Event Report

Legal 500’s GC Summit Philippines 2026 brought together general counsel in Manila to discuss, alongside law firms, the legal, regulatory and operational issues affecting businesses in the Philippines and across the region. The programme focused on artificial intelligence, labour and data governance, financing, regulatory developments and the evolving role of general counsel, with speakers sharing practical perspectives drawn from in-house and private practice experience.

The summit opened with a keynote address from Millicent Joie Desiderio-Dime of Accenture, who reflected on the expanding role of ethics, compliance and governance in organisations undergoing digital transformation. She highlighted how legal teams are increasingly expected to balance innovation with responsible risk management, particularly as businesses adopt emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

The first panel, held in association with SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan, examined intellectual property issues arising from the use of artificial intelligence. Anthony W. Dee, Ma. Patricia B. Paz-Jacoba and Leo Francis F. Abot of SyCipLaw were joined by Christine V. Pangilinan-Canlapan of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, Kristian Nico Calugay Acosta of CTI Group and William Chino T. Adasa of Amazon Web Services. The discussion addressed ownership of AI-generated works, the treatment of datasets and large language models, and liability risks associated with generative AI tools. Speakers also discussed governance strategies and contractual safeguards that organisations can adopt to manage legal and reputational risk.

Labour and data privacy formed the focus of the following session, held in association with Cruz Marcelo & Tenefrancia. Jerome D. Canlas, Rogelio D. Torres Jr and Ramon Manolo A. Alcasabas were joined by Francis Euston R. Acero of Meralco, Cecilio Alejandro C. Villanueva of the National Labor Relations Commission and Caroline P. Lagos of Nestlé Philippines. The panel examined employee monitoring, workplace investigations and cross-border data transfers, with speakers highlighting the need to balance operational oversight with employee data protection obligations.

Mark S. Gorriceta of Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra then delivered a keynote presentation on the state of AI regulation in the Philippines and across ASEAN. The session explored legislative proposals, governance principles and emerging regulatory approaches, alongside the potential impact on corporate accountability, labour practices and business strategy.

This was followed by a panel, also held in association with Gorriceta Africa Cauton & Saavedra, on adopting AI at scale within organisations. Mark S. Gorriceta, Kristine T. Torres and Edsel F. Tupaz were joined by Ambe C. Tierro of Accenture and Maria Rosell S. Gomez of PwC Philippines. The discussion examined governance frameworks, procurement considerations and data readiness, as well as the role of legal teams in supporting enterprise-wide AI adoption. Speakers also discussed workforce transition planning and the importance of clear accountability structures as organisations deploy AI technologies.

Labour and employment developments were addressed in the next session, held in association with Villaraza & Angangco. Rashel Ann C. Pomoy was joined by Rhys Alexei Y. Murillo of Nissan Philippines, Thea Marie B. Jimenez of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation and Cielo Marjorie A. Goño of Huawei Technologies Philippines. The panel discussed recent jurisprudence, regulatory developments and enforcement trends affecting employers, with a focus on practical compliance strategies and workforce risk management.

The discussion then turned to secured lending and regulatory developments under the Personal Property Security Act in a session held in association with ACCRA Law. Joseph Anthony I. Malaya and Shiree Amor P. Roma were joined by Gwendolynn S. Padilla of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation

and Gerardo Panga Sirios of the Land Registration Authority. Speakers discussed the operation of the registry, practical issues for lenders and borrowers, and how the framework is supporting secured financing in the Philippines.

Emerging trends in financing transactions were explored in a session held in association with Tiaoqui Sese-Relucio & Mendoza. Mark Tiaoqui, Andrea Antonette A. Sese-Relucio and Timothy Joseph Mendoza were joined by Juan Paolo Colet of China Bank Capital, Philip Miguel I. Ranada of Prime Infra and Cristina G. Ngo of BDO Unibank. The panel discussed project finance, syndicated lending and acquisition financing, as well as the expanding role of general counsel in managing transaction risk from structuring through to financial close.

Artificial intelligence and the evolving role of general counsel were further explored in a session held in association with Weave Solutions. Rosario M. Gruet was joined by Freedom Ianfe M. Navidad of Meralco, Dodjie Lagazo of ACEN and Joan A. De Venecia-Fabul of PLDT. The discussion focused on how legal teams are moving from oversight to strategic involvement in AI adoption, including governance, risk detection and compliance monitoring.

The final discussion examined the relationship between general counsel and external advisers. Millicent Joie Desiderio-Dime of Accenture and Lorna Patajo-Kapunan of Kapunan & Castillo Law Offices shared perspectives on collaboration, expectations and how legal teams are working more closely with external counsel as the GC role continues to expand.

Closing remarks were delivered by Kristian Nico Calugay Acosta of CTI Group, who reflected on the breadth of issues covered throughout the programme and the growing strategic role of legal teams in supporting business objectives.

We thank all sponsors and speakers for their support and look forward to welcoming participants at future Legal 500 GC Summit events