Ropali Group turns 50

Fifty years or half a century is a long time. Some people don’t make it to that age; some marriages, too, don’t get that far. The same is true in business. Some companies or conglomerates fade into oblivion before they even get near 50.

But that’s not the case with the Ropali Group which, just last month, celebrated its 50th year as a business group. The low-key Ropali Group is actually a huge presence in various industries, but especially in agriculture.

Led by Roberto Alingog, founding chairman of the Ropali Group of Companies and 2021 TOFIL or The Outstanding Filipino awardee, the Ropali Group is a conglomerate of many businesses including Agribank, rice harvester dealer Adamco, Ropali Motorcycles, one of the top motorcycle dealers in the country, and many more.

I was fortunate to join the celebration held at the glittering ballroom of Shangri-La The Fort and attended by Ropali stakeholders, including clients and customers as well as friends of the Alingog family.

It was actually a double celebration as Robert Alingog also celebrated his 70th birthday.

During the celebration, there was an exhibit about the Ropali Group outside the ballroom and from that, I learned that aside from its focus on agriculture, the group is also into property through Ropali Land Inc., which develops socialized and economic housing across the Philippines.

I didn’t get a chance to talk to Alingog that night except for a short greeting because there was a long line of people who wanted to greet him, too. I congratulated him for the success of his conglomerate.

I also congratulated Agribank president Danny Antonio for the bank’s success. The bank is now a stronger bank following a successful consolidation.

Agribusiness Banking Corp. – A Rural Bank, now doing business under the name and style of Agribank, officially began operations on June 16, according to a circular signed by BSP Assistant Governor Arifa Ala. The merger brings together Agribusiness Rural Bank Inc., Banco Alabang Inc., Rural Bank of Maddela (Quirino) Inc. and Rural Bank of San Jacinto (Masbate) Inc. (The STAR, June 18, 2025).

As I earlier reported, the Monetary Board approved the consolidation in January.

The consolidated bank will initially operate 43 branches nationwide and plans to expand its presence to 100 branches in the next five years, Antonio shared with me.

Furthermore, Antonio said digital transformation will be a key priority of the newly consolidated bank, introducing modern digital services to the public.

Indeed, more than the festivities celebrating Ropali’s 50th year, the occasion served as a testament to the group’s enduring legacy.

As Alingog said, “For as long as people will eat, there will be agriculture. And for as long as agriculture is needed to provide the food, there will be Adamco.”

The group’s focus on agriculture is just what we need at a time when the industry needs all the help it can get.

There will be more plans down the road. I wouldn’t be surprised if the group or any of its subsidiaries decides to debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange. Ropali, for sure, is a group worth watching.

Metrobank Foundation’s Chito Sobrepeña passes baton

Speaking of legacy, I congratulate Aniceto “Chito” Sobrepeña for a remarkable nearly 20-year term as the president of Metrobank Foundation, a position he will now pass on to his successor.

He will be stepping down next month July 16, 2025 as president of the philanthropic arm of the Ty-led Metrobank.

Last year, I had the honor and privilege of working for the Foundation under his leadership, as a member of the Board of Judges for the 2024 Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos. The board was chaired by Senator Mark Villar.

I witnessed the hard work the foundation puts in to make the search possible.

Chito said Philip Francisco Dy or Boyet, currently executive vice president and whom he has groomed as his successor, will assume the position he has held for three decades.

“I was elected the very first executive director of the Metrobank Foundation in 1995 and held the post for 11 years. I was elected president in 2006 and held the post until 2025 or a total of 19 years. I am also relinquishing my concurrent responsibility as the very first executive director of the GT Foundation, the family foundation of the late Dr George S. K. the post I held since 2009,” he said.

It’s not really a total goodbye for Mr. Chito, however. He will continue to hold positions in the Ty Group.

“I am deeply grateful to the family of the late Dr George S.K. Ty, led now by Mrs. Mary Ty, Arthur Ty, Alfred Ty, Anjanette Dy Buncio & Alessandra Ty for their unstinting support to all the initiatives,” he said.

As a 2024 Metrobank Foundation judge, I’ve also seen Boyet work so hard to make every step in the search process as it should be. As I said, it was an honor for me to be part of the prestigious search for outstanding Filipinos and through that experience, I met some of the best teachers, police and soldiers in the country.

The work that the foundation does is really a big step toward nation-building and a stark reminder that while our systems may seem impossibly flawed, there are remarkable Filipinos who work tirelessly to make our country better.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow her on X @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.