by Rev. Dr. Mariano C. Apilado Is there hope for 2010 for Davao in particular, and for Mindanao in general? Yes, there is. The basis of this hope is the spiritual stronghold. “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.” (Zechariah 9: 12) Illustration of this hope is the article on Davao’s heroes of the economy, Edge Davao, January 4-10, 2010. The lead article was on Antonio O. Floirendo, described as more than a banana king, but one guided by values of an entrepreneur. Hard work, thrift and self-discipline were particularly mentioned. In addition, though “nagpuyat” the night before, he would be “gising pa rin in the morning and start working kaagad.” Floirendo is a “fatherly type of boss” treating his employees the way he treats his children. Another hero is Alex B. Buenaventura, the head of the largest rural bank in Mindanao, the One Network Bank, the first to offer automated machine banking and the first in overseas Filipino workers’ remittances. With “Pera sa Mindanao,” basic banking philosophy, Buenaventura is determined to “find ways that will not only make the bank the trailblazer . . . but an institution (that will} help the island in its desire to grow.” Guillermo L. Torres, “the pioneering spirit behind Davao’s educational system”, known as the builder of the University of Mindanao and the Mindanao Times, is another hero. Any leader of a major company, or past and present official of Davao City, was most likely educated at the University of Mindanao. An article on business pioneering in Davao would not be complete without mention of Conrado C. Alcantara, the father of diversified business in Mindanao, C. Alcantara and Sons, Inc. (ALSONS). The diversity of the ALSONS , or the CASI business concerns, ranges from agriculture to fishing, from lumber to power generation and distribution, from marketing fish and dry goods, and ALDEVINCO. The youngest, and most likely the most aggressive of the heroes of Davao economy, is Dennis A. Uy, the mind behind the Phoenix Petroleum, now with 120 gas stations all over the Philippines. Only 36 years old, Dennis believes that opportunities come only once and he is seizing these opportunities with decisiveness, willingness to take risks and unafraid to dream big. With these heroes as examples, there is hope for Davao’s economy, especially so when they find their strength and power in their return to their stronghold, their being spiritual prisoners of hope. This strength was first enunciated in the book of Zechariah, “Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope; today I declare that I will restore to you double.” Each Dabawenyo can also be a hero through a return to the spiritual stronghold. For any comments you may send to uccp_mario@yahoo.com.
