Manuel Pangilinan sits atop a collection of businesses that touch a remarkable share of Philippine life, from telecommunications and power to infrastructure and media. Few executives in the country carry responsibility across so many sectors.
Telecommunications, through PLDT, remains a core holding and a demanding one. The business requires constant heavy investment in networks to keep pace with data demand and competition.
The power and infrastructure interests tie him to the country’s development needs, while the media holdings put him in a more scrutinised, lower-margin business. Each pulls in a different direction.
Managing a portfolio this broad is a balancing act few would attempt. Pangilinan’s challenge is keeping capital-hungry businesses competitive while the pressures on each of them keep shifting.
