by: Jacqueline K. Tanliao
A lively lion dance under bright red lanterns and colorful lights kicked off the festivities at the FMAP GMM’s early Chinese New Year’s celebration as last January 31st, sponsored by BPI Securities. The New Year’s spirit was indeed alive and well at the venue, the Alphaland City Club. The event began with opening remarks given by Senior Vice President for Trust and Investments Group of BDO Mr. Federico Ocampo. Welcoming remarks by BPI Securities’ Chief Executive Officer Mr. Michaelangelo Oyson heralded the beginning of a sumptuous feast of various Chinese fare, starting with steamed dimsum and hot and sour soup, right down to refreshing almond jelly for dessert. The program continued as the guests ate, with main speaker international Feng Shui expert Ms. Marites Allen giving an engaging and colorful talk on what was in store for the year, as well as the outlooks for various industries. She congratulated individuals to whom she predicted would have a good year ahead, and cautioned those who were less fortunate, urging them to be vigilant and to use lucky charms.
Mr. Mike Oyson then gave an enlightening talk on his outlook for the markets in 2015. He started off with the performance of the various regional indices in 2014, noting that the market did not differentiate the Philippines from Indonesia. He further went on to say that this year would likely be the “last call of the happy hour”, and stated that the PSEi would hit a fair value of 7,800 to 8,000 this year, though ample liquidity could drive the index as high as 8,400. He gave a view on what he thought would drive the market, elaborating on what global events could push it, and conversely, what local developments could pull it. He ended with optimism, noting that the central bank had things under control especially given the recent regulations it implemented.
The event was capped off with closing remarks from Chief Investment Officer of BPI Asset Management Mr. Smith Chua, the VP for Ethics and Media Relations, an appropriate finish to what was truly a memorable afternoon for the FMAP members.