Despite his ripe age, RSA still is brimming with energy and fresh ideas, many of which he has converted into productive ventures
At the rate San Miguel Corporation is going, pretty soon it will be able to pervade every aspect of Filipino society.
Chances are likely that you have benefitted from the goods or services created and produced by SMC, with Ramon S. Ang or RSA in control as president and chief executive officer.
From its origins as food and beverage enterprise, SMC has stepped up its expansionary foray to include other ventures such as water, power, gas stations, banking and insurance, cement, airport, tollways, railways, and related infrastructure.
RSA has just launched his latest infrastructure project, the SMC-PLEX, which will traverse major towns of Pangasinan. (Read SMC-PLEX Project a Game Changer, Opinion Page, Manila Standard, Oct. 25, 2023.)
Name it, SMC has it, except for industries such as education, hospital (medical and wellness), and memorial parks — the only things missing from the SMC portfolio.
However, with RSA at the helm, the flagship of all these diversified enterprises never loses sight of its role as a responsible corporate citizen.
RSA is a benevolent patron of sports and an avowed protector of mother nature through his river-dredging and flood control projects. Recently, SMC expanded its collaboration with the government to rehabilitate water bodies with its “SMC’s Adopt a River Program.”
The signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between SMC and DENR, DPWH, Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor Remulla, Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, and Navotas City Mayor John Ray Tiangco manifested SMC’s commitment to rehabilitate three more river systems and tributaries in Luzon.
To be rehabilitated are the river systems in Bulacan,Pampanga River, Marangondon River and other tributaries in Cavite, waterways in Navotas City, San Pedro River in Laguna, and San Juan River.
SMC is also a generous benefactor of re-greening through its Project 747.
It has its own tree planting projects on a massive scale.
I know RSA is deeply involved in re-greening projects since he is an active partner of the Million Trees Foundation, which I head as president together with Ret. General Rey Velasco as chairman emeritus.
I have met Mr. Ang on several occasions, and, during those tete-a-tetes, which are few and far between, I have learned to appreciate and understand why this man is so driven whose energy is infectious.
Despite his ripe age, RSA still is brimming with energy and fresh ideas, some of which he has converted into productive ventures.
His latest brainchild has brought forth a plan for a racing circuit in Bulacan, where he is also building the SMC Aerocity (New Manila International Airport).
A good friend who goes by his Viber handle RazorRamon believes RSA’s racetrack will jibe perfectly with his recent acquisition of the exclusive distribution rights to Ferrari of Maranello, Italy.
When the 3.5 km racetrack is completed in 2026, expect the Ferraris to come galloping within the yet unnamed racing circuit, says RazorRamon, who is also a Ferrari fan.
Of course, there will also be ample space in the racetrack as proving ground for other marquee brands like BMW, a member of RSA’s stable of premium cars, RazorRamon says.
RSA has broached the idea of bringing in a Ferrarista, former racing driver Felipe Massa, to lead the design team for the racing circuit.
However, it won’t be a Formula One caliber, according to reports.
A garage, theme park and a car museum are all on the drawing board to complement RSA’s racetrack.
It is clear to me now that these projects — the theme park, the racing circuit, the soon-to-rise airport and the expressways — are intertwined and form an integral piece of his grand business design.
The sum of the parts adds up to the whole, as they say.
The head honcho of SMC has everything well planned, not just at the spur of the moment judgment, but a carefully laid-out decision.
A genius in his own right, to say the least.
I believe that as a mechanical engineer, his business acumen combined with his skills as auto aficionado makes him more productive and prolific with ideas.
If there’s one word that best describes RSA, it is “dynamo.”
A human dynamo, in a metaphorical sense!
This is so because he is energetic, seemingly tireless, all revved up and on the go always with an eye out for new ventures in which to invest.
(The author is president and executive director of the Million Trees Foundation Inc., a non-profit group advocating tree planting and watershed protection.He is also a book writer and publisher of biographical and coffee table books.)