Special day for special dragon

2012 isn’t just the Year of the Dragon. It’s the Chinese Year of the Yang Water Dragon and from a Feng Shui standpoint, the calendar will unravel lots of possibilities for good fortune.

The Year of the Yang Water Dragon comes only once in 60 years. The last time it fell was in 1952 and the next time will be in 2072. What makes the Water Dragon special is its relation to the single driving influence of the three other elements of nature – earth, wind and fire. The importance of water is reflected in the fact that it covers 2/3 of Planet Earth and 95 percent of the human body – we can’t live without it. As for the Water Dragon, it is widely characterized by thunder, lightning, growth, creativity, ability to transform, patience, perceptive thought process and insightful decision-making.

It isn’t accidental that today marks the 60th birthday of a man known for all those characteristics of a Water Dragon. As if fate dictated it, Ricky Vargas is president and CEO of Maynilad Water Services which caters to the 17 cities and municipalities of the West Zone of Greater Metro Manila. Vargas is also ABAP, SBP vice chairman and Talk ‘N’ Text governor in the PBA. For his accomplishments in sports, he is being cited as Executive of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association at the Annual Awards Night in the Manila Hotel on March 3.

Patrick Gregorio, who works closely with Vargas as Maynilad senior vice president, ABAP secretary general and Talk ‘N’ Text alternate governor in the PBA, said the man is a cut above the rest. “He is the epitome of the Water Dragon,” said Gregorio. “He’s strong in transformation and human relations. He’s a hands-on executive. He employs a collegial approach to management decision-making. He listens to suggestions. He’s very thorough in evaluating situations before making a decision. He has an abundance of good public relations, charisma and IQ. He reads a lot and is well-versed on significant issues that make a difference in our lives.”

Vargas’ sports lineage goes back to his grandfather Jorge Vargas, the founding member of the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation which is now the Philippine Olympic Committee. Jorge Vargas became the PAAF president in 1936 and earned the distinction as the first Filipino member of the International Olympic Committee. Vargas’ love for sports is a consuming passion and it shows in the way he has successfully carried out the mission of excellence set by PLDT chairman, ABAP chairman, SBP president and Talk ‘N’ Text team owner Manny V. Pangilinan.

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“Not too many know that when Talk ‘N’ Text went down 1-3 in the best-of-seven semifinals against Petron in the last PBA conference, Mr. Vargas took it upon himself to do his share in getting the team back on its feet,” confided Gregorio. “He postponed an executive meeting to drop by the Moro Lorenzo Gym where the team was practicing. He spoke with Jimmy (Alapag) one-on-one. He talked to all the players. If he didn’t have the heart for sports, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to motivate the team. We all know what happened in the end.”

Vargas attended Ateneo high school and finished with a psychology degree at UST. He was a highly-regarded human resource executive at Citibank when Pangilinan brought him to PLDT as senior vice president.

“Mr. Vargas comes across as a very down-to-earth guy,” said Gregorio. “What grounds him is his association with close friends going back to his UST and Citibank days. He never loses touch with reality. His UST buddies include Eboy Jovida and Paul Laud, both musicians. His Cititbank colleagues include Renee Rubio (now Securities Clearing Corp. COO), Manila Water CEO Gerry Ablaza and Eton CEO Danny Ignacio. He believes in the culture of sharing, of managing people like a family. That’s how he transformed Talk ‘N’ Text into a champion team, how he transformed our Filipino amateur boxers into medalists. He lives a simple life with simple joys. It’s no wonder that he’s one of Boss MVP’s most trusted guys.”

At ABAP, Vargas laid out the way for Mark Anthony Barriga to qualify for the London Olympics, for Eumir Marcial to strike gold at the World Junior Championships, for Rey Saludar to reach the top at the Asian Games and for four fighters to hit paydirt at the recent Southeast Asian Games.

“Mr. Vargas realizes that if we expect our athletes to go the extra mile for the gold, we should at least take care of their families,” said Gregorio. “So he addressed all possible distractions and provided for incentives to motivate our athletes. Our Southeast Asian Games gold medalists, for instance, received P300,000 each and our Olympic qualifier, P150,000. Before his involvement in ABAP, Mr. Vargas had no background in boxing. But his experience as a people person and an executive was more than enough to touch the heart and soul of our athletes.”

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Gregorio said Vargas’ professionalism is exceptional. “At ABAP, Mr. Vargas doesn’t take PLDT’s support for granted,” continued Gregorio. “Mr. Vargas makes a presentation to convince PLDT that there is marketing value in supporting the ABAP. He picked a professional, Ed Picson, to manage ABAP’s day-to-day operations and put his stamp of approval on a four-year program. You will notice how active the ABAP is in staging regional and national competitions, how motivated are our fighters to battle for our country and their families.” When Vargas served as PBA chairman, the pro league similarly enjoyed a renaissance. “Management systems were instituted,” said Gregorio. “Mr. Vargas made it a point to professionalize the conduct and decision-making of the Board. He left a significant imprint that today, stands as a hallmark in the PBA.”

Gregorio said one of Vargas’ earliest dreams was to become a doctor. “He has realized that dream through his son Dino who is now a doctor,” said Gregorio. “He’s happily married to Gloria de Castro of Bulacan and they’re blessed with three children, Dino, Nico and Katrina, and three grandchildren.”

As Maynilad CEO, Vargas is spearheading the launch of the Philippine Popular Music Festival at the PICC Plenary Hall on July 14 with Ryan Cayabyab as executive director. Vargas, the organizing committee chairman, said “It’s high time we celebrate the artistry of the Filipino songwriter … what better way to do that than by giving them an avenue to showcase home grown talent and shine on a stage of their own.” The precursor Metro Pop Song Festival was held from 1977 to 1985 and from 1996 to 2003 but not until now has a similar concept been revived.

“The launch of the Philippine Popular Music Festival will be on Boss MVP’s birthday,” said Gregorio with a smile. “So you see, Mr. Vargas thinks of everything.”