“Only great minds can afford simplicity of style.”
When French author Stendhal made this quotation, for all intents and purposes, he was obviously not thinking about Ramon See Ang, chairman and chief executive of food and beverage giant San Miguel Corp. (SMC).
Ang, also known by his initials RSA, is probably the world’s biggest fan of simple living despite his enormous wealth estimated at about $3.4 billion, making him arguably the third richest man in the Philippines at 70.
In an interview with TV host Anthony Taberna, RSA discloses that he was never fond of wearing fancy clothes, let alone pricey jewelry. He never had a craving for food chain offerings or restaurant-prepared menus. Often, his regular meal consists of a cup of rice, soup and a small slice of fish.
He also taught his children to live like common people; bringing their own baon to school, wearing employees’ uniform and joining the rank and file for lunch.
“I do not allow them to be going around na magyabang ng kung anu-anong sinusuot at kung anu-anong dinadala. Kailangan tinuturo sa mga bata na matuto ng simpleng buhay,” RSA was quoted as saying.
The enigmatic self-made billionaire started earning money doing menial jobs as a helper-mechanic in his father’s automotive repair shop in Tondo, Manila where he was born on Jan. 14, 1954. Then he started dealing with used Japanese cars which served as his launching pad to greater, bigger things as a businessman.
He worked his way through college at the Far Eastern University where he got his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering.
His love for automobiles never waned. He continued repairing cars and passed on his expertise to his people. Presently, he owns an undisclosed number of personal vehicles, including rare and time-honored antique ones.
His visions, though, did not end with the road machines. As an industrialist, he dreamt of a largely electrified Philippines, with enough good roads and expressways for convenient and fast mobility of people, goods and services. He also wished for food stability and sufficiency for all Filipinos.
Thus, the SMC drive toward nation-building shifted to high gear. The rollout covered big-ticket infrastructures, among them multimillion-dollar battery storage facilities, the ongoing construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan expected to be completed in 2026, the Mass Rail Transit 7 meant to connect the metropolis to Bulacan, the South Luzon Expressway TR5 project which will branch out the existing SLEX from Sto. Tomas, Batangas to Lucena City in Quezon province and the upcoming SLEX TR5 linking Lucena to Matnog, Sorsogon.
RSA said the new airport would further decongest Metro Manila, create thousands of jobs for the local workforce and complement the development of Clark City in Angeles, Pampanga to attract more investors to Central Luzon.
SMC expects to pour in at least P55 billion ($1 billion) to build 31 new battery energy storage systems nationwide with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts to power up more provinces across the country.
Also on SMC’s drawing board are new baseload capacities utilizing natural gas “to ensure that the growing power needs of the developing economy are met over the long term.”
“There are many projects in various stages of development throughout the San Miguel Group. What is common to all these projects is our stronger push for nation-building and towards greater sustainability,” RSA said.
RSA also plans to put up at least 10 modern poultry farms in strategic locations nationwide to help ensure stable supply of fresh chicken and eggs for the people.
Meanwhile, the SMC vigorously pursues flood control endeavors by desilting major waterways such as the Tullahan and Pasig rivers, spending at least P1 billion a year out of its own coffers for the purpose. The Tullahan project has been markedly successful even as the clearing operations on the Pasig River are still ongoing.
RSA has no plans yet to retire within the next five years, but looks forward to passing the baton to his eldest son John Paul.
He has seven other children by his wife Tessie, including Jacob, Cecile, Carmela, Monica, Jacqueline and Jomar who passed away on April 13, 2020.
