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PNCC at 42 : Pursuing continual improvement
Manila Bulletin, 22 November 2008 issue
    The Philippine economy has not stopped growing. This is evident with the high-rise buildings and other construction edifices dotting the metropolis and other key cities across the nation.
    

Behind the major infrastructure networks in the country is the Philippine National Construction (PNCC). Forty-two years after carving its name in the infrastructure industry here and abroad, PNCC has not stopped to grow, and to improve itself while it is growing. Today, it has even made "pursuing continual improvement" its motto as it celebrates its 42nd Faoundation Day. This is consistent with the objective of the quality management systems worldwide. It is not a wonder that through all these years, PNCC has matured into a diversified construction and engineering company that has developed into a major partner of the government in its  economic development objectives.

PNCC's beginnings

PNCC was originally incorporated under the name Construction Development of the Philippines (CDCP) on November 22, 1966. Its business enterprise included construction, planning and engineering; urban development; materials processing; manufacturing; expressway development and operations; equipment leasing; trading; agriculture; transportation; mining; hostelry; and insurance. To reflect the enormity of the equity investement of the national government in the company, it was named Philippine National Construction Corporation in February 23, 1983.

The company's scope of services in a wide array of construction and engineering works and phases, has even expanded since then, to include all project stages -- from feasibility studies, designs and detailed engineering, procurement, construction and project management, concrete pre-casting, steel fabrication, materials processing and equipment rebuilding have become a part of PNCC service offerings. Not only that, it has engaged in tollway operations and management; and has entered into joint ventures with domestic or foreign entities, to undertake projects in line with its purposes; as well as purchase, sell, own, hold and develop claims and properties, agricultural and real estate development.

Manned by a pool of competent leaders and manpower --with proven core competencies and expetise in engineering and construction -- the company's business is now focused on expressway development and operations. It is complemented by its two operating subsidiaries that works construction, steel fabrication, general services and traffic control services or devices.

Landmark projects

Highly regarded as the catalyst of the Philippine industrial and economic progress, the PNCC is acknowledged for its landmark projects, expertise and vision.

Among its notable architectural achievements is the historic San Juanico Bridge that links the islands of Samar and Leyte in the Visayas region.

"This famous bridge initially gained for the company the public's confidence in its competence in the field of construction and engineering," declares Ma. Theresa T. Defensor, PNCC president and chief executive officer.

She says the construction of the first Light Rail Transit System in the country showed how capable the construction firm as in building large scale infrastructure proects that use state-of-the-art technologies.

The PNCC president and CEO likewise notes with pride the firm's land reclamation and soil stabilization of the 3,000-hectare foreshore area along the Manila-Cavite Road and Reclamation Project.

Other testemonies to the company's leadership in public transportation and services are its completion of the Food Terminal and the Baseco Shipbuilding Berth, among many others.

As urbanization has taken place across the nation, the PNCC has supported this by the construction of an efficient tollway network in Luzon that has provided safe, fast and convenient tollway travel to nearby towns and provinces.

"Tollway management and construction operations are PNCC's core businesses and expertise," explains Defensor.

It is recalled that the launching of the North and south Luzon Tollways -- the country's first visionary undertaking and the inception f the Build-operate-Transfer scheme -- thrusts the company in the headship of building and managing major thoroughfares in the metropolis, and of critical links to neighboring provinces. Both the tollway infrastructures spun off from PNCC's successful road building industry y its completion of the Manila North Expressway (MNEX) and the Manila South Expressway (MSEX) in the 1970s.

It had set its business sights beyond the Philippines, and has in fact successfully completed numerous undertakings in other countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Hongkong, Maayia and Indonesia, among others. Hence, this earned for the company the reputation of being the biggest construction firm in Southeast Asia.

"In the past, PNCC was very aggressive in getting involved in big construction projects. The company had since set-up a management system for truly big projects, in order to be competitive even in these large scale undertakings. Similarly, the company cnducted trainings for its staff and joined different organizations or affiliated with specialized companies to keep abreast with latest trends in construction and engineering," says Defensor. These, she emphasizes, have made PNCC widely recognized as a construction giant worldwide.

PNCC has then entered into joint partnership with Indonesian firm P.T. Citra Lamtoro Gung Persada to build the Metro Manila Skyway Project -- the first elevated tollway in the country that aimed to help ease the worsening traffic conditions in the nation's key metropolitan area. To date, the partnership has produced the 9.3 kilometer elevated road from Bicutan, Paranaque City to the Makati Central Business District, and the rehabilitation of the 13.5-kilometer Alabang to Magallanes section of the South Luzon Tollway.

Another product of PNCC's jint venture effort with international engineering and tollway management companies is the rehabilitation of the 84-kilometer North Luzon Tollway from Balintawak, Quezon City to Sta. IInes, Pampanga, with the First Philippine Insfrastructure Development Corporation; and the South Luzon Expressway in partnership with MTDME.

"These join ventures are yet being studied by certain interested quarters, but these ventures are crucial to the improvement of the country's tollway systems." affirms Defensor.

Today's business

PNCC today has looked introspectively, and sees that it has to continue to pursue improvements in key areas, particularly in quality management systems. It has also regarded a downsizing of its operations to be phase in its corporate existence.

All these, according to Defensor, is in line with the company's objective to partner with government in setting in place, or managing the infrastructure base of a rapidly modernizing economy.

"I don't want to see PNCC's talents, and its record of excellence in infrastructure development and tollways management go to waste. We still view ourselves as the Philippine leader in these areas, and will grow ourselves to be able to undertake more far reaching development projects, using state-of-the-art technologies and business systemsm" she says.

In its pursuit of continual growth, the company recognizes the advantahes of a certification under the ISO 9001:2000 standard.

"Aligning with ISO standards and being certified by a world-wide organization is another milestone, which our company intends to achieve. We are always interested to be in step with the latest trends in maintaining a quality organization. Of course, that would say we are a quality service provider, and a responsible organization that continues to strive to improve in a global context," says Defensor.

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