Enrique Razon Jr.

It was only a year ago when gaming and ports tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. earned praise for calling on big business to put money aside and focus on saving lives. “More important are the concerns of the people. Feeding the people,” Razon said in a TV interview, adding “the only thing that counts now is defeating the virus.” His priorities haven’t changed since but public perception from certain quarters has shifted dramatically. His charity foundation’s offer to build a “mega vaccination” facility on reclaimed government land in Parañaque recently drew opposition from the property manager, Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF). Concerns were also raised about cutting down ipil-ipil trees that grew on the site. Razon, who was instrumental in ordering millions of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses under a tripartite agreement with the government, publicly berated the NPF last week, calling its actions “incomprehensible” amid the crisis. He said he had no other plans for the land, which was located near his integrated casino project along Manila Bay, other than saving lives and getting the economy back on track.