What are the most significant cases and transactions that you have recently been involved in? 

The backbone of McDonald’s Philippines is, and has always been, a commitment to a set of core values – customer-driven, malasakit, integrity, teamwork, and excellence – that define who we are and how we run our business and restaurants. Consistent with our drive to keep our values relevant and meaningful for our diverse and multi-generational stakeholders across 700 stores, over 50,000 people, and over 100 independent franchisees, the Values Refresh Program was launched in 2023 and, with it, the Values Council. 

The Values Council is a group of ambassadors comprised of senior management, entrusted with creating a program that will guide our stakeholders to live our values every day and use them to make decisions. As integrity ambassador, I understood that the task is not a one-off, once-a-year wonder but requires strategy, time, and reinforcement. To drive organisational integrity, I decided to identify critical parts unique to our organisation and incorporate the value as an integral part of our system’s routines and ways of working. I needed to deliver a strong message that unifies the system. I had to combine compliance instruments to control unethical behaviour, including advocating for a Speak Up culture, and also attempt with other approaches, including gamification of our principles, to stimulate ethical behaviour. 

At the risk of oversimplifying the message, our Integrity Value is now centered on two (2) questions that encourages all of our stakeholders to ask, “Is this the right thing to do?” and “Can we do better?” Being part of this on-going commitment to Values, especially Integrity, is what I consider my most significant and proudest contribution to the McDonald’s System for the past year. 

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in the Philippines over the next five-ten years? 

I believe that the role of general counsel will continue to broaden in the next five to ten years. As transactions become increasingly complex and as regulators continue to play catch up with the rapid  

pace of technology development, more and more, the business units will look to their legal business partners to help navigate mostly uncertain paths for moving forward. Now, more than ever, the demand for general counsel who are in tune with the latest tech, bold, agile, creative, and willing to partner with both internal and external stakeholders will become minimum skills for their success in future organisations. 

It will no longer be enough for general counsels to be simply masters of law, they must also gain a basic understanding of finance, marketing, communications, data, and other disciplines, which will become necessary to adequately support increasing business needs in the next ten years. 

How do you motivate and manage your legal team well? 

Managing and motivating teams require having honest conversations with each of your team members, recognising their distinctive individuality, and consistently responding with the need to make them more valuable contributors to the organisation.  

As a leader, I have learned that the expectation of having the “perfect” team working with you is unreasonable. However, there is much opportunity in leveraging your team’s unique strengths when they are put in positions that will allow them to stretch, be accountable, and be leaders themselves. 

Meralco Industrial Engineering Services Corporation  

How do you see the general counsel role evolving in the Philippines over the next five-ten years? 

Over the next five to ten years, general counsel would continue to hold critical leadership positions with a broad opportunity to make positive changes in their respective organisations by ensuring that the ever-changing legal and regulatory requirements affecting their businesses are being considered and proactively addressed or mitigated. 

How do you motivate and manage your legal team well? 

The first step is to understand one’s team and their respective individualities. This, of course, goes beyond looking into the strengths and weaknesses of each team member, but more so, calls for a consideration of their individual idiosyncrasies to not just harness their skills and capabilities, but also to ensure the harmonious working relationship of all team members.