Philippine Daily Inquirer Digital Edition

Managing a company for, by, and of Filipinos

By Linda B. Bolido

In its annual selection of the Management Man of the Year (MMY), the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) lists among the criteria that “the organization must be an entity operating in the Philippines and the business must have contributed substantially to the growth and development of the Philippine economy.”

Isidro “Sid” A. Consunji, an engineer by training and management strategist by profession, has done just that. In fact, Consunji is so committed to helping uplift the country that, despite the significant growth of what started as the DM Consunji Inc., and is now DMCI Holdings Inc., he is not planning to venture outside the Philippines any time soon.

He is always quick to say, when asked when DMCI will expand outside the country, that there is so much that needs to be done here that he would rather keep the group’s investments and operations local.

For this year’s MMY, home is where the heart is and keeping things local, helping his country explore its full potential, putting his money where his heart is, is a moral imperative.

MAP underscored this deep love of country, citing Consunji’s “clear and deep sense of patriotism,” as he transformed a private construction firm into one of the biggest and most resilient listed conglomerates in the Philippines.

Consunji is the second in his family to be named Management Man of the Year (MMY), after his father David, DMCI founder and former secretary of Public Works. DMCI is the only Philippine Stock Exchange-listed holding company that has engineering and construction as its core competency.

For nearly 30 years, Consunji has been quietly changing the Philippines for the better by investing in companies that engender social upliftment and shared prosperity.

Now chair and president of the engineering conglomerate DMCI Holdings Inc. (DMCIHI), Consunji has combined his undergraduate degree in with gradEngineering studies in Busiuate ness Management and Economics.

His management style brings into play his skills and competencies as an engineer/ builder. “It is like putting together a Lego set or solving a puzzle, and it is something I really enthat joy. I like putting structure into what is unstructured and undefined, like problems that

It is like putting together a Lego set or solving a puzzle, and it is something that I really enjoy. I like putting structure into what is unstructured and undefined, like problems that confront the business. I believe this is why business is interesting in the Philippines because there is always a way to do things differently.

Isidro “Sid” A. Consunji Chair and president, DMCI Holdings Inc.

While many companies had to lay off employees to get through the COVID-19 crisis, no DMCI group employee was let go, no salary cuts were implemented, and laborers were given financial and logistical assistance to help cope with the health emergency.

confront the business. I believe this is why business is interesting in the Philippines because there is always a way to do things differently,” he describes management.

He enjoys and is more interested in brainstorming or tossing ideas around with his team to come up with a solution, one reason why he prefers to work on the business side rather than the pure construction part of DMCI.

“Transforming mindsets, being a catalyst, that is what I enjoy; social engineering maybe, this is what interests me more than technical engineering. I consider myself as part of the solutions-providers,” he explains his way of doing things.

DMCI companies, operating mostly outside Metro Manila, are among the biggest investors and employers in their host communities. Its businesses are pioneers and key players in their respective industries.

Consunji built upon the foundation laid by his father to develop a diversified DMCI group in a desire to secure the livelihood of the company’s engineers and laborers. The boom-bust cycle of construction had brought the company to its knees several times and led to massive layoffs.

To fortify itself against future disruptions, Consunji challenged and rallied his team to shift from being a “project-oriented contractor” into a “product-generating company.”

He invested in money-losing or capital-intensive ventures like DMCI Homes, Semirara Coal Corp. Calaca power plant, DMCI Power, and Maynilad. Despite being iffy investments, he believed in their deep value and social importance. They also generated employment and contract revenues for DM Consunji Inc.

This year’s MMY has consistently and constantly championed Filipino engineers, managers, and construction workers. His conviction that engineering and Filipino talent, when applied together, can generate real value for society, has always anchored his decisions.

He believes that, given a fair chance, Filipinos can be as good as anyone else in the world; that they will perform even better (than foreign consultants) because of their innate respect and malasakit (concern, compassion) for their countrymen.

His faith in his people has been affirmed time and time again, as the DMCI group displayed remarkable resilience and social commitment even during the toughest periods in Philippine history, like the most recent devastation of the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

DMCI relied on its deep bench of homegrown talents to drive organizational performance and navigate through the uncertainty and disruptions caused by the deadly new virus. No foreign consultants or expatriates sat on the management team of its subsidiary companies.

The all-Filipino team delivered stellar results amid the worst economic crisis in living memory, further confirming the wisdom of Consunji’s management strategy. DMC made a strong and fast rebound from the pandemic, which was inspiring for the Philippine economy, trying to shake off the effects of a devastating crisis.

Four of the six businesses in the DMCI Holdings portfolio were exempt from the lockdowns, attesting to the resilience and social significance of Consunji’s forward-looking diversification strategy.

While many companies had to lay off employees to get through the COVID-19 crisis, no DMCI group employee was let go, no salary cuts were implemented, and laborers were given financial and logistical assistance to help cope with the health emergency.

Consunji also ensured that DMCI met its commitments to stakeholders.

When the first enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was lifted, over 6,800 workers were hired to boost construction productivity and, consequently, revenue recognition of DM Consunji, Inc. and DMCI Homes.

As the country struggled to contain the infections and reverse its economic decline, Consunji decided that the only way to rebound from the pandemic was to live with the virus. He challenged the different DMCI companies to do things better, faster and safer through digital technology, value engineering, prudent spending and people management.

In its selection of MMY, MAP said they looked into a person’s integrity, leadership and management qualities, as well as his/her contribution to nation-building and values formation. An awardee’s effective stewardship within the confines of the highest standard of business and management practice was also assessed.

Consunji, MAP said, was chosen for his business acumen and management qualities in transforming a private construction firm into one of the Philippines’ biggest and most resilient conglomerates. His leadership enabled DMCI to make substantial contributions to national development, job creation, and income generation through huge investments in construction, real estate, mining, energy, and water distribution.

The DMCI president was also cited for his firm commitment to developing, training and sustaining a Filipino management team and staff, and for his generous contributions to education, particularly in the fields of engineering and science, as well as for developing innovative solutions for the country’s critical housing problem.

Despite the accolades and successes, Consunji never forgets a lesson learned from his father that he also wants his children to take to heart: There is no substitute for hard work.

The elder Consunji instilled in his son Isidro, the idea that hard work was key to success.

MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

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2022-11-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

2022-11-28T08:00:00.0000000Z

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Philippine Daily Inquirer