MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Aside from holding the title of one of the richest men in the Philippines, Enrique Razon Jr is now a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumnus, like country's top generals.
Speaking at the school's homecoming on Saturday, February 17, alumni assocation chairman retired General Melchor Rosales said they adopted Razon for his donations to the PMA, most notably two military barracks worth P540 million.
PMA alumni are known to adopt leading politicians as their batch mates. Popular honorary PMA members include President Rodrigo Duterte, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and former Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II.
Razon, the most notable businessman-turned-mistah in recent years, was adopted by PMA batch 1988.
According to Rosales, Razon also played a big role during the biggest security breach in 2017: the Marawi siege. Razon apparently also donated cash and supplies to government forces during the war.
Billionaire Razon is the 3rd richest in the Philippines, according to Forbes. He heads the International Container Terminal Services (ICTS), which manages around 30 ports all over the globe.
He is also the chairman and chief executive officer of Bloomberry Resorts Corporation. The company brandishes the popular hotel resort complex Solaire in Pasay City as its flagship enterprise.
He was the only person adopted by the PMA Alumni Association for 2018, and also served as the event's guest of honor and speaker.
Razon in his speech emphasized the role of businesses in establishing and cementing sound security forces.
"The terrorists were defeated in the battle field by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), but this is not just a problem for the AFP. It is a problem for all of us, and we need to do what we can to support the Armed Forces in battling terrorism in all its forms," he said. – Rappler.com
