The World CIO 200 Summit 2025 – Philippines Edition gathered the country’s top technology leaders, government officials, and digital transformation champions at Dusit Thani Manila for a day of strategic insight, expert dialogue, and high-level networking.
The event commenced with a warm welcome and networking session, followed by an opening keynote from Anushree Dixit, Chief Strategy Officer at GEC. Dixit emphasized the importance of collaboration across borders and sectors, highlighting the role of CIOs as architects of sustainable digital ecosystems.
Francis Chiu, First Vice President for IT at BDO Unibank and GCF’s Country Ambassador, delivered the opening address. He underscored the responsibility of Filipino CIOs to lead with boldness and resilience in the face of accelerating change and digital disruption.
A key highlight of the morning was the VIP keynote address by Philip A. Varilla, Assistant Secretary for Infostructure Management at the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). Varilla shared the government’s vision for a digitally inclusive Philippines and outlined ongoing efforts to strengthen national infostructure and cybersecurity.
Spotlight on Strategic IT Leadership
The summit featured three in-depth panel discussions, each addressing critical dimensions of modern IT leadership:
- The Next Decade of IT Leadership
Moderated by Norman Moses Villamor Carcellar, Chief Information Officer at Unioil, this panel explored the evolving role of CIOs in balancing innovation, risk, and business outcomes. Senior executives from Gogolook, PLDT/Smart, AXA Philippines, Security Bank, and Asian Hospital and Medical Center contributed expert perspectives. - Key Technologies Driving CIO Priorities
Moderated by Sheridan Laroza, Executive Director of IT at Thermo Fisher Scientific, this session focused on the next wave of digital transformation—AI, automation, and cloud computing—and their ethical, scalable application. Panelists included leaders from Asia Pacific College, RCBC, Torre Lorenzo, Goodbank, and NEUST. - The Business Value of IT: Proving Impact Beyond Technology
Moderated by Francis Chiu, the final panel explored how CIOs are aligning IT strategies with enterprise-level growth objectives. Panelists from ING Hubs, True Money, Paynamics, DOST-PCAARRD, and Coca-Cola Philippines discussed the measurable impact of technology investments.
Honoring Excellence: The CIO 200 Awards
A key segment of the summit was the CIO 200 Awards, recognizing exemplary leaders across four categories:
- Next-Gen: Rising IT leaders making early but significant impact
- Leader: CIOs driving innovation and transformation
- Master: Visionary strategists with proven leadership in large-scale initiatives
- Legend: Lifetime achievers with a legacy of excellence in technology leadership
The awards ceremony celebrated the talent and perseverance of the Philippines’ most influential CIOs, reinforcing the summit’s commitment to empowering digital leadership.
The event also witnessed the launch of the Philippines chapter of the Global Women Leaders Forum.
The summit concluded with closing remarks from Arlene Romasanta, Global CIO Forum’s Country Ambassador, who emphasized the CIO’s pivotal role in national transformation and sustainable innovation.
