Catholic business leaders from Thailand and the Philippines gathered at the Baan Phu Waan Pastoral Training Center on June 7–8 for the inaugural session of the Catholic Business Wisdom Enhancement Program, a new formation initiative aimed at aligning business leadership with Christian values.
Organized by the Catholic Business Executives and Professionals (CBEP) in Thailand and the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) in the Philippines, the program is part of a broader collaboration under UNIAPAC, the International Christian Union of Business Executives.
The network represents over 45,000 executives from 38 countries and promotes faith-driven leadership across global markets.
The CBEP Academy is designed as a spiritual and ethical roadmap for business, emphasizing discernment, responsible stewardship, and the understanding of work as a vocation.
In the Philippines, the initiative has already reached more than 20,000 BCBP members.
“Work is not a consequence of sin, it is part of God’s plan,” said Bobby Lavina, chairman of Phinma Foundation Inc., during one of the sessions.
He said work is “a noble thing and part of what it means to be human.” He challenged participants to reflect on the moral dimensions of modern business practice.
“What is the greatest challenge in your opinion to make the way business is done now reflect more the face of Christ?” he asked.
Joey Avellana, president of Avellana & Associates, echoed this spiritual framing. He said God Himself “is a worker… the first worker.”
“Because God created man in His own image, therefore God created man as a worker. We are God’s coworkers. We are God’s co-creators,” he added.
Avellana critiqued prevailing attitudes toward work, calling out what he described as common misconceptions, such as; “As long as I get paid for it, and it provides for my family, I’m OK with work,” and “Success in work means success in life.”
He urged participants to reexamine their motivations and ask: “Is this my vocation?” and “What is God’s plan for us?” He added, “There is a need to be driven by motivation stronger than profit.”
The two-day gathering brought together Catholic executives overseeing enterprises worth more than a billion dollars in combined value.
Other key speakers included Dench Decino, country head of Ernst & Young Global Delivery Service, and PV Beley, former president of BCBP.
Also present were Archbishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana of Bangkok, and Fr. William LaRousse, assistant secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), underscoring the local Church’s support for deeper engagement between faith and business.
George Varakorn Techamontrikul, chairman of CBEP Thailand, hailed the initiative as a long-awaited milestone.
“We are very excited about this collaboration with BCBP. It’s been a long-term project that we are finally [able to] make happen,” he said.
“We presented this to [the] UNIAPAC Global Board Meeting and they thought it’s very interesting for two countries’ businessmen to share this type of training for Catholic executives… This will make UNIAPAC Asia Chapter stronger and [enable] further expansion of Asia Members,” he added.
Organizers said the CBEP Academy will continue to provide formation programs across Asia, promoting an approach to leadership rooted in prayer, purpose, and a commitment to the common good.
