Pampanga’s entrepreneurial revolution

Peter Nepomuceno started his entrepreneurial venture when he was still a young man. At 21, he found himself helping out in the operations of Angeles Electric Corp., a company founded in 1923 by his mother, Teresa, which emerged from the family’s simple project of lighting up a church in front of their house.

Back in the old days, he saw Pampanga as a town in need of major improvements. So he sought solutions, took action, and managed nearly 20 companies that rallied his hometown to become one of the most notable provinces in the country.

A licensed Civil Engineering graduate, Pete was appointed as the corporation’s general manager in 1958. Ironically, that same year saw Angeles Electric on the verge of bankruptcy.

Under his supervision, which he said was typified by practicality and modernization, the company experienced intense growth, leading to several feats and historic milestones. Today, Angeles Electric is the 6th largest privately-owned electric utility in the Philippines.

“Remember the time when the whole of Luzon was affected by a nationwide blackout (during the 1990s)? It was only Angeles which had power courtesy of the company,” Pete added.

From the power industry, he went on to other entrepreneurial adventures which became key factors in Pampanga’s growth, specifically Angeles City. He held top positions in a real estate company, a holding company, an ice plant, a ceramic tile company (a tie-up with an Italian entity), an electronics merchandiser, and an industrial park developer, among others. He also pioneered the establishment of the famous Nepo Mart Shopping Complex, which was known for its PX goods.

But despite the success of his businesses, everything for Pete did not all come down to profit-generation. “When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, my commitment to service grew stronger,” he said. “Someone has to step up and entice the people not to flee so I sought opportunities in crisis, created jobs for my fellow Cabalens, consequently helped in reclaiming our place.”

Further, Pete spearheaded the development of Villa Teresa Subdivision through his other self-incorporated businesses, T.G.N. Realty Corp and Teresa Waterworks Inc. Villa Teresa, according to him, was his idea of a decent community set to neutralize Angeles’ image as a red light district.

The current chairman of the executive committee of Holy Angel University, the largest university in northern Luzon co-established by his father, Don Juan Nepomuceno, Pete continues to keep his sense of social responsibility by offering scholarship programs for seminarians under the Juan D. Nepomuceno Scholarship Foundation Inc.

At present, Pete has taken a back seat from being an entrepreneur and is now more involved in funding his companies rather than directly running them. Most recent of his entrepreneurial feats is the construction of a 30-megawatt power plant in Calibu, under Angeles Power Inc., in 1993.

On Oct. 8, Pete will be honored by Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III as an Inspiring Entrepreneur from Pampanga, an award given by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship as part of the Go Negosyo sa Pampanga slated at the Bren Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando on Oct. 8.

Go Negosyo sa Pampanga is part of PCE’s latest campaign, the Go Negosyo Caravan, which aims to bring Go Negosyo forums and expositions to key cities in the country. The Caravan has already visited Cebu, Bacolod, Baguio, and Manila.

Go Negosyo sa Pampanga is presented by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Major partners include Pagcor, Globe, Hyundai, San Miguel Corp., Splash Corp., PLDT, Smart, RFM Corp., The Philippine STAR, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Bulletin, GMA Network Inc., RPN9, NBN4, Aspac-Law and Creativoices Productions.