30 July 2014 - Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Antonio A. Morales, joined by First Secretary and Consul Mersole J. Mellejor, had his introductory meeting with officials of Keppel Corp. in a dinner hosted by the Singapore-based company’s Chairman Lee Boon Yang on July 25. Chairman Lee was accompanied by key members of Keppel’s management team.
During the meeting, Ambassador Morales thanked Chairman Lee for Keppel’s investments and confidence in the Philippines as well as for the company’s active involvement in a number of Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives and skills training programs in the country. He invited Keppel to be on the lookout for fresh opportunities to infuse more investments and expand its operations in the Philippines.
Philippine Ambassador Morales also congratulated Chairman Lee and his team for Keppel’s being named as the best governed and most transparent listed company in Singapore in the Governance and Transparency Index (GTI) 2014, besting frequent winner SingTel and last year's title-holder, the Singapore Exchange (SGX), to the top spot.
The rankings were announced, and the top five companies honored, at the CPA Forum organized by CPA Australia last July 24. The index, into its sixth year after its re-launch as the GTI, is a tripartite collaboration between CPA Australia, NUS Business School's Centre for Governance, Institutions and Organizations (CGIO), and The Business Times, The GTI, which aims to reflect the key trends in Singapore's corporate governance landscape, looked at 644 Singapore-listed companies that released their 2013 annual reports before May 31, for its 2014 edition.
Chairman Lee and his team gave Ambassador Morales a brief overview of Keppel’s operations in the Philippines as well as the company’s future plans and prospects in the country.
Chairman Lee thanked Philippine Ambassador Morales for making time to accept the invitation as he recognized Keppel’s close relations with former Philippine Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz.
He reiterated his company’s commitment to maintaining excellent relations with Ambassador Morales and with the Philippine Embassy in Singapore even as he and his team expressed satisfaction of Keppel’s successful operations in the Philippines.
Established in 1968, Keppel is one of the most recognizable companies in offshore rig design, construction and repair, ship repair and conversion and specialized shipbuilding, with a footprint in over 30 countries and a workforce numbering over 40,000. The company’s business also covers infrastructure, logistics, data centers and real estate, among others.
Keppel’s subsidiaries in the Philippines include Keppel Philippines Holdings, Keppel Philippine Properties, Keppel Subic Shipyard, Inc. and Keppel Philippines Marine. Keppel Philippines Shipyard in 1975 was the first overseas venture of the company. END