AS we hope and pray for the coming of a safe and prosperous New Year, I strongly believe, as a Catholic, that sharing is a most hallowed way of celebrating the Advent season. Let me therefore share my thoughts about Ramon S. Ang or RSA as he is fondly called by friends and business associates.
As part of the late Ambassador Eduardo “Danding” Conjuangco’s management group, I saw in RSA during his younger years, his commitment and dedication for work, including his determination to succeed in whatever endeavor he gets involved in.
I saw his management style in handling and untangling business situations that eventually led to his being named President and Chief Executive Officer of Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Inc., the largest shareholder of San Miguel Corp. (SMC). As such, he sits as Vice-Chairman, President and Chief Operating Officer of SMC and the Chairman of Cyber Bay Corp. and Eagle Cement Corp. All these, he attained through hard work, keen business foresight and strategic implementation of programs and projects.
And when SMC proposed to develop what would be the country’s most modern and biggest airport in Bulacan, Bulacan, I believe that RSA, as SMC President, must have considered the investment and environmental risks of the projects. I know RSA to be a canny person. He would not have engaged SMC into such a huge investment project without pondering on all the possible issues that would go with building the country’s biggest airport.
Like how he saved the jobs of all SMC employees as the world, including the Philippines, faced its biggest challenge with the pandemic. According to an Inquirer Online report, all 66,000 employees of the nation’s most diversified company continue to receive their salaries in full. And, already, San Miguel has released full compensation with benefits amounting to over P3 billion for all its 66,557 employees, consultants, and contract workers, the report further said.
Moreover, knowing that many SMC employees only depend on their salaries for their family’s survival, RSA even told them not to worry about their jobs. Would this not make RSA a reasonable and sensitive executive and businessman?
The demise of SMC’s top man Eduardo “Danding” Conjuangco has placed RSA as the most likely successor of Conjuangco in the SMC hierarchy. I don’t want to be judgmental, but what I saw in RSA’s work style as a top executive, businessman, manager and investor is something that should give SMC shareholders peace of mind. And as he continues the programs of his predecessor, RSA could efficiently and successfully bring SMC to new investment fronts and milestones.
In short, with RSA leading SMC, its investors and employees can celebrate this year’s Advent season amid a pandemic, without having to worry about their investments and jobs. And for that, I congratulate RSA for a job well done.
Merry Christmas everyone and lets all stay safe.
Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza is the chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries and Fight Illicit Trade; a broad-based, multisectoral movement intended to protect consumers, safeguard government revenues and shield legitimate industries from the ill effects of smuggling.