Iñigo Zobel to challenge other budget airlines?
The man who starts out simply with the idea of getting rich won’t succeed; you must have a larger ambition. — John D Rockefeller
Ranked the 14th wealthiest billionaire in the Philippines along with his sister Mercedes, the late business and civic leader Enrique Zobel’s son Iñigo is low-profile but might become an important leader in the country’s fast-growing tourism industry.
Last May, Zobel was elected new president of AirPhil Express, the Philippine Airlines’ budget carrier and direct competitor of Cebu Pacific Air led by Lance Gokongwei, Zest Air led by Alfredo “Fred” Yao, and also of Malaysia’s Air Asia. What are his strategies and plans for AirPhil Express? What response or counter-strategies will the efficient and dynamic Cebu Pacific Air launch?
Iñigo Zobel’s late dad Enrique Zobel told me before that he was a pilot, and that he piloted his four-engine Jestar plane 15 times around the world. Iñigo’s late granduncle, the legendary Andres Soriano, Sr., founded Philippine Airlines in 1941.
The late Enrique Zobel used to run the Ayala conglomerate, including the Bank of the Philippine Islands. Iñigo’s second cousins Jaime Augusto and Fernando Zobel de Ayala now control the Ayala Group. Iñigo is an international polo sportsman like his late father.
Apart from his substantial personal fortune and social pedigree, the 56-year-old Iñigo Zobel is business partner in San Miguel Corp. (SMC) with two of the country’s most ambitious wheeler-dealers — Ramon S. Ang of SMC and Roberty “Bobby” Ongpin of Alphaland. Another ally of Ramon S. Ang is Joselito “Butch” Dee Campos, Jr.
Iñigo is CEO of E. Zobel Inc., president of Ayala España S.A, Calatagan Golf Club Inc., E. Zobel Foundation Inc. and many other corporations.
By the way, I remember Iñigo Zobel telling me that the high-quality Rogue magazine was bought by him as a gift to his wife.
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A young business tycoon in Makati sent this columnist an e-mail, requesting that his name not be mentioned. He said: “Interesting, your column about Lucio Tan’s possible merger of his Philippine National Bank and Allied Bank with the Zobel Ayala clan’s Bank of the Philippime Islands. Despite BPI becoming possibly the No. 1 largest bank in the Philippines, BDO can still be the leader of the banking industry due to their preeminent shopping malls and retail businesses, while Metrobank can also still catch up due to sheer efficiency.”
Apart from the visionary owners of the country’s seemingly consolidating universal banks, the Philippines also has some of the most talented professional bankers leading our strong, stable and continuously growing banks such as the brothers BDO president Nestor Tan and RCBC president Lorenzo Tan. 
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Here’s a scoop! Association of Young Filipino Chinese Entrepreneurs (AYFCE) honorary chairman Bernard Go recently received a special citation or award from Philippine Airlines (PAL) chairman Lucio C. Tan, with this Philippine STAR writer as the only media guest. The award cites Go for exemplifying traditional Confucian virtue or total reverence and obedience to one’s parents and ancestors, due to the furniture entrepreneur’s exceptionally meritorious act of devotion to his father.
Among the witnesses to the awarding ceremony of Bernard Go at a function room of Century Seafood Restaurant were Philippine Wushu Federation president Tan She Ling (whose wife Dolores is well known for the best wedding and other invitations with Ever Engraving) and Lucio Tan’s brother-in-law Domingo Chua.
AYFCE is formerly known as the Anvil Business Club, with present officers led by chairman Jeffrey Ng who is a UP economics cum laude graduate and CEO of Cathay Land, and also president Roy Chua of the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association (PAG-ASA). Past chairmen of AYFCE include George T. Siy of Marie France/Facial Care, Michael G. Tan of Tanduay, Wilfred “Willy” Co of Robinsons Handyman/Do It Best, and others.
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Paging Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and all our telecom firms’ Internet businesses like PLDT MyDSL, Bayantel, Globe, etc.: Philippine STAR reader, British businessman and TFC Capital chairman David Sullivan complained to me that our Internet connection “is worse than that of Cambodia.” He said the Philippines has a lot of potential to attract foreign investors, but we need to improve our basic infrastructure in terms of quality and prices so that we can be more competitive than our aggressive Asean neighbors.
ATTENTION TO DETAILS, FINANCIAL PRUDENCE & VISION ARE KEYS TO SUCCESS
In the early evening of Nov. 23, President Noynoy C. Aquino and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chairman and CEO Cristino “Bong” Naguiat, Jr. visited the wake of the late 92-year-old Luis C. Clemente, husband of the 91-year-old Dr. Thelma Navarette-Clemente who is the founder/owner of Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City. The wake was at the Loyola Memorial Chapel in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City. P-Noy chanced upon ex-congressman, Bayan Muna leader and STAR columnist Satur Ocampo.
While Dr. Thema N. Clemente was conversing, P-Noy jokingly asked if he had to take down notes because she always lectures whenever talking to him. Dr. Clemente is a supporter and old friend of the late President Cory C. Aquino, who appointed the hospital founder as director of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) before. P-Noy said that her hospital is well positioned to go into the medical tourism business, and she said they already have international patients.
Dr. Clemente reportedly works nonstop in overseeing the Capitol Medical, literally living in the hospital 24 hours daily, and her hobby is painting. Both she and her husband started their first small medical place in Manila’s Tondo district with only a few beds, then they moved to Quezon City in 1970 to start Capitol Medical Center. Among her success secrets? Attention to details, financial prudence and vision. Akap-bata party list official Dr. Ed Clemente said Philippine STAR columnist Krip Yuson is writing a book on the story of Capitol Medical.
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