The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has marked its 50th year in the Philippines. In line with this, it held a photographic exhibit at nearby SM Megamall.
Mall visitors had the opportunity to get to know more about ADB and its role in the development of our country.
Held in partnership with SM, the exhibit is part of a series of celebrations marking the Asian Development Bank’s 50th Anniversary. It brings the ADB story to the Filipino public through highlights of its history, key events, and operations, and how it has improved lives in Asia and the Pacific over the years.
“Today’s event marks another landmark in celebrating our development partnership with the Philippines,” said Bambang Susantono, ADB vice president for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development during the exhibit launch. “We are bringing the story and work of the ADB to Filipinos from all walks of life and what better way to do this than through the SM malls.”
All these years, “Manila has been ADB’s home, from where our work to support developing Asia and the Pacific has made a positive impact on the lives of the people we serve,” he adds. The ADB is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region.
Two Filipinos were pivotal in shaping ADB in 1966 – Justice Florentino Feliciano who helped draft the ADB charter; and Cornelio Balmaceda, then the country’s Secretary of Commerce who advocated for the ADB to be based in a developing country, and in Manila itself. Since its first loan to the Philippines in 1969, ADB has provided over $17 billion in public and private sector loans, technical assistance, and grants.
