The Consunji family, possibly through DMCI Holdings Inc., is considering expanding its agriculture business to include large-scale palm oil production while generating carbon credits at the same time.
“Our family has agriculture investment in Mindanao, we think that we can probably leverage that and provide more employment in the countryside,” said DMCI Holdings Chairman Isidro A. Consunji in an interview after his acceptance of the prestigious Management Man of the Year award from the Management Association of the Philippines.
“My story is nowhere near done. I think I have enough gas in the tank to start a second career. In a few years, I may just surprise all of you. With more idle time, I hope to foray into agriculture and create sustainable value in the countryside,” Consunji said.
He noted that the new agribusiness venture they are considering “probably doesn't require a lot of cash, but probably require a lot of effort and management skills and a different way of looking at things.”
Consunji said they are currently studying what they can invest in but it will probably involve “palm oil, carbon credits, rubber, something that will be mixed—industrial and environmental activities.”
“It’s not well defined yet but I think palm oil and carbon credits will (part of it),” he said pointing out that the Philippines imports a lot of palm oil.
While he is not sure yet if the new business venture will be undertaken through DMCI, Consunji said it is something that his family is committed to and they have already considered large tracts of land in either southern Visayas or Mindanao for the plantations.
“I believe this will be a game changer in Philippine agriculture,” he said adding that they have been consulting with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources regarding this venture and DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has been very supportive.
In accepting the Management Man of the Year award, the affable Consunji said “I didn’t think I had done anything extraordinary to deserve the nomination.” “You see, Washington Sycip, Cesar Virata, Cesar Buenaventura, and my father, David Consunji, were my real-life heroes. "Growing up, I witnessed their brilliance, passion, and love for our country. I saw how they shaped their professions, championed progress, and made life better for others," he said.
“In my mind, they were in a different league altogether. So, imagine my shock when I received a call from Cesar Buenaventura telling me that I was this year’s awardee.”
In his candid style, he noted that, “If my father was here today, I’m sure he would laugh and say, ‘Pano nangyari yan, eh kamote ka?’ (How did that happen when you are a blockhead).”
Becoming serious, he added, “Dad, wherever you are, I hope this kamote made you and Mom proud.”
While not too serious in college and graduate school, Consunji showed his true worth when he started handling the family’s logging business and was instrumental in establishing DMCI Holdings that allowed them to raise funds from an initial public offering and invest other businesses that benefited from D.M. Consunji’s expertise in engineering and construction.
With Consunji at the helm, DMCI has now grown into a diversified engineering conglomerate that has huge investments in energy, real estate, mining, and water distribution.