The Aboitiz Group of Companies in 2018

It was a huge Visayas wide media Christmas party by the Aboitiz Group of Companies, which they dubbed as “Night at the Movies” which was the entertainment for the evening at the Summit Hotel, Galleria, Cebu City. But what intrigued me was the welcome remarks by my good friend and CEO of the Visayan Electric Co. (VECO), Anton Perdices, who not only welcomed the Visayan media, but gave us a background of what the Aboitiz Group of Companies has been doing this 2018.

Since his speech was quite lengthy, I have edited it to fit this column. Anton started by saying, “Since the beginning of the year, the Aboitiz Group has been busy with big ticket projects in support of our growth initiatives, with our focus on building the foundations that advance business and communities.”

In power, AboitizPower Distributed Energy or APX, marks its entry into the rooftop solar space, further expanding our renewable energy portfolio. APX recently signed a memorandum of agreement with AboitizLand for a 1.5-megawatt peak rooftop solar project in The Outlets at Lipa. We also inaugurated our 420-megawatt Pagbilao Unit 3, which will help stabilize the energy supply in Luzon. These projects, along with those coming online in the next two years, are part of our continuous efforts to meet our country’s growing energy requirements while being guided by our balanced mix strategy.

Anton Perdices added, “We continue to expand our generation portfolio and here in Cebu, Therma Visayas Inc. will soon switch on the 340-MW baseload facility in Toledo. In Luzon and Mindanao, we are completing the 19-MW La Trinidad hydropower plant in Benguet and the 68.8-MW hydropower facility in Bukidnon, respectively. We are also about to start the rehabilitation of the old Naga Power Plant Complex under our subsidiary Therma Power Visayas Inc., and bring it back into service as soon as possible to supply much needed peak demand capacity to the Visayas grid.”

“VECO is likewise leveraging the robust economic growth in its franchise areas by ensuring power is delivered to our customers reliably, sustainably, at the most cost-effective way. We have allocated P3.1 billion to modernize our distribution assets. We target to achieve 100 percent emergency response within 30 minutes and 100 percent restoration time within one hour, as well as increase by 50 percent our same-day connections and reconnections. We will also set up more satellite offices for faster handling of customer requirements.”

In land, we launched a new seven-hectare enclave in Cebu, which we named “Anila,” a Sanskrit word for “wind,” to highlight its close proximity to the ocean. Meanwhile, our pioneer residential project in Luzon,  Seafront Residences has introduced its own unique curated seaside lifestyle brand. And as we anticipate the grand launch of The Outlets at Lipa in Q4 2018, we opened its newest sports facility, The Aboitiz Pitch, considered to be the largest artificial turf field in Luzon.

We, likewise, have a lot going on in our infrastructure leg in light of the government’s Build, Build, Build program. In cement, we continue to work on operational debottlenecking programs and are expanding our capacity to meet the growing market demand. In Apo Agua, we’ve completed all the permits required in building  one of the country’s largest private bulk supply projects. Once operational, we will be able to provide Davao City with a sustainable potable water supply for its growing population.

Finally, Perdices said, “Perhaps, our most recent news on the infrastructure business is the Original Proponent Status granted to the NAIA Consortium, of which Aboitiz is a partner. We aim to see this project to its completion in accordance with all legal requirements as we commit to elevate NAIA’s status as the country’s premier international gateway.

Another homegrown company, Aboitiz Construction Inc., celebrates its 43rd anniversary this year with milestone international projects. The company embarked on a brand refresh and established its international arm, Aboitiz Construction International Inc. This move positioned the business as a full-service engineering, procurement and construction company providing specialty services to clients in 18 countries. The expanded services allowed ACI to get transmission lines project and conquer new markets such as water utilities and desalination plants.”

As a Cebuano, we are proud with the quality of work that the Aboitiz Group of Companies has done. While the headquarters of Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) moved to the Bonifacio Global, however, no matter what you say, the Aboitiz Group of Companies is still known as a Cebuano outfit.

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Email: [email protected].