One of the main events of 2025 was the Philippines-Australia Business Council’s (PABC) 50th Anniversary. Established in July 1975, PABC commemorated this special occasion in a grand celebration that was held at Manila Polo Club in Makati last November 12.
This milestone event marks five decades of excellence, collaboration, and growth through active engagement across the industries, businesses and government sectors of the Philippines and Australia. Their primary goal is to promote trade, economic cooperation, and fostering friendship between the business communities of both countries.
PABC is more than just a business group. For five decades, their dedication and hard work in establishing good business relations between Philippines and Australia are testaments of their commitment in bringing national prosperity and progress.
Honoring Our Past
Formerly called The Philippines Australia Business Cooperation Committee (PABCC), PABC was jointly organized in Metro Manila in July 1975 by the Philippine Chamber of Industries under its then Chairman, Mr. Raul Boncan and the Council of Economic Development under its then President, Mr. David Sycip. It has a counterpart Council in Australia, the Australia Philippines Business Council (APBC), which was also established in July 1975.
PABC’s main purposes are:
▪ to promote trade, economic and technical cooperation and tourism between the Philippines and Australia;
▪ to establish a channel of communication with its counterpart in Australia and with other agencies and organizations concerned with the promotion of Philippine-Australian economic and business relations;
▪ to foster friendship and understanding between the business communities of the Philippines and Australia in general, and to establish closer cooperation in those areas which will enhance the growth of the Philippines; and
▪ to promote missions and arrange receptions of visitors when considered appropriate.
The event was graced by the presence of distinguished guests namely: Hon. Delia D. Albert (former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Philippine Ambassador to Australia), H.E. Marc Innes-Brown (Australian Ambassador to the Philippines), Hon. Allan Gepty (Department of Trade and Industry Undersecretary for the International Trade Policy Group), Hon. Rona Beth Goce (Executive Director of the Department of Foreign Affairs Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary), and Mr. Rafael Toda (President of the Australia Philippines Business Council).
The celebration’s program was emceed by Antonio Enriquez II and Albert M.G. Garcia.
PABC Chairman, Atty. Dennis A. Quintero, stated in his welcome address, “On behalf of the Philippines Australia Business Council, I wish to welcome and thank all of you for sharing your time with us in PABC's 50th anniversary celebration.”
PABC Chairman, Atty. Dennis A. Quintero
“The PABC and our counterpart in Australia the APBC were created 50 years ago pursuant to the trade agreement between the Philippines and Australia in 1975. The two councils were then called the Philippines-Australia Business Cooperation Committee (PABCC) and the Australia-Philippines Business Cooperation Committee (APBCC) founded as initiatives of respective business communities in 1975.”
“In the Philippines, the business leaders instrumental in the PABC's founding were from the Chamber of Industries of the Philippines (CIP) that eventually formed part of today’s Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI). Other business leaders who shared these initiatives were in the Council for Economic Development (CED) that have since been incorporated in the mandate of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).”
“On 18 October 1993, the PABCC was strengthened with its registration as the Philippines-Australia Business Council (PABC) at the Securities and Exchange Commission.”
During the celebration, PABC honored and awarded the government and business sector leaders in the Philippines and Australia with whom the PABC has collaborated with during the last 5 decades in their various programs and advocacies. Principal awardees were Ambassador Delia D. Albert and posthumously Atty. Leo G. Dominguez (whose award was received by his daughter Amanda).
PABC Trustee Atty. Roberto Lim | PABC Chairman Atty. Dennis A. Quintero | Amanda Dominguez | Ambassador Delia D. Albert | H.E.. Marc Innes-Brown
Atty. Quintero noted, “The Philippines and Australia are strategic partners in many ways, including in trade and investment. Following the extensive government and private sector initiatives between the two countries, priority sectors (including critical minerals, energy, education and training, and agriculture) have been mutually selected and great effort has been devoted to further grow the bilateral engagement.”
“The council and its members are continuing to work to improve the regulatory framework and promote the priority sectors. We look forward to more years of fruitful, dynamic, and meaningful engagement between the two countries.”
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Ambassador Delia D. Albert
Hon. Delia Domingo Albert is a Filipina career diplomat who served as the 23rd Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs from December 22, 2003, to August 18, 2004. She was also the first woman career diplomat to serve as foreign minister of a Southeast Asian country.
During the PABC anniversary celebration, she gave an inspiring speech where she shared her meaningful and memorable moments as Philippine Ambassador to Australia from 1994 until 2002.
She stated, “Due to my exposure to the mining industry in Australia, President Arroyo appointed me... as the President's Envoy for the Mineral Industry, which took me around the world several times attending conferences on mining and visiting mining sites and promoting investments in the industry, something I have continued to do…”
“To carry out my mandate as Envoy for Mining, as you heard earlier, I created the Minerals Development Council. The operative word was ‘development’, under the Office of the President as an effective platform to implement the Mining Act of 1995 and implementing the Minerals Action Plan.”
“I thank Australia for remembering me after so many years after I left Canberra...”
“Thank you PABC and APBC for making my assignment to Canberra one of the highlights of a diplomatic career lasting more than four decades. I am delighted, therefore, to see that the relations between our two countries is strengthening and flourishing not only through our economic and political ties, to which you, PABC and APBC have contributed, and continue to do so, but also to the commitment of both countries to keep our regions safe and prosperous. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat.”
(right) ‘The Prospector’ (1970s) is an artwork showing gold mining as depicted by Australian painter, Stephen Franks.
Kinship: Manilamen/Aussies Art Exhibit
An art exhibit was also held during the grand celebration at Manila Polo Club, featuring a well curated art collection by Lumena Auctions. The selection delivers a compelling story about common ancestry and artistic brilliance. Some pieces with deep cultural roots include the Ifugao Master Carver’s “Seated Bulul Mayayao Style” from 1920 and “Ritual Punamhan Box” from early 20th century. These selections reflect indigenous traditions from form the bedrock of the celebration.
Atty. Quintero said, “The journey continues through the forged connections of the post-war era, where Stephen Franks ‘The Prospector’ (circa 1970s) embodies the rugged determination that characterized growing economic partnership, while Vicente Manansala’s ‘Baguio’ (1973) reflects our own cherished landscape through his masterful transparent cubism.”
“We hope that you have all enjoyed the art and sculpture exhibit carefully curated by our friends at Lumena Auctions that celebrates the kinship, shared values, and shared interests of Filipinos and Australians.”
Mining Masterclass Sponsored by the Australian Government
Prior to the celebration, the Australia-Philippines Business Council and the Philippines-Australia Business Council, on their 50th anniversary, jointly supported the Masterclass on Reduced Impact Mining (Current and Emerging Production Technologies for Gold and Copper) which was held at Marco Polo Ortigas last October 2025.
Professors Aleksandar Nikoloski and Tina Phiri Chanda from Murdoch University Harry Butler Institute in Perth, Western Australia, presented on proven and emerging beneficiation, extraction and refining technologies in copper and gold production in the context of balancing resource demand/energy transition needs with environmental stewardship.
The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade sponsored this masterclass. The event was well attended by mining professionals and engineers from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Department of Science and Technology, the Philippine Mineral Reporting Code Committee member associations, and the private sector.
For more information about Philippines-Australia Business Council, please visit their website at https://pabc.org.ph/.
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Photo credit: Philippines-Australia Business Council
More photos from the event ...
