte Tax Challenge on March 14–15, 2024 in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Representing Deloitte Philippines during the signing ceremony were Atty. Fredieric Landicho (Country Managing Partner), Atty. Carlo Navarro (Philippines Tax & Legal Leader and Southeast Asia Transfer Pricing Leader), Errol Pielago (Human Resource Senior Manager), Jonathan Quiroga (Audit Director), Christopher John Fuentes (Audit Manager), and Kirk Saromines (Assistant Audit Manager).

Meanwhile, �������� was represented by University President Fr. Francisco Antonio T. Estepa, SVD, Ph.D., Brenette Abrenica (Director, Office of External Relations and Internationalization), Dr. Melanie Banzuela (Dean, School of Business and Economics), Dr. Lauro Cipriano Silapan Jr. (SBE Assistant Dean), Dr. Challoner Matero (Chair, Department of Accountancy), and Joemel Dakay (Assistant Chair, Department of Accountancy), together with the officers from the Junior Philippine Institute of Accountants.

With reporting from the Department of Accountancy

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The Carolinian contingent was composed of Jianne Ilysse Yu and Queenie Casquejo (Department of Accountancy); Jandel Gil Sarto and Jonathan Sia (Department of Business Administration); and Darlyn Joy Ponce (Department of Economics). 

Sarto and his group emerged as the Champion in the Business Plan Competition while Casquejo’s team secured the 2nd runner-up title. In addition, Yu achieved the highest score in the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) examination while Casquejo placed 5th. Both were also nominated as Best Female Presenter.

As a week-long program, AmCham aims to offer qualified Filipino students the opportunity to exchange ideas and have an in-depth understanding of key global and economic issues. It also hopes to enlighten future businesses and community leaders about the pivotal role played by multinational companies in driving the country’s progress and development.

AmCham’s rigorous selection process allows only 30 students nationwide to participate. This ensures that “the best meets the best” and �������� continues to demonstrate its active participation and firmly establishes itself as one of the leading universities in the country.

Reported by Jandel Gil Sarto

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The Carolinian contingent, Team Prime Quad, was composed of Sean Christoff Benedict Yap, Jasha Atonne Almirante, Glenn Ivan Jabalde, and Fernalene Joy Lumangyao. They were accompanied by their adviser and Department of Business Administration, Angelo O. Burdeos.

Out of 80 teams from 43 schools in the Philippines, the �������� students made it to the finals round where they competed against the top six schools and placed 2nd runner-up. 

The PwC Mergers and Acquisitions Challenge is the country’s pioneer mergers and acquisitions-focused business case competition for college/university students in the Philippines.

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The webinar was attended by first- and second year SoEn students taking up Bachelor of Science in Business Administration majors in Human Resources and Marketing, B.S. Entrepreneurship, B.S. in Accountancy, as well as students from the School of Healthcare Professions.

The program was arranged by Vicente S. Maravilla, Jr., MBA, the Program Manager of CSE for Research and Academics, to highlight the triple bottomline – people, planet, profit – with clear results and impacts as part of the advocacy of the �������� Center for Social Entrepreneurship.

The webinar is part of the curriculum build up for SoEn 1 and SoEn 2 going in to the Concept Plan of the students who will do a video presentation of their ideation process on how to solve environmental pollution especially plastics. The focus on plastics is aligned with efforts that has started in �������� to properly manage waste inside the university campus. Future CSE webinars will tackle other relevant and contemporary social issues affecting our communities.

The webinar was live streamed in �������� CSE Facebook page and also in SBE’s FB page which has now reached more than 5k viewers.

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