AAA CEMEXME v 13 for press.pmd - Cemex Philippines
AAA CEMEXME v 13 for press.pmd - Cemex Philippines
AAA CEMEXME v 13 for press.pmd - Cemex Philippines
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Sid notes that<br />
contractors<br />
have had a good<br />
relationship<br />
with CEMEX<br />
because of the<br />
company’s<br />
ef<strong>for</strong>ts to<br />
protect the<br />
interests of<br />
their<br />
customers.<br />
He goes on to say that CEMEX<br />
understands the risks that<br />
contractors take in managing<br />
projects, and thus gives them<br />
offers that respond to each<br />
contractor’s and project’s unique<br />
needs. “We (at DMCI) have a<br />
good relationship with them,<br />
business-wise and personal,” he<br />
volunteers.<br />
DMCI has investments in<br />
construction, real estate, and<br />
coal. In 1997, DMCI bought<br />
into Semirara, a coal mining<br />
company. “In construction, the<br />
business opportunities are very<br />
cyclical. We wanted to go into a<br />
business na medyo (slightly)<br />
recurring,” Sid says of DMCI’s<br />
decision to buy Semirara.<br />
Getting into the coal<br />
industry was a risky move, and it<br />
took some patience and luck to<br />
finally hit it big. Today, DMCI’s<br />
Semirara enjoys a big share in<br />
“Land is not the basis of<br />
wealth today. Wealth lies in<br />
organization and management.<br />
the local coal market. “We plan<br />
to produce 2-3 million tons of<br />
coal this year and 4 million tons<br />
of coal next year.”<br />
Life and Leisure<br />
After the wheeling and<br />
dealing that he does in the<br />
dynamic world of construction,<br />
Sid unwinds by playing golf,<br />
traveling and indulging in his<br />
interest in photography. But<br />
unlike his son Victor who is a<br />
professional photographer, Sid<br />
insists, “I am an amateur. I’ve<br />
been taking pictures since I was<br />
a teenager.”<br />
He has two daughters, a 21year<br />
old who is pursuing a<br />
Communication course in<br />
Berkeley, and another daughter<br />
who is 12 years old.<br />
When it comes to leisure<br />
and relaxation, Sid takes a very<br />
laidback attitude. He doesn’t<br />
plan his activities <strong>for</strong> the<br />
weekend. “Saturday, Sunday,<br />
bahala na (whatever comes)…”<br />
Hunting and Agriculture<br />
Sid reveals that DMCI’s<br />
direction these days is to initiate<br />
their own projects instead of<br />
relying on contracts. For<br />
instance, they’re focusing their<br />
ef<strong>for</strong>ts in building more homes<br />
<strong>for</strong> Filipinos. “We’re a real estate<br />
developer instead of a general<br />
contractor. We concentrate<br />
outside Metro Manila. We cater<br />
to the middle market. The prices<br />
of our homes are from P`1-3<br />
million.”<br />
He believes that with the<br />
current economic challenges in<br />
the country, a businessperson<br />
cannot af<strong>for</strong>d to simply wait <strong>for</strong><br />
things to happen. Sid says that<br />
today’s businessman should be<br />
more of a farmer rather than a<br />
hunter. “It’s the difference<br />
between hunting and agriculture,”<br />
says Sid. “Hunting is<br />
seasonal while in agriculture, you<br />
plan your growth. It’s essentially<br />
that. If you are the project<br />
proponent, you are in control<br />
of your financial destiny.”<br />
Sid also strongly believes<br />
that businesspersons, and<br />
everybody <strong>for</strong> that matter,<br />
should realize that the factors to<br />
success no longer depend on<br />
tangible things like land, <strong>for</strong><br />
instance. “Land is not the basis<br />
of wealth today. Wealth lies in<br />
organization and management.<br />
Wealth is the product of the<br />
mind, the product of the<br />
competencies that you can put<br />
together. You have to understand<br />
that the customer is king.”<br />
Sid, the civil engineer, now<br />
sees himself more as a social<br />
engineer who is building roads<br />
and bridges towards economic<br />
growth. Sid Consunji declares,<br />
“We need to ask ourselves,<br />
‘What can I add to society that’s<br />
not yet there?’ In the <strong>Philippines</strong>,<br />
we are creating systems.”