He descended upon the local business scene with such an impact that he has in a very short span of time made his investments and takeovers into major areas like infrastructure, utilities, communications, mining and other businesses in order to become a major player in the Philippine economy at the level of the Ayalas, Lopezes, Sys, Tans, Gokongweis and other Taipans.
Not being of current Chinese stock and making his mark in foreign playing fields based in Hongkong, with allegedly his own patrons, the Salims, Manuel V. Pangilinan has carved his own identity and presence, specifically teferred to, and no other, as MVP.
MVP is of Kapampangan stock but was educated in Manila at San Beda College in high school and at the Ateneo de Manila for his college.
Except for NLEX as one of his major investments and expressing interest in SCTEX, CIAC and Mimosa, Pampanga has not yet been the recipient of the largesse and specific investment focus of MVP. This may come.
This is because of both the investment savy of MVP and the specific investment potential and attractiveness of Pampanga. This timing is about to come.
The investments and business involvements of MVP are well known and have been analyzed and commented on. That is not the topic of this particular article. Being mainly involved in the academe, I am more concerned about his recent decision to “ separate “ himself from the Ateneo.
MVP was around one or two years ahead of me. We didnot know each other and never crossed paths.
We met a year ago at CIAC and he was asking a lot of questions about the airport. He showed no signs of recognizing me from school although, in all humility, being a very small number then of just 1000 students in college, we knew almost everybody.
I knew almost all the Kapampangans, the economics majors, the honor students and the “goons”.
I was not specifically aware of him. Fr. Joey Francisco, S.J.,, one of three classmates, who became priests, and now President of The Loyola School of Theology and a member of the Ateneo Board of Trustees, just told me that MVP then was the quiet, studious and diligent type who made the honors list without much fanfare.
MVP has given back much to the Ateneo. There is a big building housing student organizations, activities and services in the college campus, bearing his name.
I am sure he donated this building worth at least hundreds of millions pesos. No one gets a building named after you at the Ateneo unless you are the Ford Foundation as a donor, a hero like Rizal who was an Atenean, a Jesuit icon like Fr Irwin or Fr. Eliazo, or a saint like St. Francis Xaxier. MVP is not yet one of these although I will not be surprised if he becomes one.
The support to the Ateneo varsity basketball team is well known. MVP probably spends millions and this has resulted in the team having won the seniors championship for the last four years and are now gunning for a five”peat” againsi UST in the finals.
MVP seats prominently at the middle row of the ringside, Ateneo side, off course, during every Ateneo game.
MVP also supports San Beda varsity team but they are in the NCAA, a separate league from UAAP, and this has also been a very successful patronage.
Norman Black, Ateneo coach, is employed by PLDT and he has clearly shown his loyalty by offering to follow his patron in disassociating from the Ateneo.
There are probably many other Ateneo projects and activities which MVP supports. He has proven himself to be a very generous and caring person on many other occasions.
He is on the Board of Trustees, probably the Chair, of Ateneo. He is a rennaisance man, a man for all seasons and in the training of Ateneans, “ a man for others.” Truly, he is a product that Ateneo is and should be extremely proud of.
But, there is always a fly in the ointment. There was the plagiarism issue. Some speech writers of MVP crafted his speech and utilized the words and ideas of others without the proper attribution or citation.
In academe, this is a mortal sin. And this omission was severely criticized by members of the Ateneo academic community.
Ateneo, after all, prides itself on its intellectual freedom. MVP took the full blame and apologized for the mistake, no matter how unintended or without malice.
Recently, however, the Ateneo drafted a position paper of the university, manifesting its opposition to the RH bill and Pro=Mining Act.
It so happened that these positions are diametrically contrary to the beliefs and position of MVP.
He announced his” complete and total disengagement” from the Ateneo, in a letter which cited his irreconcilable differences. This must have been very hard and painful for MVP.
Ateneo, Jesuits and most Ateneans all know how to craft the appropriate language and responses and Fr. Ramon Villarin, S.J., Ateneo president, said “
As we accept this decision with sadness, we honor it with profound respect. Thru the years, MVP’s presence and support in various capacities have helped ther Ateneo achieve its mission and deepen its identity.”
I have one simple word to comment, “ Sayang.” I realize that MVP must be hurt and lost face.
But this is not a nescessary and correct response. Ateneo is a Catholic University. MVP knows that, having chosen and gone to the Ateneo for his college degree. Ateneo will adopt the correct Catholic position.
Still the Ateneo is a liberal and Jesuit institution. Even within its walls, there are differing opinions and beliefs.
There are processes for dialogue and the free market of ideas. Just because one has the economic clout, one cannot leverage this and force ideas, positions and beliefs on an institution like the Ateneo.
This is not a privately owned and controlled corporation where he who provides the money also provides the opinions. This is not the Ateneo that MVP was educated in. If he believes otherwise, he may go to UP or La Salle or create or buy his own school.
However, it is hoped that MVP realizes that even with his resources and power there are limitations to what can be dictated and influenced. He should be humble and magnanimous enough to work within the process and its parameters.
Your basketball team’s mvp or most valuable player can only be that because he is a team player and he is supported by the rest of the team. MVP will not just be a most valuable patron but a substantial most most valuable player.
