Left to right: Chief Operating Officer of Philippine Stock Exchange Atty.Roel Refran, AESSEP Chairperson Engr. Sandra Tormon-Chu, Chief Technology Officer of SteelAsia Mr. Pek Hoong Chong, and Practice Lead on Corporate Sustainability of the ECCI Group Mr. Karthik Subbruraman in discussion
MAKATI CITY, Philippines — Industry leaders and government officials gathered at the Philippine 2025 Sustainability Now forum held on April 23, 2025, at Dusit Thani Manila to explore modern approaches to sustainability in business.
The event was spearheaded by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ICCPI) in partnership with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), The Philippine Energy Alliance (PE2), CRIF Asia, and the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines (SEIPI).
It highlighted the evolving strategies towards sustainability done by the organizations in involved in the event.
In the second panel discussion about Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and green business practices, The Association of Electronics and Semiconductor for Safety and Environmental Projection and Plant Engineering (AESSEP)’s Chairperson, Engineer Sandra Tormon-Chu, shared her two decades of expertise in environmental management, regulatory compliance, and sustainability program development. Speaking on the panel, she underscored the importance of adaptability and persistence in implementing green business practices.
The Association of Electronics and Semiconductor for Safety and Environmental Projection and Plant Engineering (AESSEP)’s Chairperson Engr. Sandra Tormon-Chu
“It’s not perfect, but the key is consistency. We need to be creative and innovative every time,” said Sandra when asked about the challenges and progress her team has faced. “When a project doesn’t work, we don’t stop after one attempt—we innovate again.”
Engr. Tormon-Chu, alongside SteelAsia’s Chief Technology Officer Mr. Pek Hoong Chong, emphasized the two factors that aided their organizations’ journey to a much greener and environmentally friendly workplace, was consistency and resourcefulness.
“There are many criterias in the ESGs, but in my opinion, I think a company just needs to find a [sweet] spot- or an opportunity- that works for them,” Mr. Pek Hoong Chong starts, “It was challenging yes- but you have to keep doing it after finding the way.”
Left to right: Co-Founder, Owner & CEO iONTEK Power Solutions Miles Ballestar, Chief Operating Officer of Philippine Stock Exchange Atty.Roel Refran, AESSEP Chairperson Engr. Sandra Tormon-Chu, Chief Technology Officer of SteelAsia Mr. Pek Hoong Chong, and Practice Lead on Corporate Sustainability of the ECCI Group Mr. Karthik Subbruraman.
The forum served as a platform for dialogue and collaboration across sectors, with multiple companies and organizations introducing their innovative products, solutions and strategies, reaffirming the country’s commitment to sustainable development.