CCCI summit pushes design as Cebu’s economic catalyst

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) strengthened its push to position design at the heart of economic strategy with the successful staging of the “Good Design, Good Business Summit 2025,” on June 5 at Oakridge Studio, as part of Cebu Business Month (CBM 2025).

Framed as a decisive step toward embedding creativity into Cebu’s economic framework, the summit gathered business leaders, design experts, real estate executives, and policy influencers to elevate design from a peripheral concern to a strategic driver of innovation, sustainability, and inclusive urban development.

“This is not merely a summit—it’s a movement,” said CCCI President Jay Yuvallos in his keynote, underscoring design as a non-negotiable asset for cities aiming to stay globally competitive.

“Design is no longer aesthetic luxury. It is now central to how we solve problems, improve lives, and create resilient economies,” Yuvallos added, citing its impact across sectors such as housing, tourism, and digital infrastructure.

Yuvallos called on stakeholders to view design not as an artistic flourish but as essential infrastructure. “Good design is good business,” he said, echoing the summit’s thesis that creativity and commerce are not at odds—but are, in fact, inseparable in a modern economy.

CBM 2025 Chairman Anton Mari Perdices reinforced this outlook, describing design as a form of “invisible infrastructure” that must underpin Cebu’s growth trajectory.

“As Cebu grows, we must grow intentionally,” Perdices said. “Design must guide how we build safer, smarter, and more inclusive communities,” Perdices said.

The summit's program reflected this broad, integrated view of design’s role in development.

Presentations spanned sectors—from real estate to mental health, from energy efficiency to architecture—each advancing the argument that design-driven thinking enhances value creation, improves user outcomes, and builds long-term economic resilience.

Leechiu Property Consultants Director Edward Charles Gador opened the morning session with an optimistic market outlook.

Despite subdued government leasing activity and the absence of POGO demand, he noted that the Philippine office market rebounded in the first quarter of 2025, led by the IT-BPM sector which accounted for 55 percent of demand. Gador also projected a near-term recovery in residential real estate.

Donn Tan of global workplace design firm M. Moser Associates highlighted how “strategic design” has become a priority for corporates navigating post-pandemic realities. Tan emphasized workspace attributes like flexibility, well-being, branded experiences, and technological adaptability as baseline standards for competitiveness.

Cebu Landmasters COO and Honorary Consul Jose Franco Soberano framed design as a "responsibility," not a trend. “Good design must resonate with communities,” he said, linking thoughtful development with elevated social and environmental outcomes.

“Responsible design is smart business,” Soberano stressed.

In the afternoon, talks shifted to energy, psychology, and community-focused innovation.

Advent Energy’s Dennis Miranda advocated for integrated energy strategies, particularly solar power, in vertical developments to boost efficiency and reduce lifecycle costs.

Megawide’s Manuel Louie Ferrer spotlighted Cebu’s historic Carbon Market redevelopment as a model for sustainable urban renewal, weaving together waste management, inclusive commerce, and public-private synergy.

Clinical psychologist Natasha Paola Sandique delved into the psychological impact of physical space design, while Cubo Modular’s Yvette Grace Mangente presented prefabrication as a scalable solution to the housing gap.

Entrepreneur Allen Arvin Tan shared the creative rebirth of a midtown hotel into a hub for the arts sector, emphasizing adaptive reuse as an opportunity for developers to unlock underutilized assets.

Architect Varudh Varavarn closed the summit with a cross-border perspective on designing for disaster resilience and community empowerment.