The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. marked its tenth consecutive year of participation in the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality initiative. This year, officers of The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE), Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEx), Philippine Depository and Trust Corp. (PDTC), United Nations (UN), and UN Women led the bell ringing event on Tuesday, March 10.
The global Ring the Bell for Gender Equality program advocates gender equality and women’s empowerment in the marketplace, workplace, and community.
In his welcome message, PSE COO Atty. Roel A. Refran cited gender equality as a catalyst for enterprise growth and driver of sustainable development as among the reasons why PSE continues to support this global initiative. He said, “We see significant opportunities for the Philippines to champion gender equality in the region and the world. In several ways, we have begun this journey. According to a study published by the UN Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative just last week, the Philippines is second in Southeast Asia in terms of board seats held by women, at 22 percent. This is a two percent increase from 2023. The same study showed that we rank second globally in terms of CFO roles held by women, at 37 percent”.
Atty. Refran also mentioned PSE’s participation last November 2025 in the Asia Pacific Sustainable Finance Systems Lab, under the broader Gender Action Lab of UN Women, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative (SSE), and World Federation of Exchanges (WFE). “This initiative aims to push for real and tangible action on gender equality. The Sustainable Finance Systems Lab exists to utilize the regulatory and market development infrastructures of stock exchanges and securities commissions to push for gender equality in business. By joining the Sustainable Finance Systems Lab, we committed, among others, to promote gender-responsive practices among publicly listed companies, strengthen social disclosure, and connect women with capital.”
Atty. Refran called on listed corporates to be more deeply involved by embedding gender equality into strategies, operations, and company policies. “One way to do this is to become a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, just as PSE did exactly six years ago. This is a commitment that will provide companies with a 7-point framework so that gender equality can be incorporated into the company culture.”
The organizations behind the Ring the Bell for Gender Equality include WFE, SSE, IFC, UN Global Compact, and UN Women.
Photo 1 (from left): Philippine Depository & Trust Corp. President Ma. Theresa B. Ravalo, UN Philippines Resident Coordinator Office Head Matija Kovac, UN Women Philippines Country Programme Coordinator Ma. Rosalyn Mesina, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Regional Programme Manager and Technical Advisor Katja Freiwald, UN Resident Coordinator for the Philippines Arnaud Peral, PSE COO Atty. Roel A. Refran, PSE Issuer Regulation Division Head Atty. Marigel M. Baniqued-Garcia, PSE General Counsel Atty. Veronica V. Del Rosario, PSE Treasurer Omelita J. Tiangco, and Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. President Stephanie Marie A. Zulueta
Photo 2 (from left): UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Regional Programme Manager and Technical Advisor Katja Freiwald, UN Resident Coordinator for the Philippines Arnaud Peral, PSE COO Atty. Roel A. Refran, PSE Director Atty. Marilyn A. Victorio-Aquino, PSE Chairman Jose T. Pardo, and PSE Independent Director Jaime J. Bautista
