MVP NAMED AS PHL'S BEST CEO!

The chairman of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) emerged as the country’s leading CEO in the 12th annual poll of Asia's top companies by FinanceAsia.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, who is also the president and chief executive of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and chairman and chief executive of Philex Mining Corp. garnered majority of the tallied votes from investors and analysts across Asia to lead the survey in the Best CEO category among Philippine companies.

He also serves as chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and ABC Development Corp., which operates TV5. InterAksyon.com is the online news portal of TV5.

"We are grateful for the continued recognition by the investor community of our efforts to maintain and strengthen our lines of communication to ensure that they are fully apprised of the direction we are taking and that they have ample opportunity to give us valuable feedback," Pangilinan said.

PLDT also led in top categories covering large market capitalization companies for the Philippine poll, including Most Committed to a Strong Dividend Policy for the fourth consecutive year.

PLDT has paid out dividends equivalent to 100 percent of its core earnings, which boosts investors’ view of the company being one of the most liquid in the country.

"This is the fifth year in a row that we have paid out 100 percent of core EPS [earnings per share], a significant achievement when taken in the context of our increased investment levels and heightened competition," Napoleon L. Nazareno, PLDT president and chief executive said.

PLDT also retained its lead in the Best Investor Relations category for its unrelenting commitment to investors, raking in majority of the votes among nine of the country’s top companies for the fourth consecutive year.

PLDT ranked second for both the Best Managed Company and Best Corporate Governance categories while placing third in the poll for Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Philex was also recognized among the top companies in the country for corporate governance and CSR. The mining firm's chief financial officer, Renato Migrino, ranked second in the Best CFO category.

Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), meanwhile, ranked fifth in the Best Investor Relations category among the nine top Filipino companies on the list.

FinanceAsia is a Hong Kong-based publication reporting on Asia’s financial and capital markets through a daily website and monthly magazine. It is part of the Haymarket Group, the largest privately owned publishing company in the UK, created in part by Lord Heseltine, the former UK deputy prime minister.

According to FinanceAsia, the poll results will be published country by country during the course of the following week, before finally revealing which companies are viewed to be the best managed in Asia in 10 key industries.