BIZ BUZZ: Culture job, cultured Consunji

He is a very busy man, undoubtedly too busy to accept a government post. But this is one offer he just couldn’t refuse.

Business tycoon and “Management Man of the Year 2022” honoree Isidro “Sid” Consunji was recently appointed by President Marcos to the board of trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

It may be hard to imagine the chief of engineering/construction conglomerate DMCI Holdings attending glitzy galas in formal wear while sipping champagne, as he’s more the athleisure-donning, whisky-gulping type of guy.

But we hear there’s a special reason why he was handpicked (along with acclaimed conductor and artistic director Jonathan Velasco) to join the board of the CCP, especially at this time that the iconic 53-year-old structure is undergoing retrofitting and refurbishment to become a “state-of-the-art center for artistic excellence and cultural celebration.”

Consunji is seen to lend his expertise in management, construction/engineering and rehabilitation, not to mention help with fundraising activities of the CCP, led by chair Jaime Laya and president Michelle Nikki Junia.

And perhaps the tycoon couldn’t pass up the opportunity to help spruce up the iconic CCP for sentimental reasons. After all, his father, construction magnate David Consunji, helped build the CCP. The late patriarch had also served the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. as secretary of public works, transportation and communication.

The three-year rehabilitation of the CCP aims to address the leaks, corrosion, flooding and other issues, as well as make it more gender-responsive and inclusive for persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

So while Consunji became a civil engineer as an excuse to transfer from Ateneo de Manila (then exclusively for boys) to coed University of the Philippines or UP (according to him, upon seeing pretty girls in miniskirts at the UP Oval), he will play a key role in helping beautify the CCP and make this capital city landmark future-ready.

—Doris Dumlao-Abadilla

Punching above its financial weight

For investors and customers looking for a Philippine lender punching way above its financial weight class, AsiaMoney magazine has a hot tip: Look closely at Country Builders Bank (CBB)—one of the largest rural banks in the country in terms of branches.

But it is not its size as a rural bank that earned CBB the special citation from AsiaMoney as the bank to watch in the country for this year. Rather, it is the bank’s efforts in accelerating and deepening financial inclusion in rural areas and providing capital to micro and small entrepreneurs in Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces.

CBB was established in 2017 but its micro-lending roots can be traced back to First Macro Bank, which pioneered the introduction of financial products for small enterprises. First Macro started in Rizal province in 2001, offering noncollateral, short-term loans anywhere from P3,000 to P25,000.

The lender now has 33 branches manned by 363 employees, who focus on communities within a 10-kilometer radius of the bank. This means CBB will be taking the bank to the people, especially in villages where it hopes to find new clients.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, CBB president Mike Sandig said the lender was refocusing its efforts to help micro, small and medium enterprises recover and create new jobs.

More importantly, Biz Buzz hears the bank has big plans for expanding its footprint and product offerings in the local market. Abangan!

—Daxim L. Lucas

Parqal opens, welcomes Gokongweis’ The Marketplace

Delfin Angelo “Buds” Wenceslao, CEO of DM Wenceslao Group, the developer of Aseana City, was ecstatic over the recent opening of his firm’s latest mixed-use development Parqal “after four years of visualizing, planning and constructing.”

Among those who joined Wenceslao on the journey to the fulfillment of its development vision was the Gokongwei Group, which opened the 38th The Marketplace on Oct. 4, thus adding more character to the metro’s new retail and entertainment center.

“We are thrilled to open a store here in Parqal, Aseana City, offering a diverse collection of well-curated items and celebrated international brands from around the world to our valued customers. Our vision is to provide a world-class shopping experience here in the Philippines,” says Kerwin Legarde, The Marketplace general manager.

The Gokongwei Group is gearing up for the opening by the end of this year of as many as 200 new retail outlets under various formats under Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., from supermarkets to pharmaceutical outlets and specialty stores, to take advantage of resilient consumer spending.

Here’s to hoping rising inflation will not slow them down.

—Tina Arceo-Dumlao