Five years of excellence
First Pacific Leadership Academy (FPLA) chairman and MVP Group of Companies head Manuel V. Pangilinan.
MANILA, Philippines - It was a night of incredible music and artistry as the First Pacific Leadership Academy (FPLA), the first corporate university in the country, established by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan, celebrated its fifth anniversary with an amazing concert titled Trio featuring the country’s most talented virtuosos.
The halls of Meralco Theater reverberated with perfect harmony by pianist Rudolf Golez, cellist Victor Coo and violinist Coke Bolipata as they mesmerized the audience by bringing to life memorable timeless music.
The talented trio kicked off the evening with a more recent Astor Piazzolla piece titled The Seasons, followed by music from movie favorites — Cinema Paradiso, Schindler’s List and An Affair to Remember. The trio then took on the classics where their talents truly shone. With ease and spirit, the virtuosos worked their magic, continuously captivating the audience with their masterful rendition of Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from Serenade for Strings and Giacomo Puccini’s Nessun Dorma. After a thoroughly moving set, the three ended the night on a light note with Paul Schoenfield’s upbeat Café Music and an astounding encore, which included the Filipino classic Sana’y Wala nang Wakas and On My Own from Les Misérables.
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The Trio concert is the first of many events crafted by FPLA in celebration of its fifth anniversary. The events reflect the influential power and enduring spirit of the academy and its respected chairman.
“Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan is not only a renowned businessman, he is the modern Renaissance man who believes in nurturing all passions in an individual — whether it’s love for the arts, sciences, sports, among others. This is exactly why he established the First Pacific Leadership Academy,” says FPLA general manager and executive director Roy Agustin Evalle.
While FPLA is known for its business courses and corporate/executive programs, it also offers further studies in other fields, nurturing and developing artistic talent and leadership. “The chairman’s thrust is focused on ‘thought leadership,’ as well as innovation, entrepreneurship, culture and music, sports, agribusiness, utilities, infrastructure, science and medicine, among others.”
Taking the lead from chairman MVP is Ricky Vargas, the new president of FPLA’s board of trustees, who aims to fulfill the academy’s commitment of “further education for all” by putting a heavier thrust on leadership development, which will now be extended to the training of local government units.
“We believe that nation-building starts with developing the individual and through our courses and events, FPLA hopes to inspire a want in people to better themselves and fulfill their potential as servant-leaders. We are proud to have done that in the past five years and we are eager to do much more,” adds Evalle. “We have been able to help executives and professionals but now, we also would want to extend these opportunities to those who have no access to such education and resources.”
In the coming months, FPLA will be launching its Leadership Development Program to take underprivileged students in high school and university under its wing. Through this program, FPLA offers an opportunity for young men and women to develop their skills and passion in leadership.
“Since the academy was established five years ago, we have continually sought ways to provide more relevant programs and courses for the Filipino; each founded on chairman MVP’s own principles of success. We are proud to have made great leaps in the past five years, and we look forward to doing more in the next decades,” Vargas concludes.
(For inquiries, e-mail Philip Iñigo Cañizares at pincanizares@fpacademy.net or call 0908-8854187 and 696-3051 loc 893.For more information about FPLA and its upcoming programs and activities, visit www.fpacademy.net.)
