The ASEAN CSR Network supported national partner Integrity Initiative to deliver the 5^th edition of the Integrity Summit on 9 December 2015 at the Shangri La Hotel in Manila, Philippines. ACN’s contribution was made possible through the financial support of the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK FCO) Prosperity Fund. The Integrity Initiative is co-convened by the Makati Business Club and European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine together with other partners.

The event was held on International Anti-Corruption Day and featured high-level personalities from the private and public sectors. In the opening session, UK Ambassador to the Philippines H.E. Asif Anwar Ahmad emphasized that the fight against corruption must not be limited to one single day but practiced all 365 days of the year. He cited examples of British government and private sector efforts in tackling corruption and bribery and instilling a culture of integrity, focusing on the importance of holding those in positions of power accountable for their corrupt acts. He said Filipinos should not be too patient and forgiving towards those who are proven to be corrupt.

In his remarks before Philippine President H.E. Benigno Aquino III, Integrity Initiative and Makati Business Club, Chair Mr. Ramon Del Rosario re-affirmed the private sector’s commitment in doing its part to combat corruption. Mr. Del Rosario cited the formation of the Regional Working Group on Business Integrity, an initiative led by ACN  and supported by the UK FCO, as an example of how private sector stakeholders from around ASEAN are learning from one another, sharing resources and best practices, and working towards harmonised regional programmes against corruption. President Aquino responded by citing the gains that the administration’s “Daang Matuwid” (“straight path”) anti-corruption agenda has produced over the past five years and called on the private sector to continue to do its part.

ACN Programme Director Jerry Bernas delivered a message on behalf of the ACN and the Regional Working Group on Business Integrity in ASEAN, citing the need to translate advocacy into action and the importance of regional partnerships, especially within the context of ASEAN integration.

Other speakers included UNDP Country Manager Titon Mitra, World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi, Philippine Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, Supreme Court of the Philippines Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, and former economic adviser Cielito Habito, among others.