MPTC announces key executive appointments

MANILA, Philippines — The tollways arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. is making key executive changes in line with its continuing expansion in the country and abroad.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) president and chief executive officer Rodrigo Franco announced yesterday three key appointments in its major business units as part of a continuing program to “strengthen and integrate the increasingly complex business of constructing and managing expressways” in the Philippines and other member countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“We are simultaneously working on several multi-billion-peso projects in various locations, and even extended our investments to three neighboring ASEAN countries. While we face numerous challenges, we look forward to the future with a healthy dose of optimism,” Franco said.

Luigi Bautista was named president and general manager of NLEX Corp., which currently oversees three concessions toward the northern part of Luzon namely, the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and the NLEX Connector Road.

Bautista, who earlier headed the concession companies south of Manila for six years, was credited by Franco for the business unit’s growth in revenue and pipeline projects given his “strong leadership.”

Before that, Bautista was with NLEX for 15 years holding several senior executive positions. His last post at the NLEX was as senior vice president of Program Management, until he was assigned as president of Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. in January 2013.

Also appointed was Roberto Bontia as president and general manager of MPT South Corp. and its two main expressway companies towards the south -- Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) and MPCala Holdings Corp.

MPTC said Bontia would lead the company that oversees the two southern concessions – CAVITEX and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAEX).

Raul Ignacio, meanwhile, was named chief operating officer of NLEX Corp.

Bontia, who replaces Bautista in the southern concession companies, held several senior management roles in the tollways group. He handled the groupwide operations and technology team in the business units and concurrently is president and CEO of Tollways Management Corp.

Ignacio, for his part, currently heads NLEX’s Tollway Development and Engineering division and is responsible for establishing and aligning the group’s standards on project management.

As the new NLEX COO, MPTC said Ignacio would cover the operations and technology functions.

“MPTC’s management depth is invaluable as the group continues to streamline and integrate all our businesses,” Franco said.

Franco said that while MPTC pursues expansion activities, there is a need to strengthen the management of its business units that directly oversee the activities of various expressways, which explains the recent key appointments.

MPTC, which serves as the toll roads business of infrastructure conglomerate MPIC, posted a core net income of P2.3 billion in the first half, up 12 percent year-on-year.

The company reported a 57 percent increase in vehicles during the six-month period to an average of 924,364 a day due mainly to the traffic contribution from its investment in PT Nusantara Infrastructure Tbk in Indonesia.

Average daily vehicle entries for all three of its domestic tollways system in the country such as the NLEX, CAVITEX and SCTEX rose nine percent to 480,711 in the period.