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Thursday, February 24, 2005
Malig: A happy life for EYA
By Jun A. Malig
HE DESERVES to be happy and spend the rest of his life without having to endure public scrutiny of every aspect of his personal life. And to achieve this, he needs to retire from public service. Lawyer Emmanuel Y. Angeles (EYA), president and chief executive officer of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) has formally announced his "irrevocable retirement" effective March 16 from the state-owned firm.
Angeles, 68, who has led the CDC since March 14, 2001, announced his retirement from public service during the launching of the Plaridel Institute for Strategic Studies and gathering of members of the Movement for a Strong Philippines (MSP) at the Angeles University Foundation Professional Schools in Angeles City on Saturday. The MSP, formally launched at the Quezon City Sports Club last Feb. 5, is being chaired by Angeles. He initially introduced the non-political, non-profit and non-partisan movement in Central Luzon last Nov. 4 and in Mindanao last month.
"I have decided to tender my irrevocable retirement from public office effective March 16 because I believe that it's time for me to embark on another chapter of my life and discover more great possibilities," he said.
Angeles said becoming CDC president was not an easy start for him. "There was strong resistance from some individuals who were not prepared for change. For the first time in my life, I felt like living under a microscope as I became favorite subject of publicity and scrutiny not only by the media, but (also) by the same people who unfairly doubted my ability to lead and manage Clark Special Economic Zone."
According to sources, a certain Antonio Ng, said to be close to Presidential adviser for Clark and Subic Francisco Licuanan, would be the next CDC president. But when I asked who would replace him in the state-owned firm, Angeles just smiled and politely answered: "Sorry, but I don't know yet."
Describing his term at CDC as "four grueling years" under the "scorching heat of limelight", Angeles said he had been contemplating about his retirement "for quite some time now" because he has been planning to spend his retirement years "more fruitfully and happily."
In his speech, Angeles mentioned President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's statement during the capsule-laying ceremony of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark Field on Sept. 28 last year that she would let him stay as president and CEO of the CDC for as long as he wants. "But I feel its time for me to move on after having successfully achieved what I have initially envisioned for Clark. Looking back, I can honestly say that the CDC experience was truly worth the sweat, blood and tears," he said.
Some 402 business projects were approved in Clark during Angeles's term, which infused some P5.6 billion in investment. Local and foreign business locators inside the economic zone rose from only 268 in 2001 to 326 as of Dec. 2004. The annual export of business firms in Clark also rose from US$291.5 million in 2001
to $895.8 million in 2004 or a growth of about 46 percent within four years.
The CDC's net income rose from only P2 million in 2001 to P37.5 million in 2004. The tax contributions of Clark locators to the National Government from 2001 to 2003 totaled P815 million.
(February 24, 2005 issue)
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