$!
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
JUNE & JULY 2013
JUNE & JULY 2013
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
!"##
!#
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
JUNE & JULY 2013
JUNE & JULY 2013
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
!!""
!$
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
JUNE & JULY 2013
JUNE & JULY 2013
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
!"##
!$
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
JUNE & JULY 2013
JUNE & JULY 2013
BALIKBAYAN MAGAZINE
!"##
COMING BACK, GIVING BACK TO THE PHILIPPINES
3),7/;,69#*>#),7*)97#B*)-;#216/-1
IT’S AN ALL TOO FAMILIAR STORY THAT keeps being written even today. A hardworking Filipino, driven by dreams of a better life, sets his sights on foreign shores and their promise of greener pastures. Because he is hardworking, highly qualified and motivated, he is able to pursue his dream. The years turn into a decade, or two, and he eventually settles with his family in a foreign land, joining a community of kababayans who had taken the same path. The Philippines, once home, becomes a place to visit on few-and-far-between vacations. Whether it’s in the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Dubai or another country—the scenery may change but the basic story is the same: once the Filipino dream takes flight, it’s usually, ultimately, one-way. There are a few, however, who choose to write a different story. One of them is Kingson Sian, the President of Resorts World Manila. After completing his Business Economics degree from the University of the Philippines in 1982, Sian was eager to put his education to good use and further hone his knowledge of business and finance. With the sad state of the Philippine economy around that time, however, there were few opportunities to be found. He decided instead to pursue further studies in the United States. He obtained his master’s degree in Business Administration for Finance and Business Policy from the University of Chicago, and went on to work with Citicorp Real Estate, Inc., in the United States from 1988 to 1990. He then became the vice president of First Pacific Bank (later renamed Bank of East Asia) in Hong Kong in the early 1990s. Sian was away from the Philippines for a decade, but he chose to return. “At the end of the day I chose to come home to the Philippines. This is where I was born, and that’s one way for me to give back to the country,” he says. He rose to the position of Senior Vice President and Executive Director of Megaworld Corporation in 1995. Prior to this, he also served as senior vice
“ The most important thing for me is to f ind your passion, and, equally important, you have to f ind your purpose in life,” he says. president of Megaworld Land, Inc., a subsidiary of the former. He eventually became, and still serves as, the President of the Andrew Tan-led Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGI), one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines, with business interests in real estate, food and beverage, quick service restaurants, and tourism and gaming. The Philippines today is vastly different from the one he left in the 80s, and he speaks passionately about its prospects. He has often spoken of how we are now witnessing the start of “the Philippine decade,” a period of dynamic growth resulting from the confluence of many different factors. “The Philippines was one of the leading economies in the world in terms of growth last year. We believe that this will be sustainable going forward in the future. There’s a renewed interest in investing in the Philippines, and that will be very good for the foreseeable future,” he says. There is another thing he is passionate about: developing the Philippines as a tourist destination. Sian holds executive positions in several other companies, but he is perhaps most visible as the president of Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc., the firm that developed and now operates Resorts World Manila in Pasay City. Just across the road from Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Resorts World Manila pioneered the integrated resort development BY STENO A. PADILLA
in the country. It currently houses three hotels, a shopping mall, cinemas, various restaurants, a family amusement center, a 1,500-seat grand theater, as well as the largest casino in the Philippines. Since it opened in 2009, it has become a popular destination for both local and foreign guests looking for variety in their leisure and entertainment choices. Resorts World Manila is now on its third phase of development, which will significantly increase its total number of hotel rooms with the entry of global brands, Hilton and Sheraton, as well as new brands, Belmont and Savoy. Developments also include additional hotel rooms of two existing brands, Marriot Hotel Manila and Maxims Hotel, plus a 4,000-seat Marriott Grand Ballroom. “Being in the tourism sector, what we do is to create a platform for us to showcase the best of what the Philippines can offer in terms of food, performing arts, theater, service, and all the other things we want to present both to local and foreign tourists,” he declares. Apart from helping uplift the tourism sector, he is also keen on Resorts World Manila’s advocacy to promote Filipino products. “We support a lot of small and medium-scale industries. For example we source our furniture locally as much as we can. Filipinos are renowned for exporting furniture, and we would like to be able to support and showcase that to the rest of the world,” he reveals. With all of his achievements and his contributions to the country’s economy, coupled with his extensive experience, Sian has become not simply businesssavvy, but a strong, bold leader. “The most important thing for me is to find your passion, and, equally important, you have to find your purpose in life,” he says. For the next generation of business leaders, he advises, “pursue your dreams, explore the world, and, of course, think of your home country.” Take it from someone who did exactly that—and did really well.