The Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (Code) adopted by the Company in 2002 and updated in 2016 sets out how the Executive Management, team leaders, and team members can achieve and maintain ethical standards in the Company’s day to day operations and summarize the Company’s fundamental policies and directives.  

Since the approval of the Amended Code, Board of Directors, Team Leaders and Members received training and affirmed their commitments of the Code by signing the Personal Commitment Form.

In 2021, the Company Revised the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct to reflect the Group’s commitment to conduct business in a sustainable manner, prevent bribery and corruption, money laundering and comply with relevant international trade and data privacy laws. Please click here for the copy of the Code.   

As a publicly listed company, the Company is subject to numerous stringent laws and regulations. All Company employees are made aware of their responsibility to know and understand the laws applicable to their respective job responsibilities and are directed to comply with both the letter and the spirit of these laws. All employees are expected to behave properly within the bounds of law and are also cautioned to avoid any appearance of impropriety. The Company ensures that all stakeholders are aware of these various laws operating within its own environment, and adopts policies to encourage participation and prevent any violation of these laws. One such policy is the non-acceptance of gifts from persons who have a beneficial relationship with the Company. The Company makes it a point that employees know that gifts and special favors may create an inappropriate expectation or feeling of obligation. It is a policy of the Company that business gifts to, and entertainment of, non-government employees in connection with business discussions or the development of business relationships are only appropriate if they are in the ordinary course of business and their value is modest. (See Code of Ethics and Business Conduct).

In dealings with suppliers and other business partners, the Company likewise ensures that they are compliant with the laws, for example, requiring appropriate registration from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the local government units, the ERC, SEC and PSE, and other regulatory bodies. Another example is the withdrawal of the members of the Board, management and employees from transactions with potential conflict of interests as mandated. All directors are prohibited from participating in any Board discussion or decision affecting their personal, business or professional interests. All employees, officers and directors have an obligation to act in the best interests of the Company.

The Company’s Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, as well as internal policies not only require a disclosure of conflict of interest but also require a behavior to refrain from entering into transactions of the Company. At the Board level, directors are encouraged to disclose and refrain from participating or voting matters that affect their personal, business or professional interests that are likely to give rise to conflicts of interest situation. All employees, officers and directors have an obligation to act in the best interests of the Company. 

In dealings with its customers, suppliers and business partners, the Company abides by the Fair Dealing Policy found in its Code of Ethics and Business Conduct. The basis of the policy is the Company’s objective to out-perform its competition fairly and honestly through superior performance. Every employee, officer and director therefore always prioritizes the best interests of the Company’s clients and endeavours to deal fairly with suppliers, competitors, the public and one another. No one should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of facts or any other unfair dealing practice.

In dealings with suppliers and other business partners, the Company likewise ensures that they are compliant with the laws. All directors are prohibited from participating in any Board discussion or decision affecting their personal, business or professional interests in a transaction involving the Company as a party. All employees, officers and directors have an obligation to act in the best interests of the Company. 

The Company’s power generation and distribution operations are subject to stringent safety, health, environmental and other regulatory standards. For the year 2016, the Company, its subsidiaries and affiliates were fully compliant with the legal standards. AboitizPower and all its generation companies and distribution utilities were granted Certificates of Compliance from the relevant governmental agencies and bureaus requiring certification. The business units of the Company are committed to the needed expenditure and compliance requirements on occupational health and a clear demonstration of how the Company values health and safety measures in the work environment. 

Building human capital is one of the four strategic pillars of the Aboitiz Group. The Group’s Human Resources (HR) team is at the forefront of building human capital through programs that are centered on attracting, optimizing, and retaining the right talent. The Group looks for A-people who believe in its purpose and brand promise, whose values are aligned with our core values, and who will thrive in its culture. 

The Aboitiz culture is the secret sauce of the Group’s success over the past 100 years. It is about people who shape, evolve, build our culture, and preserve core values. In HR, the role is to find the right talents and place them at the right seat on the right bus at the right time.

The Group HR team functions as the governance body that develops policies and standards and instills best practices across the business units (BUs), a business partner that provides value-added services to our BUs, and a center of excellence for the Group.

HR’s strategic roles in these areas are delivered through 10 major initiatives, or what is referred to as “rocks.” Where relevant and appropriate, the Group initiates projects Group-wide to deliver on these 10 rocks. The Business Units customize and execute these projects through their respective HR teams.

The Board of Directors conduct an annual performance assessment of the Board members and key officers. The Board members conduct a self assessment of their individual and collective performance, and also evaluate the performance of the CEO, the Internal Audit Head, Chief Risk and Reputation Officer, and the Compliance Officer.

Each director conducts a self-assessment on the individual and the collective performance of each member of the Board and Board committees. In addition, each director evaluates the performance of their respective Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Internal Audit Head, Risk Officer, and Compliance Officer. In turn, select key officers of AboitizPower are anonymously asked to evaluate the performance of each of their respective companies’ Board directors.

The assessment forms are prepared and regularly reviewed by the Compliance Officers to elicit relevant and valuable insights on the following assessment criteria: (1) compliance with best governance practices and principles; (2) participation and contribution to the Board and committee meetings; and (3) performance of their duties and responsibilities as provided in the company’s Revised Manuals, Charters, Amended Articles, and Amended By Laws. In addition, AboitizPower directors are evaluated by their respective key officers based on the following criteria: (1) business acumen, (2) independent judgment, (3) familiarity with the business, (4) active participation and effective challenge, (5) professional expertise and network, (6) value contribution, (7) embodiment of Aboitiz core values, and (8) reputation. Assessment results are presented to the respective ESCG Committees as part of the nomination and selection process of incumbent Board members. The Corporate Governance Code and the Revised Manuals requires that at least once in every three years, the conduct of the Board performance assessment must be supported by an independent third party facilitator.

In 2020, AboitizPower engaged the Good Governance Advocates and Practitioners of the Philippines (GGAPP), an independent association of corporate governance practitioners, to support their Board performance assessment exercise. The results of the assessment, as well as the recommendations from GGAPP, were presented and discussed at the ESCG Committee meetings on February 16, 2021. 

Consistent with our core values, including respect for individuals and cultures, the Company is committed to a workplace in which all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. Each individual should have the ability to work in an environment that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, the Company expects that all relationships among persons in the workplace will be professional and free of bias, harassment or violence. 

To this end, the Company has adopted, among other initiatives, an Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy, in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act No. 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995.