What makes Manny V. Pangilinan a true MVP?

{ In their own words, MVP Group top executives tell us the many reasons why MVP, to them, is indeed, a true MVP: Most Valuable Player, Most Valuable Person and one with a Mission and Vision that is Perfect. }

‘LOVE FOR COUNTRY’

Ray Espinosa, Meralco president and CEO: What makes MVP a true MVP is his vision of nation building and love for country.

‘IMBUED WITH A HIGH SENSE OF PURPOSE’ Orlando Vea, CEO and founder, PayMaya Philippines

MVP has always been a man with a mission — that of uplifting Filipino’s lives. His business and personal undertakings are invariably imbued with a high sense of purpose — whether it’s in telco, utilities, infrastructure, healthcare, technology, sports, art, and communities, among many others.

At PayMaya, we are fortunate to work side by side with our chairman MVP toward our goals of digital and financial inclusion for all Filipinos. Happy birthday, MVP! All the best on your special day and may you and the beneficiaries of your mission enjoy more blessings.

‘MAGNANIMOUS’

Esther Santos, PLDT-Smart Foundation president: Since I work with MVP on philanthropic and CSR projects, I can really say that he is a man with a big heart and a big dream for the Filipino people. MVP is always the first one to remind us to prepare in times of impending natural disasters, and he is very hands-on in our relief operations and community projects. He is magnanimous, more so during this pandemic, and his concern for others is genuine. I would say that he has three dominant passions — business, sports and nation building. In all these, he exhibits the qualities of a Most Valuable Pilipino.

‘OVERALL VERSATILITY’ Eulalio Austin, Jr., president & CEO, Philex Mining:

What makes Manny V. Pangilinan a true MVP is his overall versatility in terms of addressing the needs of humanity, caring for the environment and his vision to direct how things should be done in the business environment to make it sustainable.

‘THE FILIPINO CAN’

Al Panlilio, PLDT & Smart president and CEO: His resolute faith in the Philippines as a country and as a people is one of the things that make our chairman a true MVP. His The Filipino can!’ mindset is a big blessing to our country. He always believes in the Filipino talent, attitude and capabilities – whether athletes, executives, leaders, celebrities, even the common Filipino. He is always in support, always working toward elevating the Philippines to global standards. He is the big guy behind many successful showcases of Philippine talent.

Then his being a true MVP gets more intimate to the perspective of those around him. Chairman MVP is an inspiring teacher, boss, leader, and friend. He is everything one could look for in a good mentor. He grooms us to be grounded leaders in the industry and makes working with him an interesting and memorable experience. Personally, I find that working under him is like being in my own MBA, every single interaction leaves me with new learnings - how blessed am I for being mentored by the greatest leader of all time! I will always be grateful for his support and kindness

He is a true man for others. He has done so much for so many people- particularly the Filipino. My wish for him on his birthday is that he finds more time for himself, doing more of what really brings him joy. His selflessness and courage will always be a beacon of hope for all of us, but now is the time to care more for himself.

‘NEVER ALLOW YOUR TEAMMATE TO FAIL’

Victorico Vargas, Chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA): MVP always says ‘Don’t be afraid to lose your job.’ Take accountability for your decisions and actions. Never allow your teammate to fail, in fact, make them better and winners.

He encourages debating the issues and if you disagree it is your responsibility to say so in a respectful way and feel safe you will not be fired.

But, lack of honesty and integrity will. These are words a coach or a leader of a team would say in the dug out. For these reasons, MVP for me is the winningest coach I’ve known in building performing teams in sports and in business.

‘A CORPORATE STATESMAN’

Rodrigo Franco, president of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.: Manuel V. Pangilinan (or MVP) is a true MVP because he has elevated business leadership to the level of statesmanship. He runs his enterprises from the concept of ‘doing well’ and ‘doing good.’ He is known for his astute strategic mind that assures profitability and sustainability of any business he leads. His track record in leading the transformation and elevating the performance of our Group’s telco, power, hospital, water, transport, media, mining and other businesses is testament to MVP’s superior business acumen. Through his leadership, the businesses of our Group are doing relatively well and flourishing. Our Tollways company evolved from a single expressway to the country’s leading multi-concession transport infrastructure business. We now have infra projects in Luzon and Visayas and even in Indonesia and Vietnam. This business diversification involved calibrated risk taking and resource allocation. We are also awed by his pursuit of excellence as he seeks his vision. He does not settle for anything but the best. He challenged us numerous times to ramp up our digital push in the Tollways business. When we pursued our digital transformation, we realized that he was correct. The increased digitization allowed us to deliver superior customer experience while enhancing employee engagement. The “doing good” part is MVP’s choice of businesses that are imbued with public interest, meant for the greater good of people. Telecom, power, food, water, mass media and transport are basic needs of society. It’s not surprising that MVP has invested in ventures that deliver these basic services. MVP also entered the health care sector for its lofty goals of saving lives and assuring a healthy population. Chairman MVP would always ask us whenever we propose new road projects to highlight not only the profit potential but, equally important, the impact on social and economic development of the areas to be served by the expressways. MVP carries with him his built-in and innate desire to pursue the greater good for our country and our people. MVP can be called a corporate statesman. He “champions issues in the interest of the public good,” and “holds himself to the highest standards of ethics and integrity” — may I add — in his governance and operations of business enterprises. He is our true MVP!

‘MISSION AND VISION PERFECT’

Former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban Jr.: MVP means Mission and Vision Perfect; Most Valuable Player with amazing star power.

He is collegial in decision-making but singular in 24/7 performing.He is a multi-tasker with elephantine memory. He has extraordinary grit to succeed no matter what.

He is a gung-ho leader by example; sportsmanship at work and at play and has respect and esteem for partners and colleagues.

There is dignity, transparency and accountability for all and from all. He has compassion for the poor and the powerless; has patriotism and honor at all times, and has abiding faith in God always. Happy 75th birthday, Manny!

‘ALWAYS THINKING A STEP AHEAD’

Ramoncito Fernandez, president of Maynilad: Manny Pangilinan is a true MVP because he is a visionary leader—one whose passion, energy and determination inspire others to positive action.

Thought leadership and innovation are in his DNA. In fact, I remember that as early as year 2000, he was already talking about convergence and digitalization way before these concepts would become de rigueur in business.

He is always thinking a step ahead, driven by his sincere desire to help his countrymen. This is most apparent in his support of the arts and sports. MVP was instrumental in reviving Filipino music through his patronage of PhilPop, as well as of the Philippine Classical Arts.

Everyone knows, too, that sports have a special place in his heart. Whether it is basketball, boxing, badminton or volleyball, MVP has extended assistance to the country’s sports programs and sponsored many promising Filipino athletes so they would excel in these fields and represent us in the global arena.

Our country is very lucky to have MVP as its number 1 supporter in the quest for an Olympic medal. Not many people know that MVP is a prayerful soul. I think it is this that gives him the inner strength to keep fighting the good fight, knowing that he is in a position to make a difference.

MVP has always been at the forefront of efforts to promote nation-building.

The work that he does — from running the companies under him to pursuing his many advocacies — has touched the lives of so many people in a positive way. Through his example, we are all driven to become better versions of ourselves for others. And that, I believe, is what a true MVP is all about.

‘A WINNING COACH’

Jose Maria K. Lim, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. president and CEO: Manny is truly a most valuable player because he is a coach that pushes his team to win big. He builds discipline from his management and always communicates his vision and expectations clearly.

One thing you can count on is for him to give you constructive feedback as you perform the task at hand. He hates it when all he hears are sugar-coated reports.

He needs to hear the issues facing the company and your take on these issues. He will not hesitate to let you know if he thinks you are not covering all the angles.

While his management style may seem autocratic, he sets a collegial atmosphere when making plans for the future and he welcomes out-of-the-box thinking. His instinct for creating value is key to our long term success. He is drawn to large challenges, fearless and born with a fierce determination to succeed. I think this is why his companies will sometimes have misses, but when it does get things right, it will be a big win. And like a winning coach, he can and has delivered repeatedly.

I have stated before that it has been my good fortune to have stumbled into this Team Manny created. I have been on his team for one-third of the years he has been on this planet and over those 25 years, I have come a long way from being that nervous junior executive standing in front of a board of directors in Hong Kong.

I would always wonder why Manny would always leave the room just when I was to start my report. It was only a year or two ago he told me the reason he did so - it was so that I could calm down and deliver a good report to the board of directors. This to me is what makes him special as a leader. He invests himself in his players, especially those who need help.

For this reason, Manny is not just an MVP, he is a hero to many of us. Happy birthday, boss!

‘ALWAYS LEADS THE TROOPS LIKE A TRUE MVP’

Anabelle Chua, PLDT chief financial officer: Boss MVP has always inspired us “to reach beyond our grasp,” which he himself displays with his clarity of vision, his passion and his commitment to excellence. He leads the troops as a true MVP, challenging all of us to always do better while himself never shirking from the responsibilities of being the chief. I have been privileged to work alongside my boss MVP for the last 20+ years and there have been memorable historic moments — like when we kicked off our bond roadshow only to witness 9/11 happen as we landed in Hong Kong from Singapore.

And then when we were together during the big Tokyo earthquake, we both ducked under the table and walked down 27 flights. Through the toughest of times, I have always been amazed at MVP’s command of difficult situations and his boldness to act and move forward.

He has achieved so much over the years and I can only wish that MVP continues to ‘shine bright like a diamond’ as he celebrates his 75th birthday!

‘VISIONARY’

Miguel G. Belmonte, president and CEO, The Philippine STAR: MVP is a man of vision and a leader with the determination to achieve that vision. Just look at how big the MVP Group has grown. These are companies that play a crucial role in our country’s progress and future. Just thinking about how MVP is able to manage all these companies is truly mind-boggling. Now, that is a true MVP!

‘SUCH A GREAT MENTOR’

Robert Galang, president and CEO of Cignal TV and TV5: It is an honor and privilege to be working with MVP. I admire his generosity in sharing his wisdom, insights, and rich experience, making him such a great mentor. His love and passion for sports, media, and entertainment are truly contagious, challenging all of us to always think smarter, work harder, and achieve more every day. He is indisputably our MVP!

‘HIS BRILLIANCE SHINES THROUGH’

Augie Palisco Jr., president and CEO of Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc.: Manny is the kind of leader/boss who doesn’t need to be the bida or to always show that he’s the smartest person in the room. We would have meetings with him where he might not even say anything, probably because everyone else in the room has either solved the problem or made good progress with the topic at hand. You will appreciate him during situations when all his smart and highly-paid executives can’t seem to find a solution to a big problem. Then, he steps in and says, ‘What about this?’ We would all, then, sit there thinking: “Oo nga ‘no? Bakit hindi natin naisip yun?!’ That’s when his brilliance shines through and that is why he is truly our MVP.