2017 IWEC Awardee Bing Limjoco “Limjoco Becomes the Voice of Business” in the Philippines

By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat

At her age and stature, Alegria S. Limjoco more popularly known as “Bing,” could have just go about her leisurely pleasures, but she cannot. The call for her to pursue what she does best – helping startups – was too compelling for her to ignore.

Limjoco is the new president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization, earning her the distinction as one of only two women presidents to have run the country’s voice of business.

Continuity

“My doctor told me ‘you don’t need this stress’,” says Limjoco when she consulted his physician and even his family, who resisted the idea of her leading the highest post at the PCCI.

Throwing all cautions to the air, Limjoco hit the ground running. Over the past few weeks, she requested fellow board members for inputs and guidance to develop a work plan that will build on the accomplishments of the previous leaderships. She revived the old practice of conducting a strategic planning.

“The goal was to create a plan that would outline our mission and vision for PCCI’s continued growth and sustainability and for smooth implementation of projects,” says Limjoco, who used to serve as PCCI Director.

To avoid unnecessary stress, Limjoco said she would also defer to the Board for position on certain issues of national interest.

All she wanted is continuity of the PCCI leadership. She noticed that one reason good projects do not get implemented in any organization or even in government when new leadership takes over is the lack of continuity. Every administration would like to start new and unwilling to pick on what had been started even if the past programs are really good.

Limjoco is not just concerned about continuity of project implementation, but also succession at PCCI. She would like to ensure sustainability of the organization. Thus, she vowed to cultivate and nurture new and young leaders to succeed PCCI’s leadership.

In this case, she cited her predecessor George Barcelon for the creating and leading the committee on Youth, Services and ICT. She cited the need to nurture the youth, who have great ideas on the new ways of doing business in the digital age.

“We really prepared for the next generation, who will be the next presidents. When you see qualities in them, develop them to become future leaders,” says Limjoco. She saw a number of potential leaders at PCCI.

“We can always be there as advisers, we just have to guide them and they listen to the advisers,” adds Limjoco, noting the need to listen to the wisdom of the senior leaders.

“I cannot disregard them, I like continuity,” stresses Limjoco.

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