His ship has come in

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Michael Romero is Mikee to friends. Unlike his vivacious wife, Sheila, his equally vibrant personality unfolds quietly, particularly when he begins to speak about sports and his business enterprises. He is chairman and president of Global Ports Terminal, Inc., which operates the Harbour Centre Port Terminal, the Manila North Harbour Port, and the Subic Agro-industrial Logistic Port, Inc., three of the country’s biggest and busiest ports. Outside of the shipping industry, he is involved in mining, power generation and investments. Mikee also serves as vice chairman of Air Asia Philippines, Inc.

“I’m a very ambitious guy with endless energy and passion,” he says. “I consider the world a stage to conquer; I consider no barriers and no boundaries on what I can achieve in my lifetime,” he says. “Records are there to be broken, Mt. Everest is there to be conquered. One thing I learned about life is that it has to be exploited.”

Man of Many Interests

An enthusiastic sportsman, he has made his mark in the world of sports, from shooting and cycling to polo and basketball. He has served on the boards of the International Olympic Committee’s shooting federation, the Philippine National Shooting Association, the ASEAN Basketball League, and the Philippine Olympic Committee. He also owns amateur basketball teams, namely the seven-time Philippine Basketball League Champions, the Harbour Centre Batang Pier, as well as the HC Portmasters.

Mikee’s business acumen has also been recognized: he’s received distinctions, from the Philippine Council of Management’s Management Man of the Year Award in 2007, to the 2010 Creative Young Entrepreneur Award granted by the Junior Chamber International. The youthful businessman holds two doctorate degrees in philosophy from the International Academy of Management and Economics-Philippines. He is also an art connoisseur who has ventured into publishing, co-authoring the book Maestro Fernando C. Amorsolo, Recollections of the Amorsolo Family in 2009.

“Art is an addiction I share with my wife,” he says. “I have been referred to as the ‘Indiana Jones of Philippine Art’ as I’m like a treasure hunter in my quest for pieces. We travel to the United States and Europe to find the rare and special pieces.”

Essential Things

Less known is an obscure but intriguing interest. He was the first Filipino to receive the Kokugyo Award during the All Japan Nishikigoi Show in 2007. Last year, he participated and won the grand prize during the first Philippine Koi Show. Another pursuit he indulges in during his spare time is game and bird shooting. “I was always an upbeat guy, a ‘go, go, go,’ type. I don’t want to just sit back and relax. As a family, we either go for leisurely vacations or do something creative and sporty,” he says.

Once or twice a year, the family, who are devotees of the saints Santa Rita de Cascia and Padre Pio de Pietrelcina, makes pilgrimages to Italy. They were recently given a relic, a glove worn by Padre Pio during to cover his stigmata, which Mikee and Sheila share with those looking to be blessed.

Mikee is a doting father to his four children. Food is one of his loves and he makes it a point to bring back delicacies from all over the Philippines when he travels. He also likes to have a healthy selection of the freshest fruit and vegetables available at home. “I make sure there are always fresh juices on our table. I don’t want artificial foods as there are no vitamins and minerals in them,” he says. “I buy daily desserts, too, from leche flan, crème brulee and Japanese mochi to different cakes available in Metro Manila, or anything out of the ordinary. Our family loves to feast,” he continues. “I grew up in a clannish, Kapampangan environment where everyone knows how to cook. “As a child, I was very much loved and pampered with food, which, in a way, makes me do the same for my children. My perfect weekend is spending time with them, either at a beach or anywhere doing water sports, yachting, sailing, flying, riding.”

As one of the country’s most successful businessmen, the demands on his time can be stressful but he is able to maintain a sense of calmness, finding happiness and satisfaction in whatever he does. “Happiness is an hourly event,” he says. “One has to find happiness in all situations.”

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Mikee Romero and wife Sheila are featured in the November issue of Lifestyle Asia, now available at newsstands.