Recognizing an icon in Philippine construction

As a group aimed at connecting the country’s top leaders and managers, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) is one of the Philippines’ most exclusive and prestigious organizations. To become part of its ranks is an honor unto itself, more so to be recognized by its members as an exemplary part of the Philippine business community.

Isidro A. Consunji, chairman and president of DMCI Holdings, Inc., is one such man. He was named “MAP Management Man of the Year 2022” by MAP for his achievements in transforming a private construction firm into one of the country’s biggest and most resilient conglomerates.

MAP recognized Mr. Consunji’s “personal contributions to shaping national values and inspiring others through his track record of integrity, managerial competence and professional leadership.”

As the man behind DMCI, Mr. Consunji had a hand in creating some of the most iconic structures in the country, such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines, the Church of the Holy Sacrifice, and the Philippine International Convention Center.

MAP confers the “MAP Management Man of the Year” award to individuals in business or government, MAP member or not, who have attained clear and inarguable distinction in management in addition to making valuable contributions to the country’s development and shaping its national values.

During its five-decade history, the award was given only 46 times due to the association’s “thorough, stringent selection process.” According to MAP, the award’s criteria include “integrity, leadership, and management qualities; contribution to nation-building and values formation; and effective stewardship within the confines of the highest standard of business and management practice.”

Mr. Consunji was recognized for his leadership role in his group’s substantial contributions to national development, job creation and income generation through huge investments in construction, real estate, mining, energy and water distribution; as well as his unparalleled commitment to developing, training and sustaining a Filipino management team and staff in his organization.

Since 2010, DMCI Holdings, Inc. has been a member of the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Composite Index (PSEi), which includes thirty of the biggest and most actively traded stocks in the country.

The company has also been recognized for its commitment to good corporate governance and gender equality.

MAP also recognized Mr. Consunji’s generous contribution to education, especially in the field of engineering and science; for his significant contribution in the form of innovative solutions to the housing problem of the Philippines; and for his expertise in turning problematic assets and distressed companies under seemingly insurmountable situations into very productive investments.

In DMCI’s 2021 Sustainability Report, the company reported how it has advanced the quality of healthcare and the accessibility of medical services through the construction of the Philippine General Hospital’s (PGH) Felicidad Sy Multi-Specialty Building, the Presidential Security Group (PSG) Hospital Project, and the University of the Philippines-College of Medicine’s (UPCM) Henry Sy Sr. Medical Sciences Building.

The UPCM building, in particular, was established to support the university’s goal of promoting collaborative research on the country’s health challenges and providing a venue for future doctors to obtain dual and higher education research-based degrees. The building is powered by renewable energy and has a renewable water system, facilities for online learning, two auditoriums with over 200 seating, state-of-the-art medical simulation laboratories, and 41 classrooms, among others.

“We believe in the power of education in uplifting lives and advancing the economy. Through our subsidiaries, we continued educational programs and initiatives to promote learning. These include scholarship grants, webinars, and Brigada Eskwela initiatives to extend support to our partner schools and the Filipino youth,” DMCI said in the report.

Mr. Isidro A. Consunji took DMCI’s reins from his father, David “DM” Consunji, a civil engineer who started the construction company before it grew into the conglomerate it is today.

DMCI started small, from constructing chicken houses for the Bureau of Animal Industry, until it has gradually built up a reputation for its punctuality and quality work. Since then, the company moved on to major projects such as the Tacloban Coca-Cola Plant and Bacnotan Cement Plant.

With more than five decades of solid track record in the construction business, DMCI enjoyed the continued patronage of institutional clients such as the Ayala Group, SM Group, Kuok Group, Robinson’s Group, San Miguel Corp.; banking institutions such as the Citibank, N.A., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Equitable and Urban Bank; educational institutions such as the University of the Philippines and De La Salle University; and multinationals such as the John Laing, Obayashi, Mitsubishi Heavy, Oriken, and Nippon Steel. Also, industrial companies and some government agencies have sought the expertise and services of DMCI and still maintain partnerships with the company to this day.

Mr. Consunji has held the position of the company’s director for 25 years. A graduate of B.S. Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines like his father, Mr. Consunji then obtained his Master’s degree in Business Economics from the Center for Research and Communication and Masters in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management, and attended the Advanced Management Program at Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Empresa (IESE) in Barcelona, Spain.

For the past five years, he has been the president of DMCI-HI, Dacon Corp., and Asia Industries, Inc. He is also the chairman of the board of directors of DMCI Mining Corp., D.M. Consunji, Inc., DMCI Homes, and Beta Electric Corp. He is the vice-chairman of Maynilad Water Services, Inc., and director of Semirara Mining and Power Corp., DMCI/MPIC Water Company, Inc., Crown Equities, Inc., Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., Carmen Copper Corp., Sem-Calaca Power Corp., Berong Nickel Corp., Toledo Mining Corp., and ENK PLC (London).

He was also the former president of the Philippine Constructors Association and Philippine Chamber of Coal Mines, Inc. At present, he is the chairman of the board of the Philippine Overseas Construction Board and a board member of Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines. — Bjorn Biel M. Beltran