Power 100

A companion to my new book, “Great Lives, Great Deeds,” is “Power 100,” a special BizNewsAsia issue on the 100 most powerful and influential Filipinos. “Power 100” will be released on Nov. 25, 2024, the 23rd anniversary of BizNewsAsia.

Nobody does such a listing.

The Power 25: 1. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.; 2. SMC CEO Ramon S. Ang; 3. PLDT chair and MPIC CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan; 4. Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez; 5. First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos; 6. SMIC vice chair and BDO chair Tessie Sy; 7. JG Summit Holdings CEO Lance Gokongwei; 8. Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Sarte Salceda; 9. Ayala Corp. chair Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala (JAZA); 10. Aboitiz Equity CEO Sabin M. Aboitiz;

11. ICTSI chair Enrique K. Razon Jr.; 12. Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero; 13. Vista Land chair Manuel B. Villar Jr.; 14. GMA Network chair Felipe L. Gozon; 15. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto; 16. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro; 17. Special Assistant to the President on Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick D. Go; 18. Bangko Sentral Governor Eli M. Remolona; 19. RCBC and HI chair Helen Yuchengco Dee; 20. Agriculture Secretary Francis Tiu Laurel; 21. SMIC chair Amando Tetangco Jr., 22. BDO CEO Nestor V. Tan; 23. DoubleDragon CEO Injap Sia; 24. LT Group CEO Lucio Tan III and 25. Education Secretary Sonny Angara.

In previous columns, I wrote about what RSA, MVP, Tessie Sy and Lance Gokongwei did.

Marcos Jr. reconnected the Philippines to the world. He has scaled down the pivot to China, strengthened ties to old ally the United States, dealt substantially with Europe, while maintaining close and solid relations with partners Japan, the ASEAN, Australia and India, moves that now appear crucial, what with a come-backing and unpredictable occupant in the White House.

BBM is modernizing the economy, opening it up to new players and easing the rules of engagement to allow for a more competitive business environment, one that promotes efficiencies, lowers costs, promotes quality of products and services and is more inclusive. Today, the Philippine economy is one of the most robust in Asia, with growth averaging six percent since he took power in 2022. His Build Better More (BBM) is the largest infrastructure buildup ever by any administration, a record P9 trillion.

Congress led by Speaker Martin Romualdez has become the most productive and visionary legislature in its 117-year history. Martin is often perceived as the country’s de facto prime minister and indeed, effectively now, the vice president.

LAM is the first lawyer First Lady. She is the most influential and most powerful First Lady. She is Marcos Jr.’s voice of reason, dispenser of second opinions, the best weapon of mass attraction.

Warm, approachable and devoid of any pretense, First Lady Liza can soothe the most implacable of critics but can also cut a recalcitrant hostile to size, with dazzling finesse and subtlety. She brings a new but much needed style, elegance and refinement to Malacañang.

Three-term Albay congressman, 2016-2024, Joey Salceda is the most profound and most creative mind Congress ever had. As a three-term governor of Albay, 2007-2016, he was the most visionary and most effective LGU executive for excellence in good governance, education, health, tourism and disaster resilience. Among laws with Joey’s imprint: the CREATE Act of 2021, the largest tax break given investors, and its companion CREATE MORE which lowers power cost of investors; free college and other education reforms; the Sin Tax Law; TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion) which cut income taxes dramatically; Pag-IBIG income tax exemption; skills development through TESDA and the Bulacan Airport Ecozone. He is also the champion of senior citizens, expanding and institutionalizing benefits.

Genes, Harvard credentials (BA and MBA), time-honored values and a passion for sustainability have enabled JAZA, 65, to steer the 190-year-old Ayala Group into a nimble, competitive, fast growing and yes, a tremendously relevant and profitable conglomerate. At the core of everything, he says, “we build businesses that enable people to thrive.” They deliver long-term value, do what’s right, create value together.

Sabin leads the massive transformation of Aboitiz Equity Ventures to become the Philippines’ first techglomerate through innovation and digitalization, banking on its 200-year legacy of experienced management, strong financials, bold decision-making and sustainability focus. AEV’s recent acquisitions show boldness to enter new areas and expand its footprint in retail, consumer, connectivity, aviation and infrastructure spaces, and pouring enormous sums – P55 billion for Citi’s consumer banking unit, P40 billion for Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines Inc. (CCBPI), P25 billion for Mactan-Cebu International Airport (10 million passengers per year) and P12.75 billion in project cost for Laguindingan Airport (three million passengers per year).

Ricky Razon, 64, has five major businesses – ports (61.53 percent of ICTSI), gaming (65 percent of Bloomberry, owner of the $1.2-billion Solaire casino), water (67 percent of Manila Water), power (MORE) and mining (67 percent of Apex Mining). All are booming, making him the Philippines’ second richest man (at least $10-billion net worth). He became P207 billion richer when his ICTSI rose to a high of P785 billion in early October 2024, corrected slightly, to P771 billion in mid-November, up 77 percent in one year, on the crest of strong revenues, strong profits and robust cash flow. ICTSI operates in 32 ports in 19 countries in six continents.

Lawyer Chiz, 55, exudes charm, boyish looks and charisma. He is glib-tongued, articulate and has a remarkable facility with the Filipino language. He has a glamorous trophy wife, Heart.

Rodrigo and Sara Duterte are not in the Top 25. I wrote: “You cannot find in the Philippine milieu a more uncouth and ill-mannered father and daughter tandem than Digong and Sara. Yet, the Filipino public finds the pair charming and popular.”

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