Topic
Aristotle B. Batuhan is a seasoned public servant, infrastructure lawyer, and business leader with deep roots in national and local development. He has played a key role in shaping major public-private partnership projects, including landmark transport and water infrastructure initiatives that directly improve community access and economic mobility. With experience spanning government, private practice, and corporate leadership, he brings strong expertise in public utilities, governance, and regulatory strategy. His work reflects a consistent commitment to nation-building through sustainable infrastructure, institutional reform, and ethical leadership.
Topic
Atty. Cherry P. Llorad, CPA is a legal and compliance professional with strong grounding in Philippine taxation, accounting, business laws, and Ease of Doing Business–related issuances. She currently serves as Supervising Administrative Officer at the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA), Eastern Visayas Regional Field Office (April 2023–present), following her role as Attorney III at ARTA (February 2021–April 2023).
With experience spanning public service and private-sector practice—including work at SGV & Co. and academe—she brings a detail-oriented, process-focused perspective on governance, regulatory clarity, and the practical steps that reduce red tape and improve service delivery for investors and enterprises
Topic
Atty. Jesher Radaza represents the business formation and compliance dimension that investors must get right early—registration, regulatory obligations, and the governance requirements that underpin long-term operations. In CIIS 2026, this contribution supports a practical, investor-facing guide to entering and operating in Cebu.
Topic
Atty. Ace Durano contributes a policy-and-packaging perspective centered on how destinations become investable—not only attractive. This includes the practical requirements of tourism policy, destination structuring, and project packaging that allow capital to enter with clear rules, predictable approvals, and viable returns.
At CIIS 2026, his role supports the shift from tourism-only messaging to a stronger lifestyle economy agenda—where investments are structured for longevity, higher yield, and stronger ecosystem integration.
Topic
Benedict Uy is a construction-sector leader focused on strengthening delivery capacity for large-scale, investment-critical projects in Cebu. Through industry coordination and on-the-ground execution insights, he brings a practical view of how project timelines, contractor ecosystems, and quality controls shape investor confidence—especially in infrastructure-heavy development environments.
In CIIS 2026, his perspective anchors the discussion around what it takes to deliver complex infrastructure reliably—linking governance intent to execution reality across contractors, suppliers, and project stakeholders.
Topic
Benedict Uy is a construction-sector leader focused on strengthening delivery capacity for large-scale, investment-critical projects in Cebu. Through industry coordination and on-the-ground execution insights, he brings a practical view of how project timelines, contractor ecosystems, and quality controls shape investor confidence—especially in infrastructure-heavy development environments.
In CIIS 2026, his perspective anchors the discussion around what it takes to deliver complex infrastructure reliably—linking governance intent to execution reality across contractors, suppliers, and project stakeholders.
Topic
Candice Gotianuy contributes a talent-and-education perspective focused on aligning learning pathways to actual industry demand. Her work is relevant to investors who evaluate labor availability, skills readiness, and the long-term strength of talent pipelines as deciding factors for expansion and site selection.
At CIIS 2026, she supports the province’s competitiveness narrative by highlighting how Cebu can build stronger education–industry partnerships that prepare talent for modern sectors and investor needs.
Topic
Cleofe Albiso leads the Philippines’ largest hotel operator, the Megaworld Hotels and Resorts (MHR) with 8 brands, 15 properties, and 9,000 room keys including new locations in the pipeline. As Managing Director, she mobilizes an employee base of almost 3,000-strong individuals ready to serve guests with an elevated Filipino brand of service excellence they call the Sampaguita.
With her numerous engagements, she’s also an esteemed member of the board of the Iloilo MICE Alliance and a staunch proponent of the VISIT ILOILO campaign. She is also the chairman of the Boracay M.I.C.E Alliance and the president of the Cebu MICE Alliance.
To date, she’s recognized as the 25th Mabuhay Gold Awardee of 2022 given by the Association of Human Resource Managers of the Hospitality Industry in the Philippines. She is celebrated as the first ever recipient of the “Rising Star in Travel” awardee under the Inspiring Women in Travel Awards Woman Champion in Travel (Asia) 2023 Category for her influence in the community. In the Philippines, she is also recognized as one of the Women of Power awardees of 2024 by Philippine Daily Inquirer. Recently, she’s also honored globally by NBC Washington as one of the “Global Women Thought Leaders” mentioned in their Rising Women Feature for her efforts in the travel industry of the Philippines.
Topic
Democrito “Aljun” Diamante brings an enterprise-building perspective anchored in agricultural industrialization—specifically, building a value chain that can move from farm output into branded, export-capable product systems. His work is relevant to investors looking at inclusive growth models where rural production scales into commercial opportunity.
At CIIS 2026, he contributes a practical case view of how Cebu can build export-ready agri-products through supply discipline, product positioning, and market linkage—moving from local production to global market participation.
Topic
Dr. Brian To, OBE, is a globally acclaimed strategist and one of the rare individuals who has shaped leaders across the world’s top institutions. As a Senior Fellow at The Wharton School and former faculty in leading universities in Europe, Asia, and North America, he has earned a reputation for exceptional academic excellence and strategic insight. His work bridges military intelligence, political strategy, and global business leadership, giving investors a vantage point unmatched by typical business speakers.
Educated and trained in premier academic environments, Dr. To has collaborated with world-renowned business schools, including Wharton (University of Pennsylvania), INSEAD, City University of Hong Kong, and other globally recognized centers for executive education. His research and teaching emphasize competitive strategy, leadership transformation, and geopolitically informed investment decision-making—skills that global investors increasingly rely on.
For decades, he has advised Fortune 500 companies, national governments, policy institutions, and multinational boards, helping them navigate risk, identify safe markets, and capitalize on emerging economic frontiers. His work consistently focuses on turning geopolitical uncertainty into strategic investment advantage.
Topic
Engr. Willy Justin L. Go, Jr. is a Civil Engineer and entrepreneur with extensive experience in construction project management, business development, and operations. He holds a Master’s degree in Entrepreneurship from De La Salle University and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cebu Institute of Technology–University.
He is actively involved in construction and development firms, serving as VP–Operations/Operations Manager of WTG Construction & Development Corporation, and as General Manager/Proprietor of W.GO Construction & Supply. He also serves as VP–Operations/Operations Manager of Tagunol Gas Station.
Engr. Go holds leadership roles across professional and civic organizations, including Vice President of the Cebu Contractors Association, President of the Association of Carriers and Equipment Lessors Inc. – Cebu Chapter, Director of the Road Engineering Association of the Philippines (REAP) – Young Entrepreneurs and Professionals (YEP) and REAP – Region VII, and Commissioner of the Cebu City Sister City Commission. He is also a member of the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines, Inc. – Region VII (PCAPI-R7).
Topic
Evelyn Nacario-Castro is the Assistant Regional Director of DEPDev Region VII (formerly NEDA) and the Secretary of the Central Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC 7). A development practitioner with three decades of experience, her work spans urban and metropolitan planning, local and rural development, environment and natural resources management, education and youth development, community and social development, humanitarian assistance, and governance.
Before DEPDev, she worked with civil society organizations and served as consultant and adviser to local governments and research organizations nationwide. She convened ImPACT and a multi-sector advisory group during the COVID-19 period (2020–early 2022) to support LGUs and communities responding to emergencies.
Previously, as Executive Director of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center and Vice President for Governance and Linkages at the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., she led initiatives in youth leadership and citizenship development, recognition programs for exemplary institutions in Visayas and Mindanao, and supported metropolitan planning through the Metro Cebu Development and Coordinating Board (MCDCB/Mega Cebu).
In her current roles, she helps align regional action with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Philippine Development Plan—particularly the Central Visayas Regional Development Plan—while supervising technical and administrative divisions of DEPDev 7 and supporting RDC sectoral and special committees.
Topic
As the Chief Investments Specialist of the Board of Investments Cebu Office, Ms. Floreza
Alpuerto leads the BOI’s investment promotion and facilitation initiatives across the Visayas,
helping connect local opportunities with global investors and strategic partners.
Ms. Alpuerto has represented the BOI in numerous international business and diplomatic
engagements and has led major investment missions, including the 2023 Hong Kong Business
and Recruitment Summit. She has also supported inbound delegations from the US, Japan,
China, Germany, and other countries—actively promoting the provinces in the Visayas as
rising investment destinations.
Before joining the BOI in 2020, Ms. Alpuerto served as the Local Economic and Investment
Promotion Officer of the Cebu Provincial Government. Prior to shifting to public service, she
used to work in the private industry, particularly in the IT-BPM sector, as well as in non-
government organizations. She graduated Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication from the
University of the Philippines Cebu and completed her Master in Public Administration degree
from the Southwestern University PHINMA.
With her strong background in public administration and communications, Ms. Alpuerto brings
both policy insight and practical experience in fostering partnerships that drive regional growth.
Topic
Gamaliel Vicenta Jr. brings a technical education and workforce development lens that is central to investor confidence—especially for industries that require job-ready talent, vocational pipelines, and consistent training capacity. His work aligns skills development with priority sectors and the practical requirements of employers and investors.
At CIIS 2026, he supports the argument that education and healthcare aren’t only social priorities—they are also investment enablers that strengthen Cebu’s ability to attract, retain, and scale enterprises.
Topic
Hon. Nathaniel “Nat” M. Oducado is a lawyer and the Representative of the 1TAHANAN Partylist in the 20th Congress. A staunch advocate for Filipino families, he champions policy reforms that make daily life more secure—starting with the fundamentals of stable housing, reliable employment support, and accessible pathways to livelihood.
In Congress, he serves as Vice Chairperson of the Committees on Housing and Urban Development and Climate Change, placing him at the intersection of two priorities investors and communities increasingly share: resilient human settlements and sustainable, risk-aware development. His legislative agenda focuses on accessible housing as a cornerstone of family welfare, alongside forward-looking initiatives such as modernizing the Philippine maritime industry and strengthening social protection through proposals like unemployment insurance and digital livelihood programs, including support aimed at vulnerable groups such as single parents.
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Jose Franco Soberano is a Cebu-based real estate leader focused on scaling property platforms that respond to actual demand drivers—housing, townships, and the workforce accommodations that make large projects viable. He brings a commercial developer’s view of what it takes to build livable ecosystems that support employers, supply chains, and long-term local growth.
In CIIS 2026, his contribution centers on the practical side of investability: how Cebu can meet the housing and township needs that investors and their workforces require as capital and jobs expand.
Topic
Mr. Joseph Tan is the Founder and Chairman of Sheridan Marketing, Inc., a sales and distribution company with over 52 years of operations, specializing in quality electrical, hardware, automotive, homecare, and general merchandise products. He began his entrepreneurial journey at the age of 22 and has since built the company into a nationwide organization serving markets across the Philippines. He is also involved in the ownership and operation of hotels and resorts in key tourism destinations nationwide.
