San Miguel chief executive Ramon S. Ang has genuine reasons to celebrate these days.
Not only was he conferred the Legion of Honor for "his having contributed to the development of business partnership" between France and the Philippines - heavily skewed towards the Gallic republic, of course - the story with the accompanying photo of a jovial RSA after award conferment graced the front page of The Philippine Star today, July 14, the French national day.
July 14 also happens to be the birthday of RSA's (erstwhile?) business rival, Manuel V. Pangilinan, the controlling shareholder of the Star, whose numerous tributes from adoring MVP subordinates have had to fill the inside pages of the company paper.
Come to think of it, despite their different starting backgrounds - one is from Wharton, the other from the school of hard-knocks - both RSA and MVP are very much alike in their outsized business ambitions and their drive to dominate their respective fields.
Both started as outsiders, but played the borrowed cards they were each dealt with - one from Danding Cojuangco, the other from an Indonesian version of Cojuangco - to shake up the cozy Makati-centric oligopoly and, in so doing, exponentially enlarge the Philippine economy.
One has already bequeathed a telco war whose benefits you and I are still reaping these days, a spectacular Cebu-Cordova bridge, and a children's book for his still growing legacy.
The other one, almost a decade younger but still not content enlarging what is now the Luzon spine expressway, has even pledged his corporate empire to bankroll a world-class aerotropolis for Filipinos, pardon my French, se souvenir de lui par.
To the two gentlemen, thank you for your continuing service, and may your competitive juices never run dry.
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