Three of the Most Powerful and Fastest-Growing Companies in Asia Pacific Are in the Philippines

Dynamic. Passionate. Courageous. These are qualities of businesses that have stood the test of time. Companies must be able to adapt and grow with the ever-changing economic landscape. They must meet the needs of consumers and their business targets year after year. It’s a delicate balance only the most enterprising traders are able to pull off.

For 60 years, JG Summit Holdings, Inc. (JGSHI) has proven it can improvise, adapt, and overcome. It’s not just one of the Philippines’ most powerful conglomerates; it’s one of the most powerful and fastest-growing companies in the Asia Pacific region.

A vision for every Juan

JGSHI’s core vision is to make life better for every Filipino. Cebu Pacific (CEB), one of its companies, opened the world to the average Filipino. It gave the public an opportunity to travel by plane—a luxury only the rich could afford back then. CEB’s “piso fare” promos became all the rage, all year round.

In the food industry, JGSHI is the market leader for quality snack-foods and beverages. When Universal Robina Corporation (URC), another company of the conglomerate, entered the market it elevated the Pinoy snacking experience. URC offered customers a smorgasbord of quality snack-foods and beverages to choose from.

These two businesses planted their roots in the Philippines, but the fruits of their labor get recognized all around the world.

Nikkei Asian Review power performers

In 2017, URC claimed the 26th spot on the Nikkei Asian Review’s Asia300 Power Performers Ranking. The consumer food product company climbed 47 notches from the 2016 list of the biggest and fastest-growing companies in the region. “We are proud to be included in the Asia300 Power Performers as it is a testament validating that URC continues to deliver value to our shareholders despite the difficult challenges in the business landscape. We cannot simply rest on our laurels as the road where we want to take the company will entail a lot of work ahead of us as competitive forces gather and strengthen,” URC President and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei said.

URC wasn’t the only Philippine company to make the cut. In fact, JGSHI and Cebu Pacific each received a nod as well. Even Manila Electric Company and PLDT Incorporated, which JGSHI has stakes in, made the list.

Financial Times high-growth companies

More recently, JGSHI and Cebu Pacific secured spots on another powerful traders ranking. In 2018, the Financial Times of London released a special issue featuring its inaugural list of FT 1000 High-Growth Companies in Asia Pacific. The rankings depended on the percentage of compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2013 and 2016.

Out of 14,000 companies from 11 of the region’s developed markets, 26 Philippine businesses made it on the inaugural FT’s list. In the list of 26 Filipino companies, JGSHI (17.7% CAGR) and Cebu Pacific (14.7% CAGR) placed 9^th and 15^th, respectively.

Greater heights

These companies have proven their staying power but they are not about to slow down. URC has plans to build production plants in Laos and Cambodia. In addition, it also has strategic partnerships with international brands. CEB is expanding its network of local and international destinations. The airline now has 37 domestic flights and 26 international destinations.

As for JGSHI, it continues to explore innovations for the various trades it has built. Guided by strong values of dynamism, passion, and courage, expect the conglomerate will reach even greater heights in the food and beverage, real estate and hotels, banking and financial services, air transportation, petrochemicals, telecommunications, and power industries.

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