Pagcor names new president-COO

Rafael ‘Butch’ Francisco, a socio-civic leader with over 20 years of experience in human resource management and development, was recently appointed by the board of directors of the Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) as president and chief operating officer.

Pagcor Chairman Efraim C. Genuino announced the appointment of Francisco as new Pagcor president and COO during Pagcor’s executive committee meeting held last Feb. 14, and attended by top brass at the company’s executive lounge.

"Francisco’s inspiring leadership during his stint as Pagcor’s chief-of-staff for operations contributed greatly to Pagcor’s record-breaking income performance of P17.45 billion in 2001. He’s an excellent team leader, definitely the most qualified to handle the job of president and COO and I am sure he will figure very prominently in steering Pagcor to an even bigger win this year," Genuino said.

For his part, Francisco said, "I thank Chairman Genuino and the board of directors for their trust and confidence in me. We have an excellent working relationship and I hope to build on it to help catapult Pagcor into the global arena."

Francisco holds a post-graduate Diploma in Human Resource Development from Ateneo de Manila University and a BA History, Major in Political Science Degree from De La Salle University. He served as president of a diversified outsource provider which went on to become one of the Philippines’ top 5,000 corporations during his incumbency. He was also managing director of a firm which specialized in website development and recruitment consulting.

A human resource expert, the 45-year-old Francisco pledged to further boost the productivity of Pagcor’s 10,000-strong workforce by helping Genuino figure out better incentives for employees in 2002. It will be recalled that as an original member of Genuino’s transition team, Francisco collaborated with the chairman in increasing the basic salaries of Pagcor employees which had been stagnant for 15 years.

Francisco is Genuino’s chief lieutenant in moving forward the $15-billion Pagcor Entertainment City from a mere vision to reality. When completed, it will be the biggest entertainment complex in the region and will put the Philippines on the world map as the "Las Vegas of Asia."

Francisco’s expertise will also come in handy with the operation this year of the Pagcor Academy, the first-ever school in the world to offer courses in casino and entertainment management leading to a bachelor’s degree. It will also offer skills development courses relevant to the amusement industry.

Francisco is married to the former Maling Aseniero of Cebu with whom he has one son, Rafa.