FERDINAND M. HIDALGO

Mr. Hidalgo earned his Bachelor of Science Major in Accounting in 1983 at San Beda College. He then pursued his law studies at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law where he earned his law degree in 1988. As a certified public accountant, Mr. Hidalgo was employed by the accounting firm Sycip, Gorres and Velayo in 1983 until he left in 1984 for his full time law studies. After law school, Mr Hidalgo joined the Supreme Court of the Philippines as one of Justice Florentino Feliciano's legal staff. From there, he joined the firm in 1989 as an Associate lawyer handling tax, labor and corporate matters. In 1996, he was promoted to the partnership where he is currently one of the partners actively engaged in its tax and estate planning practice group handling tax and related issues before the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Finance, Department of Trade and Industry, Board of Investments, Bureau of Customs, Court of Tax Appeals, Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. As a CPA-Lawyer, Mr. Hidalgo has extensive experience in the field of business law especially on matters involving start-up business operations, corporate structures, taxation, fiscal incentive applications and other governmental regulations. Mr. Hidalgo is a member of various business organizations and chambers that include the Australian New Zealand Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines , Inc., Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Tax Management Association of the Philippines. He also sits as corporate officer for a number of local and multinational companies such as Siemens ,Inc., Monsanto Phils. Inc., Fraport Phils., Inc., among others, as well as non-governmental organizations. Mr. Hidalgo is married and has three children.