Teodorico Haresco – Bridge Builder
Teodorico Haresco, one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the Philippines has this ideal to say:
“We measure what is good for our company in terms of what is better for our clients and what is best for the country.”
He is cited in the book The British Legacy to the Philippines: 425 years of Philippine-British Relations, as one of 19 Filipinos who have contributed directly to Philippine development through work driven by commitment, dedication, and nationalism. His name is among those of national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and Fidel V. Ramos.
Teodorico Haresco, Philippines’ true blue bridge builder as a vital factor in the Special Zone in Peace and Development phase of the PBP, dubbed Bridges of Hope. Under his watch, the project completed 526 bridges nine months ahead of schedule, with no cost overruns. In fact, the resulting materials savings were utilized for more bridges.
So far, he’s done 526 bridges but say the Philippines needs thirteen thousand more to connect all the rural villages that need access to modern amenities. Even if they were to build these bridges one day at a time, it would take around 50 years to complete and that is considering that they will be able to put up a bridge in a day. So he is urging other companies to make the stand and start helping to build the bridges that would serve as lifeline for these rural villages to medical care, electricity and an easier way to earn a livelihood for them and their future generations.
There have been a couple controversies about him earning more than he should with these projects but in an industry that’s worth billions of dollars, the winners will always be thrown rocks by detractors just to have people look their way. The sad thing about it is that people see this and take it as fact, never to follow up and look what resulted from the effort. Fortunately for the people who were reached by those bridges they are now better off and are living a more connected life. All thanks to the effort of Teodorico Haresco, Philippines’ bridge builder.
If you want to know more about Teodorico Haresco, visit www.haresco.com and the kind of person he is for yourself.