AAA CEMEXME v 13 for press.pmd - Cemex Philippines

Sid notes that
contractors
have had a good
relationship
with CEMEX
because of the
company’s
efforts to
protect the
interests of
their
customers.
He goes on to say that CEMEX
understands the risks that
contractors take in managing
projects, and thus gives them
offers that respond to each
contractor’s and project’s unique
needs. “We (at DMCI) have a
good relationship with them,
business-wise and personal,” he
volunteers.
DMCI has investments in
construction, real estate, and
coal. In 1997, DMCI bought
into Semirara, a coal mining
company. “In construction, the
business opportunities are very
cyclical. We wanted to go into a
business na medyo (slightly)
recurring,” Sid says of DMCI’s
decision to buy Semirara.
Getting into the coal
industry was a risky move, and it
took some patience and luck to
finally hit it big. Today, DMCI’s
Semirara enjoys a big share in
“Land is not the basis of
wealth today. Wealth lies in
organization and management.
the local coal market. “We plan
to produce 2-3 million tons of
coal this year and 4 million tons
of coal next year.”
Life and Leisure
After the wheeling and
dealing that he does in the
dynamic world of construction,
Sid unwinds by playing golf,
traveling and indulging in his
interest in photography. But
unlike his son Victor who is a
professional photographer, Sid
insists, “I am an amateur. I’ve
been taking pictures since I was
a teenager.”
He has two daughters, a 21year
old who is pursuing a
Communication course in
Berkeley, and another daughter
who is 12 years old.
When it comes to leisure
and relaxation, Sid takes a very
laidback attitude. He doesn’t
plan his activities for the
weekend. “Saturday, Sunday,
bahala na (whatever comes)…”
Hunting and Agriculture
Sid reveals that DMCI’s
direction these days is to initiate
their own projects instead of
relying on contracts. For
instance, they’re focusing their
efforts in building more homes
for Filipinos. “We’re a real estate
developer instead of a general
contractor. We concentrate
outside Metro Manila. We cater
to the middle market. The prices
of our homes are from P`1-3
million.”
He believes that with the
current economic challenges in
the country, a businessperson
cannot afford to simply wait for
things to happen. Sid says that
today’s businessman should be
more of a farmer rather than a
hunter. “It’s the difference
between hunting and agriculture,”
says Sid. “Hunting is
seasonal while in agriculture, you
plan your growth. It’s essentially
that. If you are the project
proponent, you are in control
of your financial destiny.”
Sid also strongly believes
that businesspersons, and
everybody for that matter,
should realize that the factors to
success no longer depend on
tangible things like land, for
instance. “Land is not the basis
of wealth today. Wealth lies in
organization and management.
Wealth is the product of the
mind, the product of the
competencies that you can put
together. You have to understand
that the customer is king.”
Sid, the civil engineer, now
sees himself more as a social
engineer who is building roads
and bridges towards economic
growth. Sid Consunji declares,
“We need to ask ourselves,
‘What can I add to society that’s
not yet there?’ In the Philippines,
we are creating systems.”