9th February, Taka

To catch the Ayala Foundation’s 6.15 shuttle, we get up at 5.30 a.m. Drinking black coffee on the 34^th floor, we watch the sun being overcome by drizzle before ascending further up by the back staircase to the helipad from where we will be taken to the Youth Leadership Congress in Taka, a 25 minute helicopter ride away. As well as two dashing pilots, we share the helicopter with  Bill Luz, Vice President of the Foundation and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, President of the Ayala Corporation.

Because of a wall of fog, the helicopter wheels around and we land in a school playground where we find a presidential line of cars waiting to pick us up. The congress is attended by the CEOs of all the Ayala Group’s companies, including Ayala Land, Bank of the Philippines Islands, Globe Telecom and Manila Water Company; these companies have a combined net income of US$252.6 million USD. What is most revealing is how well these business leaders seem to know all of the young people attending. This is because the final decisions on who participates are based on interviews conducted by the CEOs, who say that these are one of the highlights of their year; that it is so refreshing to deal with curious and fresh minds.

While we watch the opening ceremony and the ensuing question and answer session,  it becomes apparent to us how valuable and inspiring it is for these young people to be listened to by the country’s top business men and women; impressions have clearly been made on both sides.

Tags: Ayala Foundation, Youth Leadership Congress

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