Let me wax nostalgic today as I commemorate the establishment of the Stratbase Group 20 years ago. It is as if a long time had passed, and yet at the same time, the events beginning 2004 seem to have happened only yesterday. I believe that looking back at our organization’s history and accomplishments will ground us on what is truly important and inspire us to strive even harder to reach more people and have a positive impact on society.
It was just after the controversial 2004 elections that we wanted a more institutionalized platform for our governance advocacy. Like any other Filipino, we were full of good intentions and thought we had a measure of competence to help enhance the country’s situation to improve the lives of the Filipino people. We did not harbor the illusion that we had all the answers, but we felt at least we could help in our unique way.
Thus, we brought together a team of political experts to the world of research and consulting, drawing inspiration from the United States model where the private sector provides insights on policies and their direction.
Two years later, in 2006, we partnered with Bower Group Asia, a Washington DC-based consulting firm. This opened doors for us among Fortune 500 companies, such that we eventually started policy research and business advisory consulting services for the top private players in the country, including monitoring of regulatory and legislative issues which may affect them.
And then, in 2014, we relaunched our research arm and named it after our chairman, Secretary Albert Del Rosario — the Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies, which in turn eventually launched its National Security and Indo-Pacific Affairs Program. We strongly advocated the use of the term “West Philippine Sea” instead of the “South China Sea,” in support of the country’s territorial sovereignty.
Through Stratbase ADRi’s private sector partners, the Institute was able to raise funds to have its defense and security advocacies reach Washington DC, such as through the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), as well as in countries like Japan, Australia, India, Europe, Taiwan, and other Southeast Asian nations.
Today, the Stratbase Group is a policy research and business advisory firm, building a trusted clientele over the years through a foundation of trust, commitment, and impactful service delivery across various sectors. Its work in the last two decades has highlighted the importance of partnerships across sectors to drive the effective implementation of reform agendas. “Stratbase makes business and politics work” by bridging gaps between the private and public sectors for mutual benefit and progress.
Stratbase has expanded and now partners with around 60 corporation clients, with the focus of bridging the divide between corporate and government objectives. Its think tank arm, the Stratbase Institute, successfully advocated for significant reforms aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in public service, creating avenues for more investments, etc.
We continue to grow and expand our range of expertise, continuously monitoring and advocating for various priority sectors: agriculture and food, banking and financial technology, consumer and retail, defense and security, environment and mining, health, information and communications technology, infrastructure and public utilities, power and energy, trade and investment, education, and tourism and gaming.
Coinciding with our commemoration of our 20th year is the holding of the Pilipinas Conference 2024, which will mark its ninth year. The two-day conference starts today, Nov. 6.
The event aims to advance multi-sectoral collaboration to shape policies that address the complex social, political, and economic challenges impacting the Philippines and the broader Indo-Pacific region. This year’s theme is “Navigating a Complex Geostrategic Landscape: Building Resilience Through Cohesive.” On Day 1, we will talk about defense and security while on Day 2, we will cover the partnership between the government and the private sector.
With each passing year, each Pilipinas Conference solidifies Stratbase’ position in the Philippines not only as a partner to Philippine and foreign owned corporations, but also as an established top partner for the country’s like-minded allies in advocating for strengthening their bilateral relations with the country.
Indeed, in the past two decades, Stratbase has provided a platform for conversations, discussions, and interaction among representatives of the government, the private sector, civil society, and the diplomatic community. As the Stratbase Group celebrates its 20th year of advancing the Philippines’ position in the global scale, the Group will continue to build partnerships and bridge the gap between business and politics through its common goal of improving the quality of life for every Filipino.
We have been facilitating essential dialogues on defense, foreign policy, trade, and governance. Stratbase has been an active participant in shaping national policy, but we will not stop there. We know that the challenges are evolving — there are issues now that we never contemplated when we were just starting out — but we are emboldened by aspirations of a prosperous, just, and competitive Philippines.
Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit is the president of the Stratbase ADR Institute.