MVP ‘lights up’ the Rotary
The big function room of the Manila Polo Club was overwhelmingly filled with members of the Rotary Club of Manila and the Rotary Club of Forbes who all came to hear the chairman of the MVP Group of Companies — Manny V. Pangilinan — talk about ASEAN integration, the economy, typhoons, brownouts and basketball.
Manny did not mince words, describing the proposed ASEAN integration as a noble goal that should be pursued but likening the road as one paved with land mines — primarily economic, geographical and political in nature. It took Europe 50 years to achieve its economic union — and right now the experience of many EU countries has not been that reassuring — and it will probably take a long time to realize the reality of ASEAN integration, he said.
The audience — composed of some of the big names in business particularly with the Manila Rotary, which has the distinction of being the oldest club in Asia — appreciated the candor of the guest speaker who talked about the NBA-Gilas event that was postponed because the NBA did not allow its players to play. “The right things to do were to offer our apologies to the basketball community to whom we’re accountable, and to propose a refund — and do both quickly,” he admitted, adding that in any crisis, the rule of thumb in his companies is to “say the truth; no need to explain it.”
True to the event theme “Light up the Rotary,” MVP certainly lit up the occasion as he explained his keen interest in sports — in particular basketball — seeing it as a unifying agent judging from the collective goodwill of Filipinos every time our national team plays against opponents. And being the savvy businessman that he is, Manny saw the analogy between sports and business excellence where one has to commit both mind and body to winning. While sports may be competitive, one must not forget the intrinsic ethical values that it teaches: fair play, respect for opponents, good behavior (whether in victory or defeat) — things that Rotarians certainly recognize, appreciate and practice.
Photos by Ramon Joseph J. Ruiz
