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Bob has advised firms not only with overall risk assessment at the regional and country level, but also developed and helped implement market entry, divestment and risk mitigation strategies.
Bob has been covering political and business risk in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos since 2002, previously with Eurasia Group.
Before working in the United States, Bob was a practicing lawyer in the Philippines, and served in a variety of government and private sector positions. He was the Chief of Staff of the Majority Leader of the Philippine Senate, where he focused on post-crisis economic policymaking, energy sector privatization and IT and mining sector policy. He was also a program fellow for Corporate Governance at the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, where he led research on Southeast Asian corporate social responsibility. With funding from the Asian Development Bank and USAID, he developed and implemented a Supreme Court training program on securities and bankruptcy law for trial court judges.
As a lawyer in Manila, Bob worked on tax, family and corporate law; much of his corporate work was focused on due diligence for mergers and acquisitions and securities issuance. He also consulted on communications crisis management for large infrastructure projects in the Philippines.
Bob has degrees in law and economics from the University of the Philippines, and became a member of the Philippine Bar in 1994.
Parliament has decided to restart discussions of the stalled new and renewable energy bill (RUU EBT), with approval possible by the end of October, just ahead of the G20 summit in Bali. The draft bill provides fiscal incentives and state support, possibly including government guarantees, for the development of both…
Malaysia has been the first government in the region to substantially increase minimum wage rates in the current inflationary environment and might be followed by Vietnam and Thailand in the second half of the year. The Philippines and Indonesia hope that handouts, subsidies, and price controls can buy them enough…
The fatality rate for Covid-19 continues to rise in Thailand, but this is unlikely to derail the country’s reopening or affect regional perceptions of the Covid-19 pandemic’s improving trajectory. Both travel and domestic restrictions will likely continue to be maintained or eased even further in the coming weeks in most…
On March 7, Teneo Insights Asia hosted the second episode in a three-part series exploring a range of ESG issues and how the C-suite is responding. Entitled “ESG in the C-Suite: Incentivising Action in the “S” Pillar,” participants explored how governments and companies can drive real action on social issues…
New Covid-19 case and fatality numbers continue to set daily records in Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Myanmar, despite restrictions throughout the region generally being tightened during the past month. Malaysia may also soon exceed its previous peaks. And, more broadly, the fear in these countries is that they have not…
The new government has charged Aung San Suu Kyi with violating the country’s export-import laws, which carries a possible three-year jail term. Apparently, her staff had about 10 imported walkie-talkies. The intention may be to justify her immediate and continued detention, since other MPs from the National League for Democracy…
The government still seems to want to pursue a calibrated response to the protests, rather than suppression. There are possible two triggers for a hardline government response over the next few months: the continued increase in the movement’s size and internal pressure from royalists. While the risk of a violent…
Recent congressional investigations have revealed widespread corruption in the agency. However, its internal controls are weak and the increasing complexity of its operations make it difficult for external agencies such as the Commission on Audit to exercise effective oversight. The popularity of its programs also make it difficult for the…
The country could suffer the deepest recession in Southeast Asia. A reshuffle of key economic positions in the third quarter is more about political consolidation than in formulating new ways of thinking about economic policy. The focus will continue to be on the big-ticket infrastructure projects and in keeping specific…
Below please find key take-outs from our April 8th South and Southeast Asia conference call featuring Aditi Phadnis, Teneo Senior Advisor; Chris Lauwerys, Teneo Managing Director; and Bob Herrera-Lim, Teneo Managing Director. Listen to the…
The rise of China is upsetting the longstanding geopolitical equilibrium in East Asia. The U.S. has dominated the region militarily since World War II, while U.S. economic and diplomatic clout has allowed it to exert regional influence with carrots as well as sticks. Today, the U.S.’ position in Asia faces…
Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has not been seen in public for three weeks. His consolidated position makes an immediate leadership fight or major changes in economic policy unlikely. However, maneuvering for the 2021 leadership transition could accelerate and intensify. Communist Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen…
The May midterm election is unlikely to substantially affect the broad 6 to 9-month political outlook. The opposition is struggling to gain traction with its issues and will likely remain a clear minority. The more relevant timeframe for reassessing the outlook for the administration may not be in the May…
The decline of the United State in Asia is overstated, despite all the negative headlines. As the world’s largest single market and still the only global superpower, the voice of the U.S. will, for the foreseeable future, still greatly influence developments in the region. However, even before Donald Trump’s election…
The urgency of attending to the victims from the earthquake and tsunami that hit the island region of Sulawesi will likely be the administration’s focus over the next few weeks, to avoid any political fallout as election season starts. Necessities – food, water, fuel and medicine – are in short…
President Joko Widodo has chosen cleric Ma’ruf Amin to be his vice-presidential running-mate while retired general Prabowo Subianto has selected Jakarta-vice governor Sandiaga Uno. Although more will be said about Widodo’s choice and the reaction to his drafting of Amin will be mixed, the vice-presidential candidates are unlikely to shift…
Leaders of several of the region’s largest economies are becoming more sensitive to possible adverse public reactions to higher prices, especially fuel, and their potential to create political vulnerabilities. Populist economic policies will be part of the mix of reactions, depending on the nature of the pressure on the leaders, the…
Turnout is the key; for now, the consensus is that the opposition’s dysfunction will result in a lower number compared to 2013, which will help the ruling National Front keep its parliamentary majority. If there are signs that the youth and ethnic Chinese and Indians are becoming more active, then…
Geopolitical maneuvering will intensify in 2018, with North Korea as the single most persistent risk. Trade will move forward on the back of TPP-11, but RCEP’s progress remains questionable. Southeast Asia has pockets of potential instability. 1. Geopolitical Maneuvering, With Korea As The Most Urgent Issue…
