After conducting eight Virtual General Membership Meetings (VGMMs) via the Zoom online platform, the Association of Carriers and Equipment Lessors (ACEL) finally held a physical GMM last July 27, 2022 – its first face-to-face quarterly meeting since the March 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.
Held at the Gloria Maris Restaurant in Greenhills, San Juan City, the gathering attracted 77 attendees: ACEL members who were all eager to reconnect with friends and colleagues face-to-face after two years of virtual meetings. Two games – “Bato-Bato Pic” and a cup-stacking contest – made their “reunion” even more fun.
But while the meeting was marked with festivity, it also focused on a serious topic that was of interest to everyone: the Philippine construction industry’s vision for the next 10 years. Barry Paulino, Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) executive director, tackled this in his presentation entitled “Building More and Better for the Future.”
Dealing with the second phase of the previous administration’s “Build! Build! Build” infrastructure program, Paulino’s talk essentially discussed the “Philippine Construction Industry Roadmap 2020-2030” that was drafted by the Department of Trade and Industry-Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines (DTI-CIAP) in partnership with the PCA and with technical assistance from the Research, Education, and Institutional Development (REID) Foundation. In drawing up this roadmap, various stakeholders from the different sectors of the construction industry were also consulted in order to come up with a balanced and holistic approach in crafting the vision of the industry.
With the theme “Tatag at Tapat 2030,” the roadmap aims to improve the quality of construction services, consistent with the principles of sustainability; increase the number of globally competitive Philippine players with expanded scope, scale and specialization of services; equip the whole project cycle with efficient and modern technologies, founded on a culture of integrity, professionalism and innovation; and strengthen the institutions so that these goals can be achieved. “Achieving all these.” Paulino pointed out, “entails being a global partner in building nations.”
Since the July gathering was the first physical GMM to be held in two years, it provided the occasion to introduce to the ACEL membership the companies which were inducted into the Association during the period of virtual meetings. These were Maxiload Transport and Services Inc., Highland Tractors Parts Inc., Equiprime Optimum Solutions Inc., KCD Builders Corporation, and Prime Metro BMD Corporation.
The meeting also gave ACEL the chance to publicly acknowledge and thank its 2022 sponsors. These are Olympic Engineering and Sales Corporation, Trelleborg Marine and Infrastructure, JAP Construction and Development Corporation, Civic Merchandising Inc., Inframachineries Corporation, Faequip Corporation, C.M. Pancho Construction Inc., Highland Tractors Parts Inc., Monark Equipment Corporation, Megawide Construction Corporation, and Equiprime Optimum Solutions Inc. Following ACEL’s usual practice, a raffle draw, where some lucky attendees won such amazing prizes as a 40-inch TCL Android television set, a neck and back massager, and a Pacsafe anti-theft crossbody bag, was held as a closing highlight to ensure that the meeting ended on a happy note and a promise of more exciting, physical gatherings to come.
