On March 14, 2025, the PROTECT International Conference Series on “Doing Business Amidst New Threats” will take place at the New World Makati Hotel.

The international community is facing an evolving different threat to global peace and security. While the global security risk and threat in 2024 may be described as “unprecedented”, 2025 may be described as “unconventional”. We see this in geopolitical tensions, gray zone warfare actions, AI arms race, rising insider threats, fragmented extremism and other developments. PROTECT 2025 conference on Doing Business Amidst New Threats will deep dive into these security challenges.

On March 14, 2025, the PROTECT International Conference Series on “Doing Business Amidst New Threats” will take place at the New World Makati Hotel.

The event will feature prominent speakers, distinguished panelists, and thought leaders from various sectors as they discuss key issues affecting businesses today. From cyber threats and health security to climate change and cross-border crimes, the conference will address how these complex issues intersect and how businesses can navigate these volatile landscapes.

For more information on the forum, contact the Secretariat: leverage@leverageinternational.com

The Opening Address will be delivered by Secretary Eduardo Año, National Security Adviser to the National Security Council. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner, Jr. PA, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines will deliver the Keynote Address.

Digitalization And Cyber Threats will be featured in three panel discussions on Digital Identity, Cyber Threats, and The Legal Aspects of Cybercrime.

Digital technology has been changing the ways businesses are done and will continue to do so each year. Meantime, cyber threat actors are applying more advanced and sophisticated technologies to challenge cybersecurity. Understanding what is happening in the world now is therefore no longer an option but is an absolute necessity. The future is rapidly developing whether we like it or not. Adapting to change, if not done strategically can be disastrous.

A Session on Human and Health Issues aims to provide an awareness of human health security and the interactions of key issues and events. Moderated by Dr. Kenneth Hartigan-Go, discussions will cross cut through health, education, and security.

Environmental/Climate Issues will be the subject of one session. The changing environment affects the business world. They impact on business practices from resources, to supply chain, to logistics, to energy sources, to customer behavior and demographics.

Cross-border phenomena concern both international and domestic security. Heightened concerns about transnational crimes are a consequence of advances in transportation and telecommunication. Many times, businesses become instruments or victims of such crimes.

A session on Transnational Issues will start with a presentation on Crime- Terror Nexus by Global Security Expert Prof. Rohan Gunaratna of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. This will be followed by a Panel Discussion on cross-border phenomena.

The National Issues session will discuss two major security challenges confronting the Philippines today: state-sponsored cyber challenges and the country’s relations with the US and China.