MVP reveals ‘harrowing’ health ordeal, beating COVID-19 twice

Businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan is no longer in the hospital and has returned to work after beating COVID-19 for the second time.

One of the country’s business leaders and head of conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and telco giant PLDT Inc., Pangilinan said through his official Twitter account, “I’m back to the office.”

“Feels good to get my life back. My profound thanks to all of you. Cheers,” Pangilinan added.

Michael Toledo, Metro Pacific managing director for government and public affairs, said Pangilinan was already holding online meetings through Zoom.

“He is working now,” Toledo told the Inquirer.

Pangilinan informed his employees in an Easter message, which he said was drafted inside his room at the Makati Medical Center, that “this year has been particularly harrowing for me health-wise.”

He revealed he was a “victim of COVID twice over” in the last four months, which also saw him hospitalized for an injured knee and for a procedure involving the placing of cardiac stents.

Pangilinan also assured the group’s 55,000 employees, their immediate family and household staff, that a group-wide vaccine policy was in place.

He said orders have been made from various foreign suppliers for over one million COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Pangilinan had previously said the group was prepared to assist the government with its vaccination drive. At the same time, he said Metro Pacific’s Hospitals Group would also support the rollout of vaccines.

Pangilinan further recognized the group’s employees amid the global health crisis.

“In the year just passed, the MVP Group performed well in the teeth of the pandemic—a fact many acknowledge with some admiration—a tribute to all of you,” said Pangilinan, referring to his initials MVP.

“Cash flows and balance sheets have been sturdy, business robust and defensive. I have no doubt we will carry on even stronger, even better,” he said.

Pangilinan has been a prominent figure in the local business scene since he led the takeover of PLDT in the late 1990s.

During the company’s quarterly briefing last March 4, Pangilinan said he would soon scale back responsibilities in the company, where he currently sits as chair and CEO.