DoubleDragon: The double blue chip company

This year is most likely going to be the “Year of the DoubleDragon,” with the young company set to become one of the largest and strongest real estate firms in the country. That’s because DoubleDragon has the combined force of Mang Inasal founder Edgar “Injap” Sia and Jollibee founder Tony Tan Caktiong as co-chairmen.

Both born under the sign of the dragon in the Chinese Zodiac with 24 years separating them, their partnership is perfect because Tony brings with him years of entrepreneurial experience that has made Jollibee the largest and number one fast food chain in the country today – which goes very well with the youthful dynamism and audacity of Injap to do things differently as seen in the way he turned an obscure chicken barbecue restaurant in Iloilo City into the ubiquitous “pambansang inasal.”

As Tony Tan Caktiong himself told me, he’s very happy with the business relationship as he sees in Injap the kind of dynamism and vision that will usher in the future.

DoubleDragon is set to shake things up even more with the launch of its new 60-seconder institutional TV ad that highlights the values espoused by the real estate company: Fairness and sincerity, bold and decisive entrepreneurship, passion and excellence, innovation and sustainability – the DoubleDragon way of doing business.

Conceptualized and produced by leading advertising agency FCB Manila, the ad aims to inspire Filipinos with a new real estate company that seeks to push forward, contributing to a brighter and better Philippines. As the ad itself communicates, DoubleDragon is dedicated to quality and innovation, with the vision to bring about a greener future, developing properties with a foundation built on solid values. But more importantly, it has a message of empowerment – that “real progress starts with each of us.”

From all indications, DoubleDragon is bound to become the next blue chip company. At the last stockholders meeting, the plan to spend close to P5 billion for industrial leasing hubs and build 5,000 hotel rooms (via the JinJiang and Hotel 101 brands) across the Philippines was approved, with funding to come mainly from the planned P7.5 billion re-initial public offering (IPO) before the end of this year.

Shattered ‘Dreamers’

If US President Donald Trump pushes through with his plan to scrap the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration program, then it might just mean the end of the American dream for an estimated 3.3 million undocumented immigrants in the US, with Mexicans comprising the largest number at 1.3 million.  Naturally, this could affect thousands of Filipinos who migrated to the US during their early teens but unfortunately, have not legalized their status to date.

Also known as the “Dreamers” immigration program, the executive action signed by former US president Barack Obama in August 2012 was meant to protect those who illegally arrived in the US before they turned 16 years old from being deported and instead were given the chance to stay in the US to work or study upon meeting certain conditions with the option to renew such concessions every two years. According to the Pew Research Center, the DACA program has shielded close to 800,000 illegal immigrants from deportation.

Those who resisted the Obama initiative say DACA is unconstitutional because it should have passed through Congress whose job is to craft immigration laws, and not the US president. Apparently, this is the same argument that Attorney General Jeff Sessions used to convince President Trump to end the DACA program. While a formal announcement has yet to be made, inside sources say there is still a six-month leeway before the initiative is put to an end, during which time Congress can still act. On the other hand, Trump may just make a turnaround and decide to retain the program after all.

Last month, Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Durbin introduced a bipartisan bill dubbed as the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (Dream) Act that could “allow immigrant students who grew up in the United States to earn lawful permanent residence and eventually American citizenship,” according to a statement released by the office of Senator Graham.

Among the requirements are for applicants to have finished high school or obtain a GED, enrollment in college, work lawfully for at least three years or serve in the military. Among the stipulations are proficiency in the English language, knowledge of US history and no criminal record. 

As Graham said, “These young people have lived in America since they were children and built their lives here… We should not squander these young people’s talents and penalize our own nation.”

Many – including the 22,000 Filipinos who are eligible for citizenship under DACA – are hoping the bill would push through. Otherwise, it could mean millions of “shattered Dreamers’ who might just end up getting deported in six months.

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