CEOs look back on eventful 2024, look forward to a better 2025

(Fourth of a series)

Despite all the trials and tribulations that came along with 2024, it turned out to be a fairly good one for many of the country’s leading corporations.

Milestones were achieved and targets were met, giving their leaders reasons to look forward to 2025 with excitement.

Here, we asked some of the country’s most influential figures in the corporate world how exactly 2024 treated them and what they are looking forward to the most in the coming Year of the Snake.

READ: CEOs look back on eventful 2024, look forward to a better 2025

Luis Sarmiento

1. LUIS SARMIENTO

President and CEO

Apex Mining Co. Inc.

In 2024, we faced many challenges at the mine site but Apex Mining still delivered a strong performance, marking highest tonnage in a day and highest tonnage in a month records.

While the ill effects of climate change were made manifest so early in the year—affecting not just our operations but our host communities, too—the spirit of malasakit that is innate in each of us powered our efforts.

We saw our employees, our host local governments and communities and even our fellow-industry players closing ranks together—it was truly heartwarming to see all the hands that extended help.

In 2025, our solid and inspired team is primed to deliver their targets. We hope to see concrete positive results from the engineering innovations we have started to implement in our operations. Sustainability remains a focus for us, along with more meaningful development projects for our host communities.

Apex Mining is grateful that despite the many challenges we face, the various variables that are relevant to our business, such as the price of gold and foreign exchange rate, remain in our favor.

We are also thankful that our continued positive performance allows us to be of service to our fellow Filipinos, not just in our host communities, but anywhere we can effect beneficial change.

Mining remains a largely misunderstood industry. But we hope to continue being the partners of our host communities and also help bring relief and reprieve to areas that need our assistance.

We will strive to make our actions speak louder than those (negative) words.

Vicente Perez Jr.

2. VICENTE PÉREZ JR.

Chair

Alternergy Holdings Corp.

2024 was a transformative year for Alternergy’s growth story.

In just 15 months as a listed company, Alternergy successfully raised P20 billion, fueling our growth and laying the groundwork to achieve our “Road to 500 megawatts (MW)” target by 2026.

We seized the momentum of the growing sustainability market by launching our own Green Finance Framework, which is supported by the Asian Development Bank and a Second Part Opinion from DNV (Thailand) Co. Ltd.

This Green Finance Framework helped facilitate the closing of the P20-billion financing.

For 2025, we are excited to see the completion of four projects.

Two wind power projects (128 MW Tanay Wind Power Project and 64 MW Alabat Wind Power Project), one solar project (28MW Balsik Solar Power Project) and one runoff-river (ROR) hydro project (4.6MW Dupinga ROR Hydro Project) will start spinning by 2025 and are expected to provide significant boost in revenues.

We are also gearing up for the next phase of capital raising to meet equity needs for our new pipeline of projects to complete the Road to 500 MW target by 2026.

Delfin Angelo Wenceslao

3. DELFIN ANGELO WENCESLAO

CEO

DM Wenceslao and Associates Inc.

As I look back on the year, the major theme of our efforts was community building.

Community building is about creating connections with members having a shared vision and a commitment on its execution.

I felt a sense of fulfillment as I saw how our projects were able to engage and inspire people to turn Aseana City into a place where people want to be.

From book fairs to running clubs, toy conventions, yoga sessions, chess meets, food fairs etc., these new activities helped the company greatly upgrade and innovate the range of experiences for its residents.

I saw the start and the nurturing of the Aseana City community.

This year, with the start of increased connectivity of Aseana City with four major cities by rail, the company will be rolling out the next phase of its development pipeline which includes office, co-living, coworking spaces and serviced residences.

I am excited about this next stage of growth as the company expands its mobility and urban reach and diversify the types of products and services it can offer to the community.

Dodjie Maestrecampo

4. DODJIE MAESTRECAMPO

President and CEO

Mapua Education Group

I’m incredibly proud of the significant growth of the Mapúa Education Group: Mapúa University, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna and Mapúa Malayan Colleges Mindanao.

We’ve expanded our program offerings and strengthened our curriculum to ensure that we continue to provide high-quality education in the modern age. This is solidified by our strong performance in international university rankings.

Further, one of the key highlights of our fulfilling year was our focus on strengthening digital education, expanding access for learners across the country.

This has been a crucial step in ensuring that we build a future-ready workforce.

We’ve also started to lay the foundation for the integration of co-intelligence (AI and human intelligence) into our educational framework with the goal of empowering our students, faculty, and staff with the skills they need to thrive in the evolving technological landscape.

On the athletic front, I’m thrilled that the Mapúa Cardinals claimed the NCAA Season 100 Men’s Basketball Championship, a resounding 33-year drought-breaking victory.

This embodies the spirit of excellence, discipline, and commitment that we strive for at Mapúa.

As we move into 2025, Mapúa University is celebrating its Centennial year.

This is a momentous occasion, and we are excited to commemorate our rich history while looking towards an even brighter future.

Our centennial year marks a significant milestone, a testament to the enduring legacy forged since 1925.

It also signifies not just the continuous growth of Mapúa University, but also the evolution of the entire Mapúa Education Group.”

To be continued