Board of directors
ERIC O. RECTO, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Recto was elected Chairman of the Board on February 16, 2023. He was previously elected Director on November 12, 2009 and appointed as Vice Chairman on June 20, 2018. He is also Chairman and CEO of Atok-Big Wedge Co., Inc. He also currently chairs the Board of Philippine Bank of Communications. He is Vice Chairman and Lead Independent Director of Aboitiz Power Corporation. He is Independent Director of Manila Water Corporation and holds board positions in a few other publicly listed companies. He also is Senior Advisor of Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners. Prior to his current roles, he was president of Petron Corporation, the largest oil refining and marketing company in the Philippines. He also previously served as Undersecretary of Finance of the Republic of the Philippines from 2002 to 2005. Mr. Recto has an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Philippines and an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.
ANNA BETTINA ONGPIN, Vice Chairman
Ms. Ongpin was elected Director of the Company on March 19, 2014 and served as President of the Company from May 31, 2016 to January 30, 2020. She became Vice Chairman of the Company effective February 1, 2020. She is also a Director of Atok-Big Wedge Co., Inc. (AB), and a Director and Vice Chairman of both Alphaland Balesin Island Club, Inc. and The City Club at Alphaland Makati Place, Inc. Ms. Ongpin has more than 30 years of communications, marketing, project management, and operations experience in the management consulting and property development fields. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Wellesley College.
RODOLFO MA. A. PONFERRADA, President
Atty. Ponferrada was elected Director and President on September 1, 2022. He is also the founding partner of Ponferrada and San Juan Law Office. He was the General Counsel of the RVO Group of Companies from 2006 to 2016. He also served in government as Technical Assistant to the Executive Secretary under President Macapagal-Arroyo and as Assistant Chief of Staff to Vice President De Castro. He started his law practice as an associate at SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmaitan Law Office. Mr. Ponferrada graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Laws cum laude from the University of the Philippines and a degree of Bachelor of Science in Management (Honors Program) magna cum laude with a Minor in Japanese Studies from the Ateneo de Manila University. He placed number 1 in the 2001 Philippine Bar Examinations.
SENATOR JUAN EDGARDO M. ANGARA, Director
Francis Joseph Guevara Escudero, or Chiz as most Filipinos know him, was elected Director of the Company on June 30, 2022. He is one of the youngest lawmakers to serve in Congress and among its most popular members, having consistently won elections in the House of Representatives and later on in the Senate, where he was voted at the top of the senatorial bracket. A lawyer and a professor of law, Chiz is a product of the University of the Philippines, from primary to law school. He passed the Philippine Bar in 1994 and went on to obtain a Masters degree in International and Comparative Law at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in 1996. He entered politics in 1998 when he was elected Representative of the First District of Sorsogon. He served three terms during which he served as Assistant Majority Floor Leader and House Minority Floor Leader. In 2007 and 2013, Chiz ran and was among the top senators the voters preferred. He was one of the Senate’s most productive members. He passed a total of 273 laws and was among the legislators who made sure that there would be no pending bill unheard in his committees. Chiz was named one of the country’s Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for youth leadership, the only Filipino to be named Asia News Network’s Asia’s Idols, honored as one of the world’s Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum, and received the Rotary Golden Wheel Award in recognition of his contributions in political governance and the legislative field. In 2019, Chiz returned to his hometown in Sorsogon and became the province's governor. As governor, Chiz pushed for the speedy implementation of numerous projects on Health, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Social Services, Tourism and Disaster Risk Management that immensely improved the lives of his fellow Sorsoganons. On May 20, 2024, Chiz became the 25th Senate President in the 19th Congress after winning a senatorial seat in the 2022 National Elections and continues to push for extensive legislation on good governance, education, agriculture, electoral reforms, and justice and human rights.
SENATOR FRANCIS JOSEPH G. ESCUDERO, Director
Francis Joseph Guevara Escudero, or Chiz as most Filipinos know him, was elected Director of the Company on June 30, 2022. He is one of the youngest lawmakers to serve in Congress and among its most popular members, having consistently won elections in the House of Representatives and later on in the Senate, where he was voted at the top of the senatorial bracket.
A lawyer and a professor of law, Chiz is a product of the University of the Philippines, from primary all the way to law school. He passed the Philippine Bar in 1994 and went on to obtain a Masters degree in International and Comparative Law at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. in 1996.
He entered politics in 1998 when he was elected Representative of the First District of Sorsogon. He served three terms during which he served as Assistant Majority Floor Leader and House Minority Floor Leader.
In 2007 and 2013, Chiz ran and was among the top senators that the voters preferred. He was one of the Senate’s most productive members. He passed a total of 273 laws and among the legislators who made sure that there will be no pending bill unheard in his committees.
Chiz was named one of the country’s Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) for youth leadership, the only Filipino to be named Asia News Network’s Asia’s Idols, honored as one of the world’s Young Global Leaders by the World Economic Forum, and received the Rotary Golden Wheel Award in recognition of his contributions in political governance and the legislative field.
In 2019, Chiz went back to his hometown in Sorsogon and became the governor of the province. As governor, Chiz pushed for the speedy implementation of numerous projects on Health, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Social Services, Tourism and Disaster Risk Management that immensely improved the lives of his fellow Sorsoganons.
With the fresh mandate given to him in the 19th Congress, Chiz continues to push for extensive legislation on good governance, education, agriculture, electoral reforms, and justice and human rights.
MICHELLE ONGPIN-CALLAGHAN, Director
Ms. Ongpin-Callaghan was elected Director of the Company on February 16, 2023. She was also Director, Assistant to the Chairman, and Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications of the Company and of PhilWeb Corporation, ISM Communications Corporation, and Atok-Big Wedge Corporation, as well as Head of Interior Design of the Company in 2009 to 2012. She was also the Head of JVO Foundation and Head of PhilWeb Foundation in 2009 to 2012. Currently, she is also the President of Tabacalera Incorporada. She holds a Postgraduate Degree in International Studies from the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences with Minor in Psychology and Philosophy from the University of Vienna.
ATTY. FLORENTINO M. HERRERA III, Independent Director
Atty. Florentino M. Herrera III, Atty. Herrera, was elected Independent Director on June 20, 2018. He is the founding partner of Herrera Teehankee & Cabrera Law Offices (established in 1986). He was formerly a Partner of one of the largest law offices in the Philippines. He has been engaged in the general practice of law for 47 years specializing in corporate law practice as counsel for various companies. Atty. Herrera holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree (Cum Laude, Salutatorian) both from the University of the Philippines.
ATTY. FRANCISCO ED. LIM, Director
Atty. Lim was elected Director of the Company on June 20, 2018. He is a Senior Legal Counsel of Angara Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW). Atty. is the Co-Chairman of the Capital Market Development Council together with Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and SEC Chairman Emilio Aquino. He is also Chairman of the Air Asia, Inc. and Philippines Air Asia, Inc. as well as the the Justice Reform Initiative (JRI). Atty. Lim is former President of the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE), Securities Clearing Corporation of the Philippines (SCCP), Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) and Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines (SharePHIL). Atty. Lim currently serves as a Director of Alphaland Corporation, Air Asia Group Limited (Malaysian company), Air Asia Holdings, Inc., Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions, Inc., First Philippine Holdings Corporation, The Insular Life Assurance Co., Ltd. Philippine Air Asia, Inc, and Union Bank of the Philippines. He is also a trustee of the Capital Market Development Foundation, JRI and SharePHIL. Atty. Lim is a member of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Philippine Bar Association, New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Atty. Lim is a columnist of Rappler and former columnist of the Philippine Star and Philippine Daily Inquirer. Atty. Lim is a law professor (on leave) in the School of Law, Ateneo de Manila University and School of Law of San Beda University. He is the Chairman of the Commercial Law Department of the Philippine Judicial Academy, Co-Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on E-Commerce Law, member of the Sub-Committee on Commercial Courts and the Committee on the Revision of the Rules of Court of the Philippine Supreme Court. Atty. Lim is a co-author of the “The Philippine Competition Act: Salient Points and Emerging Issues.” Atty. Lim has a Bachelor of Arts (cum laude) and Bachelor of Philosophy (magna cum laude) degrees from the University of Santo Tomas, Bachelor of Laws (Second Honors) from the Ateneo de Manila University and Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania, USA.
ATTY. MARIO A. ORETA, Director
Atty. Oreta was elected Director on November 11, 2009. He served as President of the Company from 2009 to 2017. He is also Director of The City Club at Alphaland Makati Place, Inc. He graduated with honors from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Bachelor of Laws and immediately joined the law firm of Siguion Reyna, Montecillo & Ongsiako after graduating from law school. He is the founding partner of The Law Firm of Mario Oreta and Partners.
LORENZO V. TAN, Director
Mr. Tan was elected Director on June 20, 2018. He was Vice Chairman from 2018 to 2019. He is also currently the Chairman of EEI Corp., Director, President and Chief Executive Office of House of Investments, Inc., ATYC, Inc., RCBC Realty Corporation, Tarlac Terra Ventures, Inc., and San Lorenzo Ruiz Investment Holdings and Services. Inc., Vice Chairman of Pan Malayan Management and Investment Inc. (PMMIC) and TOYM Foundation; Director at Smart Communications, Digitel Telecommunications, Malayan Insurance Company, Inc., Sunlife Grepa Financial, Inc., iPeople, Inc., Manila Memorial Park Cemetery Inc., PetroEnergy Corporation, Philippine Realty and Holding Corporation (Philrealty), Hi-Eisai Pharmaceutical Inc., Honda Cars Philippines and Isuzu Manila, Inc.; and Member of the Board of Trustees of De La Salle Zobel. His past experiences include President and Chief Executive Officer of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation; Sun Life of Canada (Phils.), Inc., the Philippine National Bank, and the United Coconut Planters Bank; Managing Director of Primeiro Partners, Inc.; Chairman of Asian Bankers Association (ABA); President of Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP). He is a Certified Public Accountant in Pennsylvania, USA and in the Philippines. Mr. Tan graduated from De La Salle University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Commerce; and holds a Master in Management degree from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University.
MARGARITO B. TEVES, Independent Director
Mr. Teves was elected as an Independent Director on August 31, 2011. He is also an Independent Director of Alphaland Balesin Island Club, Inc., and The City Club at Alphaland Makati Place, Inc. He was formerly the Secretary of the Department of Finance, the President and CEO of Landbank, and a Member of the House of Representatives (representing the 3rd District of Negros Oriental). He obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Business Studies, equivalent to a BSc in Business Economics, from the City of London College, and a Master of Arts (MA) in Development Economics from the Center for Development Economics, Williams College, Massachusetts, USA. He was also conferred an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Laws, by Williams College, and named Senior Adviser to the China-ASEAN Economic and Culture Research Center and Visiting Professor at Guilin University of Electronic Technology in China.
DENNIS A. UY, Director
Mr. Uy is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of UDENNA Corporation, a holding company with a diverse business portfolio that includes interests in the retail and distribution of petroleum products and lubricants, shipping and logistics, property development, education, food, gaming and tourism, infrastructure, telecommunications, and energy. He is the Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer of Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Inc., the country’s leading independent oil company. He is Chairman of Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corporation, a dominant player in the shipping and logistics industry. He is Chairman of UDENNA Land, Inc., developer of real estate projects such as Clark Global City, Calaca Industrial Seaport Park, and UDENNA Tower. He is Chairman of PH Resorts Group Holdings Corp. Chairman and President of UDENNA Infrastructure Corp., Chairman of Enderun Colleges, Inc., and Chairman of Eight-8- Ate Holdings, Inc., owner and operator of Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant and Wendy’s. He is the Chairman of DitoTelecommunity Corporation and Chairman of Dito CME Holdings Corp., Udenna’s foray into the communication, media, and entertainment space. He is Chairman and Director of UC38 LLC which has a 45% participating interest in the Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power Project which is the largest producing gas field in the Philippines. He is also the Vice Chairman of Atok-Big Wedge Co., Inc.
FR. JOSE RAMON T. VILLARIN, Independent Director
Fr. Villarin was elected Independent Director on June 20, 2018 and is presently the Executive Director of the Manila Observatory. He served as President of Ateneo de Manila University and Xavier University (2005-2020). At present, he is Chairman of Synergeia, an NGO for public education reform, and Vice Chairman of the Scientific Community/Academe of the National Resilience Council. He serves on advisory boards of the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health, and the Ateneo Institute of Sustainability. His past engagements include membership in the boards of AIM and Ramon Magsaysay Foundation. Fr. Villarin has a degree in physics from the Ateneo de Manila University, a master’s in physics from Marquette University (Wisconsin), and a doctorate in atmospheric sciences from Georgia Tech (Atlanta).
GREGORIO T. YU, Independent Director
Mr. Yu was elected Independent Director on June 20, 2018 and is presently the Chairman of Auto Nation Group, Inc., CATS Automobile Corp. and Nexus Technology Inc. Mr. Yu is also a director of various private institutions, among which are CATS Asian Cars, Inc. and American Motorcycles, Inc. He is also a Director of Unistar Credit and Finance Corporation, Philippine Bank of Communication, Glyph Studios, Inc., Prople BPO Inc., WSI Corporation, and Jupiter Systems Corporation and Nexus Technologies, Inc.
He is also an Independent Director of Glacier Megafridge, EEI Corporation, APO Agua Infrastructura Inc., Philequity Management Inc., Vantage Financial Corporation (formerly E-business Services, Inc.) and Vantage Equities Inc.
He is also a Board Member of The Manila Symphony Orchestra since 2009.
He received his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1983 and his Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Honors Program) Summa Cum Laude from De La Salle University in 1978.
executive officers
MICHAEL ANGELO PATRICK M. ASPERIN, Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Asperin, Filipino, was elected director of the Company on April 2, 2013 and as Chief Operating Officer on May 31, 2016. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the Alphaland Balesin Island Club, Inc. (ABICI) He handles various matters for the Alphaland Group of Companies including the development of the Balesin Island Club project, as well as the operations of the aviation and security divisions of the Group. Prior to joining Alphaland, he served as Senior Vice President for Security for Philweb Corporation (WEB) from 2009 to 2012. He graduated from the Philippine Military Academy in 1981.
CRISTINA B. ZAPANTA, Treasurer and Senior Vice President for Finance
Ms. Zapanta, Filipino, was appointed Treasurer and Vice President for Finance on May 17, 2016 and Senior Vice President for Finance on June 1, 2017. She is also the Senior Vice President for Finance of Atok-Big Wedge Co., Inc., Alphaland Balesin Island Club, Inc., Alphaland Makati Place, Inc., Alphaland Southgate Tower, Inc. and Alphaland Balesin Island Resort Corporation. She has more than 30 years’ solid experience in Finance, of which over half is in the real estate industry. She is a Certified Public Accountant.
CHARLES EDWARD CHENG, Corporate Secretary
Atty. Cheng, Filipino, was appointed as Corporate Secretary of the Company and its subsidiaries on June 18, 2023. He was also appointed as the Company’s Assistant to the Chairman on June 1, 2021 and Sr. General Counsel on August 1, 2022. Prior to joining the Company, Atty. Cheng served as Legal Counsel for Royal Dutch Shell PLC subsidiaries, including, among others, Shell Philippines Exploration B.V., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation and Shell Global Solutions International B.V. Before joining Shell, he was a Senior Associate in the Corporate and Special Projects Department of Villaraza Cruz Marcelo and Angangco (Carpio Villaraza Cruz). He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Management, minor in Finance, Honorable Mention, from the Ateneo de Manila University and completed his L.l.B from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2007, graduating with honors.
JERIC PAUL POSIO, Senior Vice President for Finance
Mr. Posio, Filipino, joined Alphaland on June 26, 2014 as Head of Financial Planning and became VP for Financial Planning on June 1, 2017. He was appointed SVP for Finance on January 1, 2022. Prior to joining Alphaland, he was a Senior Associate at SGV & Co. for Financial Services Risk Management under the firm’s Advisory Practice. He has more than 10 years of experience in Finance. He graduated from De La Salle University, with a degree in Finance.
