CEO Insights Magazine

In today’s dynamic and hypercompetitive market, we're witnessing thousands of business partnerships, collaborations and agreements being forged worldwide on a daily basis. While this has spurred research and innovation across industries, it has also resulted in an increased number of corporate disputes, litigations and arbitrations.

Thus, it is safe to say that while having a unique business idea and strong operational strategies does make one profitable, it is the general counsel who acts as the true guardians of the organization. This is even more true in a country like the Philippines which has been undergoing serious transformation lately and is positioned as one of the fastest growing economies in Southeast Asia.

Among the multitude of general counsels in the Philippines today, one individual who stands out through his profound knowledge of the country’s legal system and the intricacies of business is Froilan “Froi” Castelo (General Counsel of Globe Telecom, Inc. or “Globe”). With an illustrious career spanning 34 years, Froi is regarded as one of the most renowned figures in the Philippine legal space, especially in matters concerning telecommunications and information communications technology.

Prior to Globe, he has had successful stints with renowned organizations such as Bell Telecommunications Philippines, Ledesma Saludo Agpalo Law Office and Liberty Telecom, and even worked as a law professor at Letran College.

Owing to his excellence in diverse legal affairs, Froi was designated as an Alternate Member representing Globe in the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC), as established by the President of the Republic of the Philippines, to advise the Philippine President in matters pertaining to the country’s economic objectives. Additionally, Froi is also the President of the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) and an officer/member of various prestigious organizations, such as, Telecommunications & Broadcast Attorneys of the Philippines (President), Lex Leonum Fraternitas (Chairman), Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and Phil. Jaycees, Metro Manila Area (Legal Committee Chairman). A writer by heart, Froi is a columnist for InsiderPh as well.

In a recent interaction with CEO Insights Asia team, Froi shared more information about his career in Globe, his strategic view points and many other interesting aspects. Below are a few key excerpts from the exclusive interaction.

What inspired you to take up a career in the field of law?

I always loved writing and aspired to become a journalist right from my teenage days. Back in my school days when former Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated in 1983, I was a student leader of multiple organizations in my university and in the city. At the same time, I was the Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper and a member of the College Editors Guild of the Philippines.

Taking the lead in protests motivated me and made me aware of the political and social issues at the time. Adding on to this was my grandfather’s influence as a lawyer, which led to my taking-up law as a profession to pursue my interests in social, political and regulatory issues.

Shed some light on your educational qualifications as well as the certifications that you hold.

I did my Bachelor of Laws from the San Beda College of Law and graduated with an economics degree from Letran College, Manila. One of the biggest milestones of my career was to receive the Distinguished Bedan Award which is given to select distinguished individuals, including presidents, senators and business tycoons. Apart from this, I have also been a part of various training and certification programs, the prominent ones being the Corporate Governance Orientation Program by the Institute of Corporate Directors, the Ayala Corporation Leadership Acceleration Program by Harvard Business School, Legal Counsel Best Practice Masterclass by Dr. Ken Mildwaters, Singtel Regional Regulatory Workshop, and Singtel Regional Leadership in Action (RLA) seminar with Singapore Management University.

What were some of your most complex undertakings as the General Counsel at Globe?

One of the most demanding undertakings in my role was managing the renewal of the legislative franchises of Globe subsidiaries—Innove Communications, Inc. and Bayan Telecommunications, Inc. In the Philippines, a legislative franchise is, by nature, a law. This means that renewing one involves the same rigorous process as enacting legislation: the filing of a bill in Congress, referral to the appropriate committees, public hearings and deliberations in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, and approval on third reading in both chambers. Once passed by both houses, the bill is then transmitted to the President for final enactment.

Throughout this process, I was responsible for preparing the legal and regulatory submissions, managing cross-functional coordination within the company, and directly addressing questions from lawmakers regarding the subsidiaries’ service coverage, public accountability, technical capabilities, and compliance history. It required not just legal precision, but also political acumen and strategic communication to navigate the complex legislative landscape while protecting the long-term interests of the Globe Group.

Another major area of complexity was leading the legal aspects of Globe’s mergers and acquisitions. Each transaction involved multi-layered negotiations not only with counterparties, but also with regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Stock Exchange, Philippine Competition Commission, and National Telecommunications Commission. Ensuring full compliance while securing favorable terms in a constantly evolving regulatory environment demanded a deep understanding of both law and business strategy.

How do you stay abreast of the latest tech advancements or industry developments and impart them to your team members?

In our line of business, it is extremely critical to be knowledgeable of both legal as well as technology matters in order to guide the company on any future strategies. Thus, I attend a lot of international conferences such as the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Mobile Asia Conference in Shanghai, China, and International Telecommunication Union, a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for matters related to ICT, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

To assist in our legal research, we also maintain a law library that is stocked with all the latest Supreme Court decisions, regulations and issuances. I read them extensively, especially those related to our industry and line of business. Also, all lawyers in the Philippines are required to undergo a training program every three years, which I continue to participate in until today. As a key officer of a publicly listed company, I also attend a lot of training sessions pertaining to compliance, sustainability, and governance, as required by our regulators.

We also have in-house training programs in Globe to keep all employees and executives updated with the latest technology developments. Further, senior leadership of the company conducts periodic briefings about the progress of certain matters that might come in handy in deciding any new business strategy. There are also meetings wherein I share my knowledge and experience with fellow lawyers, as I strongly believe this to be a very effective way to practice continuous learning.

Tell us the future envisioned for yourself and Globe.

Currently positioned as the leading mobile telecom company in the Philippines, we are also a strong challenger in the enterprise and fixed broadband categories. Going forward, we’re looking to further diversify and strengthen our position in other verticals of telecom. As a member of Globe’s senior management team, I wish to steer the company towards becoming the most admired and highly engaged telecom company in the countryover the next few years.

As a successful industry leader, what is your ad­vice to youngsters aspiring to be future leaders?

My advice to budding leaders would be to be determined and remain focused on achieving your goals and aspirations. Always remember, there is no shortcut to success except to work hard and make the necessary sacrifices. Most importantly, make sure that every decision that you make is centered around benefitting your clients and helping them realize their end goals.

Froilan Castelo, General Counsel, Globe Telecom

With over 34 years of experience under his belt, Froi is a seasoned law professional well-renowned across the Philippine telco-legal fraternity. Owing to his excellence in the field, he has also been named as an Alternate Member of the Private Sector Advisory Council of the Philippine government which advises the President in matters pertaining the country’s economic objectives.

Awards & Recognition

Awarded the Distinguished Bedan Award for Corporate Practice Law from the San Beda University Alumni Association (SBUAA)

President of the Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (2004-present)

President of Telecommunications and Broadcast Attorneys of the Philippine (2004-present)

Councilor and Member of the Philippine Delegation to the International Telecommunications Union Council at Geneva, Switzerland (2008-2014)

President, Muntinlupa ‘Posas’ Chapter of the Junior Chamber International 1993

National Chairman and Chief Delegate with On-to-Miami, Florida National Committee at Jaycees International World Convention in Miami, US (1992)

Chairman of the Legal Committee, Phil. Jaycees, Metro Manila Area

Member of the Integrated Bar of the Phil. (1991-present)

Listed among the top 400 alumni of Letran College (founded 1620) in its 400th centennial

• Hobbies: Playing golf and reading about history, politics & social issues.

• Favorite travel destination: Spain and Japan

• Favorite cuisine: Chinese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese and Japanese

• Favorite Book/Genre: 2001: American history and biographies