Despite market volatility and changing political landscape over the past years, these Filipino companies are continuously boosting their operations and profits. These businesses, embodying the Pinoy values of courage and resilience, have been thriving for some time amid economic and social challenges, and are likely to do so in succeeding years.
As the country marks the 121st anniversary of Emilio Aguinaldo’s declaration of Philippine independence in 1898, it is timely to list down the top corporations that contributed to our country’s economy through their wealth, long history, or both.
PLDT Inc. (1928)
Led by Manny V. Pangilinan, PLDT Inc. is the largest telecommunications and digital services company in the Philippines. The company operates the country’s most extensive fiber optic backbone and fixed line and cellular network. Its wireless services are marketed under the Smart, TNT, and Sun Cellular brands. Its fixed line services, on the other hand, are marketed under PLDT Home and PLDT Enterprise. It recorded a net income of P35.2 billion in 2015.
Petron Corporation (1933)
It is the largest oil refining and marketing company in the country. Petron supplies more than a third of our oil needs and has more than 2,400 retail services nationwide which make gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and auto-LPG available to motorists. Petron recorded a net income of US$99 million in 2009.
Globe Telecom Inc. (1935)
As a major telecommunications services company, Globe provides mobile, fixed line, and broadband networks in the Philippines. It earned a net income of P15.1 billion in 2017. The company’s principal shareholders are Ayala Corporation and Singapore Telecommunications.
JG Summit Holdings Inc. (1957)
Summit has business interests in food, air transportation, real estate, banking, and petrochemicals through its subsidiaries such as Universal Robina Corporation, Cebu Pacific, Robinsons Land, Robinsons Bank, and JG Summit Petrochemicals. The Gokongwei-led Summit Holdings earned profit amounting to $634 million, according to Forbes in 2017.
SM Group (1958)
The Sy-led SM Group is involved in shopping mall development and management, retail, real estate, banking, and tourism. As the country’s top player in retail business with hundreds of stores here and abroad, it has repeatedly ranked as the leading Philippine company in Forbes Global 2000.
Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (1962)
The company, led by the Ty family, recorded a US$286-million net income in 2011. Its subsidiaries include Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation, Philippine Savings Bank, and SMBC Metro Investment Corporation.
BDO Unibank Inc. (1968)
BDO Unibank belongs to the SM Group of Companies. It offers leasing and financing, investment banking, private banking, and insurance services. BDO has over 1,300 domestic branches, one branch in Hong Kong, and more than 4,000 automated teller machines.
Jollibee Foods Corporation (1978)
With the success of Jollibee, its primary fast food brand, the corporation acquired some of its competitors: Chowking, Greenwich Pizza, Red Ribbon, and Mang Inasal. It is the largest fast food chain in the Philippines which has thousands of stores nationwide. Jollibee is also engaged in international expansion in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei. In 2011, it earned a net income of P3.25 billion.
Aboitiz Equity Ventures (1989)
Aboitiz Equity Ventures is the publicly listed holding and investment company of the Aboitiz Group. Through its subsidiaries Aboitiz Power, Pilmico, Union Bank, Aboitiz Infrastructure, and Aboitiz Land, it has operations in power, food, banking, infrastructure, and real estate. It counted US$487 million net income in 2016.
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (1987)
International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) is a global port management company with headquarters and established at Manila, Philippines. Incorporated on December 24, 1987, ICTSI been cited by the Asian Development Bank as one of the top five major maritime terminal operators in the world and is one of “Asia’s 200 Best Under, according to Forbes on September 27, 2007.
