Newsletter_Jan-Feb 2011 Save PDF - Philippines Bases ...

The Monday Club has been in existence for 15 years.
“What makes you happy?” the interviewer continues.
The answer: “Mababaw and kaligayahan ko. When I
am with friends I don’t smoke; I don’t go to night clubs,
but we drink beer and talk about beautiful ladies like
Jennylyn Mercado, her recent movie Rosario and the
ladies on television with Willie Revillame.”
He continues, “Even at 11:00 in the evening before
I sleep, I enjoy reading and sending text jokes to my
friends….because I know that it will lighten their day….
At my age, these make me happy.”
MORE CANDID CONFESSIONS
“When I was young, I had my way… I never paid the
matrikula. I befriended the rector, the Parish Priest
of our town in Porac, and his note will be my ticket to
taking the periodic exams,” he shares, smiling.
It was notable that Mr. Sangil has a classic humor, and
an endearing wit to back it up. It is very easy to feel
comfortable around him. He is warm and is quick in
expressing gratitude for even the small things. He has
this sincere appreciation for people—from the CEOs to
the rank and file.
He describes himself as an “easy-going fellow.”
“Ang management style ko, yung pagkatao ko.
Kaibigan ko lahat,” he humbly reveals.
Indeed, such good nature must have enabled him to
hold crucial positions in his younger years.
At the age of 24, Mr. Sangil has already managed
four casinos. He was formerly a hotel manager and
an owner of a big printing press. He was a former
director of the Philippine National Bank (“When I’m no
banker.”), Meralco, and managed several businesses;
these, aside from his former career in politics and
broadcast/print journalism.
Currently, the Sangil family owns seven pawnshops and
two restaurants in Pampanga—with one managed by
his only son.
He makes special mention of the advice he gives his
children as they manage the family business: “You
should be nice to your workers–because you are
nothing without them.”
He elaborates further on one of the parameters of
being “happy” in life.
“Huwag mo masyadong seryosohin ang sino at ang
ano at lalo na ang sarili mo. Handle your job with ease
and do not pressure your health over issues arising from
work, traffic…”
Though Director Sangil is quick to
point out that by nature, he
does not take himself seriously,
he emphasizes that he
always sees any job as an
opportunity to “discharge
his duties to the best of
his ability.”
THE
KAPAMPANGAN
SENIOR
For over a year
now, Mr. Sangil
has served as
one of the
Directors of the
Bases Conversion
and Development
Authority.
Concurrent
to this, he is director
of the BCDA
Management
and Holdings, Inc. and the Clark Development
Corporation. Mr. Sangil is also a former director of the
Clark International Airport Corporation.
As one of those appointed to the BCDA Board, he
believes that he has contributed largely to the thrusts
of BCDA because he comes from Central Luzon—
which is traversed by the BCDA’s biggest infrastructure
undertaking, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)
and is the region where the biggest military base
outside the United States is located. Thus, he is very
much familiar with the terrain and the sentiments of the
stakeholders including non-government organizations.
For this, he asserts that more appointees to the BCDA
should come from Central Luzon.
When asked about his greatest challenge in life, he
candidly answers: “There is no more challenge. I’m
already a senior citizen.”
But the endearing and humble self-confessed “senior
citizen”—who despite the great wealth of experience
in his background—was very quick to express his
gratitude to his colleagues from the BCDA Board
because of the learning he gained from them.
“You cannot buy that experience eh. Parang yun na
ang aking PhD.”
On a more serious note, he describes the strengths of
BCDA.
“BCDA exercises a lot of political will. Building the
SCTEX is not an easy job—with a lot of impediments
by some people and groups. I am telling the President
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