1. Geronimo Z. Velasco.

The late mechanical engineer Ronnie Velasco was winner

of the 1977 Management Man of the Year Award, first president of Philippine
National Oil Company (PNOC). He was chairman of Republic Glass Holdings
Corp. which used to own the pioneer factory supplying 70 percent of Philippine
glass requirements for home and building construction since 1956. The firm sold
its shares in Republic-Asahi Glass Corp. to its Japanese partner Asahi Glass in
2001.
2. Diosdado Dado Banatao. The Filipino high-tech entrepreneur and innovator in
Silicon Valley, California is an electrical engineering cum laude graduate from the
Mapua Institute of Technology with a masters in electrical engineering and
computer science from Stanford University.
3. Francis Chua. Henry Lim Bon Liong of Sterling Paper Group told me that I should
add his batchmate Francis Chua to this list of tycoons who are engineers,
because Chua is an industrial engineering graduate of his same batch 1972.
4. Ramon S. Ang. This mechanical engineering graduate of Far Eastern University
is now the dynamic boss who is transforming San Miguel Corp. from a beer giant
into a diversified conglomerate with huge investments in infrastructure, energy
and other fields. Due to Angs bold strategic reforms, beer and foods now
constitute only 20 percent of San Miguels total businesses
5. Henry Lim Bon Liong. This mechanical engineering graduate of UP batch 1972 is
a leader in Philippine paper products with Sterling Paper Group. In recent years,
Lim has become more known as a pioneer of hybrid rice technology with his SL
Agritech Corp. which seeks to promote Philippine rice self-sufficiency. He is now
one of the vice presidents of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of
Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII).
6. Bayani Fernando. The former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
chairman and Marikina mayor, is a mechanical engineering graduate of Mapua.
Before entering politics, he was founder of the BF Group of Companies, with
construction, steel, manufacturing and real estate businesses. BF built the
countrys tallest building, top shopping malls, industrial and residential
subdivisions and other facilities. Like Consunji, BF is also a former secretary of
the Department of Public Works and Highways. BF once told me that engineers
like him are more practical and prefer to focus more on solving problems.