BIZ BUZZ: Consunji: Most Distinguished UP Alumnus
Business tycoon Isidro Consunji could have been a “Blue Eagle” instead of a “Maroon/Iskolar ng Bayan.”
As a young man, he was already enrolled in Ateneo, then an exclusive school for boys. But upon seeing the campus of nearby coed University of the Philippines (UP) populated with beautiful girls in miniskirts, he realized he was in the wrong university.
He, however, had to present a compelling case for his father to allow him to transfer to UP. The winning argument? He declared he wanted to be an engineer.
READ: Sid Consunji: Just an ‘ordinary’ guy with extraordinary tasks
The father just couldn’t say no to a son who wanted to follow in his footsteps.
In 1971, Consunji indeed got his civil engineering degree—but only after overcoming a lot of stumbling blocks. He later on realized that corporate management rather than engineering is his true calling.
Article continues after this advertisementOver the years, he led the diversification of the family business into one of the country’s most formidable conglomerates with interests not just in construction but also residential development, coal and nickel mining, water, power generation and the newest baby, cement manufacturing.
Article continues after this advertisementLast Saturday, the chair of DMCI Holdings and Semirara Mining & Power Corp. (SMPC) was honored by the UP Alumni Association as the “2024 Most Distinguished Alumnus,” the same distinction that his father, David Consunji, aka the “Father of Modern Construction in the Philippines,” received in 2016.
“It feels unreal because I was an ordinary student when I was here at UP. I spent more time outside the classroom than inside, being active in Beta Epsilon Fraternity and the Association of Civil Engineering Students,” he said in his acceptance speech.
He recalled taking a year off because he was restless and had lost interest in studying. To keep himself busy and earn some money, he worked in the motor pool division and logging concession of his father.
“I consider my time away from school a year well-spent. I learned how to interact with people from all walks of life. I also discovered the importance of productivity, efficiency and cash flow when running a business. Eventually, I returned to UP and earned my civil engineering degree so I could make something out of myself. It took me six years to finish a five-year course,” he said.
“This award means a lot to me because of the journey that brought me here. I’m sure the other awardees feel the same way,” he said.
It was double honor for the Consunji family as his younger sister Maria Cristina Consunji-Gotianun (Business Economics ’75), president of SMPC, was also given the 2024 Distinguished Alumna Award for corporate management excellence.
There were 96 honorees in all, which also included newly appointed Education Secretary Sonny Angara and architect/urban planner Felino Palafox, who were given “Lifetime Distinguished Achievement Awards,” alongside Philippine Economic Zone Authority Director General Tereso Panga (economic development/foreign direct investment generation) and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines Director General Rowel Barba (intellectual property protection.) —Doris Dumlao-Abadilla
No more extended airport pickups, dropoffs
Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) will soon undergo a major rehabilitation under the helm of the consortium led by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to increase passenger capacity of the congested gateway.
Passenger volume at the country’s primary gateway has already reached 50 million a year—way above the 35 million capacity.
But congestion, as it turns out, is not only inside the terminals.
READ: Improve Naia before raising fees
SMC chief Ramon Ang said that family and friends picking up and dropping off their loved ones at the airport are also causing traffic. He observed some of them usually take a long time at the airport curbside.
As such, Ang’s group—New Naia Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC)—is studying the possibility of imposing a penalty on overstaying guests to encourage quicker movement in and out of the airport. The fine may amount to P1,000, he said.
In European airports, he noted that passengers are only given 10 minutes for drop off and pick up at the curbside. They will be charged after that window closes.
NNIC may immediately do that too, after it takes over Naia next month. —Tyrone Jasper C. Piad INQ
