RD Group strengthens foothold in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines – General Santos-based RD group of companies has strengthened its foothold in Cebu with the establishment of the regional center of its banking arm, Peninsula Rural Bank Inc. (PenBank), in the province.

Rodrigo Rivera Sr., company chairman and chief executive officer, said in an interview that the company plans to continue investing in the province in the various industries that the RD group is involved in.

RD Corp. the holding company, has 44 subsidiary companies, which are into commercial fishing, agri-business, manufacturing, food processing, banking, pawning, insurance, real estate development, hotels and retailing of hardware and fishing supplies

RD has brought most of its businesses in Cebu. These include PenBank, RD Pawnshop Inc., RD Food Processing and Export Corp. (RDEX) and RD Realty and Development Corp.

Although the company has not brought to Cebu its processing plant, RD, through RDEX is distributing its canned products like Dolly and Diana tuna to other parts in the Visayas from Cebu.          

RDEX also exports its products mainly to the US, Japan and South Korea.

Rivera said on the sidelines of the opening of PenBank’s branch and its regional center on A.S Fortuna St., Mandaue City last Friday that RD would soon venture into the development of residential projects, among others. Currently, the company has buildings with spaces for lease in the province.

“We (have plans) to develop socialized, middle and high-end residential housing (in the near future),” he said.

Some of RD’s developments in General Santos include La Cassandra subdivision, Dolors Hotel, Dolores Tropicana Resort; Dolores Farm Resort, Dolores Anchor Hotel and RD Plaza mall.

RD Corp., a family-controlled conglomerate, was incorporated in 1999. The company started as a pawnshop in 1976 in General Santos. It is also operating in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. RD Group now employs around 11, 000 associates.

We provide world class, high quality products and services – be they in real estate, jewelry, insurance, banking and finance, or fresh, frozen and canned sea produce businesses – that are delivered at the right time and place, and at a reasonable price to delight our customers worldwide.” (THE FREEMAN)