IRENE SINO CRUZ
The Ateneo Graduate School of Business (AGSB) highlighted the vital role of its MBA programs in helping professionals stay future-ready amid rapid technological and economic changes. During the inauguration of its Cebu campus at the Cebu Holdings Center, Cebu Business Park, Mr. Louie Montalbo, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, said an MBA is now a strategic investment for professionals who want to remain relevant in an AI-driven world.
“There’s always a need for us to retool ourselves and change the way we think and decide,” Montalbo said. “Taking on an MBA degree is a strategic way of changing how we think. It equips us so that we don’t become obsolete, especially as artificial intelligence becomes more pervasive in the workplace.”
He emphasized that AGSB’s MBA programs go beyond developing technical and functional skills. “We are forming not just minds, but spirits,” he said. “Our students learn to understand their passions, strengths, and dreams while being guided by ethics and reflective leadership.”
Montalbo said AGSB’s Cebu campus provides a strong advantage through close-knit networking opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. “Alumni networking is an important part of our work. It helps create opportunities for collaboration, business, and career growth,” he added.
The school offers two MBA tracks — the Standard Program, designed for early-career professionals, and the Regis Program, which caters to senior executives. “No one track is better than the other,” Montalbo said. “Each meets you where you are in your career.”
Representing the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Regan Rex King, Vice President for Cebu Business Mobilization and an AGSB alumnus, welcomed the school’s return, calling it “a blessing” for professionals in the region.
“Ateneo’s presence in Cebu creates opportunities for us to grow as individuals and as a community,” King said. “The growth of the community starts with people who continue to learn. Learning never stops. The power of the mind can move mountains — and through education, we strengthen not only our minds but also our future.”
King urged young professionals to seize the chance to advance their learning through the AGSB programs. “Let us grab this opportunity that Ateneo gives us here in Cebu,” he said. “We sharpen our minds — our best tool — for the betterment of our future.”
Both speakers shared a common message: that education remains the key to leadership, innovation, and national progress. As Montalbo said, “We need young people equipped to become business leaders — for Cebu, for the region, and for the entire country.”