ANVIL'S FRIDATE WITH SENATOR GRACE POE

Anvil's President Mr. Reginald Yu lead the Anvil Business Club (Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs ) in a "FriDate" with The Honorable Grace Poe during the Club's third Business Exchange Forum for the year. The jam-packed affair saw almost two hundred members and VIP guests in attendance, including a delegation from the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (菲華商聯總會), led by President Alfonso Siy, and the Philippine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (菲律賓中國商會), led by its President, Jose Go, among others. In a rare occasion, the Honorable Senator was accompanied by her loving (and very humble, low-key) husband, Neil Llamanzares.
In her short speech, Sen. Grace Poe began by thanking the Anvil Business Club for being "one of the few organizations who took a big chance with... (her) when they unselfishly supported... (her) bid for Senator during the time when.. (she) was still a virtual unknown." Moreover, she lauded the Chinese-Filipino community for its continuing efforts in leading the business sector as the primary drivers responsible for the country's continued economic growth. With a current Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 6.2% posted in 2014, the country has "gained credibility among investors and the international community, and this has translated to a stronger economy," she asserted. While she commended the Chinese-Filipino businessmen in the audience for their successful pursuit of wealth creation, she also urged them to focus on manufacturing and agriculture, as these would help make wealth distribution more equitable through job generation.
The good Senator also underscored the importance of creating a quality workforce through proper education. "But one of the most important aspects we need to realize is that there can be no quality performance on an empty stomach," she said. The Solon shed light on a United Nations study which estimates that six million Filipino children are malnourished and around 66% under the age of six do not have childcare. For this reason, she filed Senate Bill No. 79, "Sustansya sa Batang Pilipino" Act, which institutionalizes a free nutri-meals program for students in all public and elementary schools nationwide. Senator Poe called on private sector support through their respective Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities or through simple donations to public schools.
She also pushed for channeling more government funds towards improving the country's major infrastructure – such as new airports, underground transport systems, railway rehabilitation. "Infrastructure," she said, "is a vital component in encouraging a country's economic growth." Developing infrastructure enhances a country's productivity, consequently making firms more competitive and boosting a region's economy. In line with this, she also encouraged the development of "virtual" infrastructure, such as on-line procurement systems in an effort to deter corruption.
She ended her remarks by crediting the Aquino Administration for setting the stage for good governance and emphasized that the country would need a leader with the moral footing to continue the fight against corruption and uphold the tenets of good governance after PNoy's term ends.
Based on her performance on the Senate floor, which the public has keenly observed during the PDAF hearings and, recently, in her investigation on the Maguindanao tragedy, among others, a good number of Anvil members were convinced that the good Senator is clearly a woman whose sense of mission is matched by her “balls of steel.”
For my response, I said that I hope to speak for the greater majority of the Club members when I proclaim our steadfast belief that Senator Grace Poe has been vested the greater potentials for her brand of service that our nation direly needs; to her accrues the greater segment of the nation’s hope for survival and advancement. "Senator Grace personifies the kind of public servant who tells us what we need to hear, not what we want to hear," I concluded. "This is the kind of 'Amazing Grace' who will certainly stay in our collective sub-conscious, especially when our citizenry looks beyond 2016."
The well-attended forum was made more colorful with the support of PhilRealty, represented by its stunning Sales and Marketing Manager, Ms. Gionna Jimenez Cabrera (2005 Binibining Pilipinas-Universe) and its captivating Sales Executive Robyn Tan (2013 Miss Chinatown Philippines finalist), who made a presentation for their latest residential development project, "SkyVillas at One Balete" in Quezon City. They were endorsed by Anvil member Johanson Dy Cheng.
The evening also saw the induction of eight new and dynamic young individuals into the growing roster of Anvil members – largely as the result of the efforts of Director for Membership, Nizelle Lim.
Kudos to the outstanding team behind the mega-success of this event: newly-minted Anvil Directors Jayson Sze, Katherine Sy-Yap, Lorina Tan, and recently-promoted Vice-President for Programs Patrick Cua. Honorary Director and Past President Steven T. Cua also lent his invaluable services as the evening's co-host, together with Lorina Tan. This was an acid-test of their leadership and they certainly did not disappoint. Congratulations!
P.S.: When I shook the Senator's hand, I was bemused with her first statement: "Akala ko ikaw si Xian Lim."