Benjamin "Benjie" Mendoza Bitanga (born December 31, 1952) is a

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

investment banker Investment banking pertains to certain activities of a financial services company or a corporate division that consist in advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and governments. Traditionally associated wit ...

Early life and education

Bitanga attended

Ateneo de Manila University , mottoeng = Light in the Lord , type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution , established = December 10, 1859 , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits) , academic_aff ...

, where he graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management. Bitanga pursued two years of Law Studies at Ateneo de Manila Law School before completing his Master's in Business Administration (MBA) at the

Asian Institute of Management The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) is an international management school and research institution. It is one of the few business schools in Asia to be internationally accredited with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Busine ...

(AIM) in 1977.

Career

1993–1995:Macroasia Corporation

Bitanga is the founder and president of

MacroAsia Corporation MacroAsia Corporation is a leading provider of aviation-related support services in the Philippines. Its major business segments derive income from aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), food services (airline and institutional catering) ...

, a leading holding company in the Philippines. He secured the Airline Catering License from the

Manila International Airport Authority The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA; fil, Pangasiwaan ng Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Maynila) is a government-owned and controlled corporation and agency under the Department of Transportation of the Philippines responsible for the m ...

(MIAA) and its eventual joint venture agreement with Eurest Corporation of France in setting up an

airline catering An airline meal, airline food, or in-flight meal is a meal served to passengers on board a commercial airliner. These meals are prepared by specialist airline catering services and normally served to passengers using an airline service trolley ...

facility within the property of the MIAA. In 1995, he then sold his company to the Tan family, and became the airline-related unit of the Tans, and Baguio Gold, which is also known as the PAL Holdings Inc.

1990–2005: Asian Appraisal Company

Bitanga held a position in the Asian Appraisal Company as chairman and President. During that time, he established a national precedent in securing approval from the SEC(

Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against mark ...

) to allow valuation of companies and its assets using future

cash flow A cash flow is a real or virtual movement of money: *a cash flow in its narrow sense is a payment (in a currency), especially from one central bank account to another; the term 'cash flow' is mostly used to describe payments that are expected ...

. Because of this, companies from different industries has also been successful in adopting this valuation method to value their

assets In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that can b ...

. In 1993, he was awarded the mandate to value Tsing Tao Brewery, Inc. and their

IPO An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investment ...

using the same valuation approach.

1996: Colliers Jardine

In 1996, Bitanga was an Incorporator and President of Colliers Jardine Philippines, one of the largest property services firms in the Philippines. Colliers Jardine, now part of Colliers International, is a global leader in real estate services and consulting. Bitanga’s association with the company marked a significant step in his involvement in real estate on an international scale, further establishing him as a key figure in the real estate sector, both in the Philippines and abroad.

1994–2016: MRC Allied Inc.

Bitanga founded MRC Allied Industries Inc., which was later renamed MRC Allied Inc. Bitanga was the former Chairman and President of MRC Allied Inc. from 1994 to 2016. He remains the company's majority shareholder. He was accountable for the company's conversion from a rubber processing company to a real estate business, particularly in the

Industrial Estate An industrial park (also known as industrial estate, trading estate) is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more "heavyweight" version of a business park or office park, ...

Sector, with concentration in the Southern City of

Cebu Cebu (; ceb, Sugbo), officially the Province of Cebu ( ceb, Lalawigan sa Sugbo; tl, Lalawigan ng Cebu; hil, Kapuroan sang Sugbo), is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, and consists of a main island and ...

. In 1995, he implemented a widely successful

initial public offering An initial public offering (IPO) or stock launch is a public offering in which shares of a company are sold to institutional investors and usually also to retail (individual) investors. An IPO is typically underwritten by one or more investme ...

(IPO) of the company with the

Philippine Stock Exchange The Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. ( fil, Pamilihang Sapi ng Pilipinas; ) is the national stock exchange of the Philippines. The exchange was created in 1992 from the merger of the Manila Stock Exchange and the Makati Stock Exchange. Includin ...

, which attracted local and foreign investors like SSS (

Social Security System Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

) and GIC (

Government of Singapore Investment Corporation GIC Private Limited is a sovereign wealth fund in Singapore that manages its foreign reserves. Established by the Government of Singapore in 1981 as the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation, its mission is to preserve and enhance the ...

). A year later the company's

stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...

rose from an introductory Php 1.50 to Php 9.00. He was responsible for converting MRC's 350 hectare property in Cebu to a planned world class township which led to its classification as an

Export Processing Zone A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re-exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject to cus ...

. He led the company successfully through the

Asian Financial Crisis The Asian financial crisis was a period of financial crisis that gripped much of East Asia and Southeast Asia beginning in July 1997 and raised fears of a worldwide economic meltdown due to financial contagion. However, the recovery in 1998– ...

of 1997, by means of rehabilitation efforts completed in 2010, which led to the company's diversification of its interest into other industries including mining. Through aggressive

acquisition Acquisition may refer to: * Takeover, the purchase of one company by another * Mergers and acquisitions, transactions in which the ownership of companies or their operating units are transferred or consolidated with other entities * Procurement, ...

of mining assets, which focuses on gold and copper, he leads the company through successful negotiations with leading gold and copper producers for joint venture projects.

Involvement in Rappler

In 2011, Bitanga became a founding investor of Rappler, a pioneering online news platform, through his family-owned Menlo Capital Corporation. Bitanga's investment helped establish Rappler as a prominent digital media company, focusing on delivering data-driven news, social media broadcasting, and promoting civic engagement. Rappler, led by Maria Ressa, has been instrumental in shaping the landscape of digital news in the Philippines. Rappler Inc. is recognized internationally as a leader in the use of social media for news dissemination. Rappler's mission, combined with Bitanga’s vision for supporting transformative media ventures, has played a pivotal role in fostering press freedom and accountability in the Philippines.

PT&T Corporation (2017-Present)

In August 2017, Menlo Capital Corporation acquired a significant stake in PT&T Corporation (formerly known as Philippine Telegraph & Telephone Corporation), a telecommunications company, through the acquisition of PT&T shares owned by Republic Telecommunications Holdings Inc. This acquisition occurred six years after the approval of PT&T’s Rehabilitation Plan, and it marked the beginning of PT&T’s significant restructuring. Under Menlo's ownership and with a new management team, PT&T achieved several key milestones, including holding its first stockholders' meeting in 14 years, securing approval to increase its capital stock, and resolving past violations with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). These steps helped lift the company’s regulatory suspensions and improve its financial standing.

Current Business Interests

Bitanga is currently the controlling owner of a diverse range of businesses across various sectors, including investments, real estate, renewable energy, and telecommunications. His notable ventures include: 1. Menlo Capital Corporation – Engaged in private investments and renewing its investment house license. 2. Erland Holdings Corporation – Focuses on residential and commercial real estate leasing and sales. 3. Benisons Shopping Center, Inc. – Specializes in mall stalls leasing and selling. 4. South 53 PPT Holdings Corporation – Engaged in high-end condominium leasing and sales. 5. Dolphin Fire Group Inc. (DFGI) – Involved in marketing, media, advertising, and event organization. 6. Menlo Renewable Energy Corporation – Focused on the development of renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and hydro power, with a combined capacity of 500 MW. 7. United Hydro Power Builders Corp. – Specializes in the development of hydro power resources with a total capacity of 140 MW. 8. Sunray Power Inc. – Engaged in solar power development with a 25-year lease agreement for 260 hectares in Clark Green City, Tarlac. 9. 5GS Security Inc. – A technology-driven security solutions provider.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bitanga, Benjamin M. Filipino bankers Living people 1952 births Ateneo de Manila University alumni Asian Institute of Management alumni Chief information officers Filipino chief executives