Seizing growth opportunities amid adversity
Corporate Philippines has been beset by significant challenges over the past years, from the devastating COVID-19 pandemic to stubborn inflation, high interest rates, natural disasters and an increasingly tense geopolitical environment.
And yet despite these turbulent times, opportunities for growth continued to emerge, with some companies doing better at seizing these chances to escalate growth than others.
The Philippines’ Growth Champions 2025 list of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and international consulting firm Statista identifies these companies that recorded the highest revenue growth over the past eventful years.
And these companies continue to post stellar numbers.
In the case of Phinma Corp., a proudly Filipino conglomerate with interests in education, construction materials, property development, and hospitality, president and COO Chito Salazar said that its main growth drivers over the past few years were its education and construction materials businesses.
Salazar said Phinma Education had successfully grown its enrollment from about 75,000 students in school year 2019-2020 to 146,000 in the 2023-2024.
This growth was driven by expanding its existing campuses and acquiring additional schools in the Philippines and abroad, including its most recent acquisition of St. Jude College in Dasmariñas, Cavite. With this, enrollment for school year 2024-2025 further rose to 167,000 students.
“The key factor behind this growth has been Phinma Education’s ability to provide quality service at affordable prices, thanks to their deep understanding of students’ needs and their capacity to leverage the operational efficiencies of an education network,” Salazar said.
As for the Phinma Construction Materials Group (CMG), he shared that revenues increased from P10 billion in 2020 to P13 billion in 2023 as CMG expanded into new product lines and leveraged its nationwide distribution network.
To build on that growth, Salazar said Phinma Education would continue to look for opportunities to continue expanding its network in the Philippines and possibly in other Southeast Asian locations.
Last year it closed the P4.5-billion investment of Phoenix Investments II Pte. Ltd, an investment vehicle of funds managed by KKR, and Rise Edu Pte. Ltd., an investment vehicle of funds managed by Kaizenvest.
The recent P1-billion stock rights offer of Phinma Corp. will support expansion for the other segments.
Part of the proceeds will go into CMG projects such as the modern cement facility in Davao del Norte, the Green Energy Auction Program projects, and the new state-of-the-art insulated panels facility in Porac, Pampanga.
Another part of the proceeds will go into Saludad, Phinma Property Development’s township in Bacolod. The township will also feature a TRYP by Wyndham Hotel through Phinma’s hospitality arm.
These strategic moves are seen providing the group with a springboard toward accelerated growth in the next few years.
Meanwhile, the Unicapital Group of Companies attributes its impressive revenue growth over the past few years to its staying true to its corporate purpose and unique role as its clients’ partner in their financial growth.
“With Unicapital Group’s decades of experience and expertise where we overcame different hurdles in the past, we were able to take advantage of both external and internal opportunities that helped us manage the challenges brought about by the pandemic, as well as other challenges,” said president and CEO Jaime Martirez.
Unicapital, which turns 49 years old this year, has grown into a leading independent investment house.
Since its founding in 1976, Unicapital has raised over P230 billion in equity and debt capital market transactions.
Martirez said Unicapital intends to build on that number by delivering customized, tailored, and innovative financial solutions alongside expert and strategic guidance.
Indeed, over the past three years, the investment banking business boosted growth, which also benefited Unicapital Securities, Inc., highlighting the strength and synergy among the member-companies.
“Across the Group, we also strengthened our product-market strategy focusing on our core target segment, the high-growth emerging market, and ensuring that our product offerings serviced their requirements,” he said.
On the loans side, alongside a sustained effort on acquisition, Unicapital focused diligently on collections and monitoring as the business operations of many of our clients remained affected even after the pandemic.
It made sure to improve our distribution capabilities, both externally and internally.
Martirez said the group was laser-focused on putting its clients first. Evidence of this includes improving internal processes such as putting in place digital initiatives that branched out into IT, operations, and marketing.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it significant challenges but also drove it to make necessary changes.
He said the group found ways to manage expenses and costs while putting in place policies and processes amid a new working environment.
Over the next years, Martirez said the Unicapital Group intends to further improve processes and adopt new technologies to provide better products through new channels for distribution.
“The past years have proven to be fruitful because of our effective executions but there are no limits to our aspirations. We are determined to bring Unicapital Group and all its clients to new heights as we continue to unlock all possibilities and opportunities,” Martirez said.
DigiPlus Interactive Corp.,, one of the country’s most innovative digital entertainment companies, has also been raking it in the past years.
This, DigiPlus chair Eusebio Tanco said was the result of a bold digital transformation, strategic execution, a deep commitment to innovation, and a sharp understanding of the evolving entertainment landscape.
“By harnessing technology, we have elevated gaming experiences, optimized efficiencies, and built a highly scalable business,” Tanco said, “Our ability to sustain strong revenue growth demonstrates the strength and resilience of our business model.”
He added that a stable regulatory environment, including the harmonized tax rates set by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. helped accelerate the growth momentum of DigiPlus, perhaps best known for BingoPlus that it launched in 2022.
Digital entertainment
“But at the core of our success are our people who are visionaries—agile, and relentless in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in digital entertainment,” Tanco stressed.
As of the first nine months of last year, DigiPlus saw its profits surge by 314 percent to P8.75 billion, buoyed by the retail games segment and new product offerings.
This year, DigiPlus plans to take digital entertainment to an even higher level by expanding its portfolio with even more innovative livestreaming games that it said would redefine user engagement.
“We see this as a major growth driver, as it enhances engagement, creates more immersive experiences, and strengthens our leadership in the rapidly evolving gaming sector,” he said.
Tanco added: “As we grow, we remain committed to responsible gaming, ensuring that innovation goes hand in hand with integrity.”
DigiPlus’ optimism comes from its belief that the Philippine economy will continue to grow at a fast clip, fueled by strong consumer demand, rapid digital adoption, and a dynamic services sector.
Sustained growth
While global uncertainties persist, the economy’s stable growth provides a favorable environment for sustained business growth, Tanco said, who also cited the crucial role of Pagcor’s enabling policy framework.
“Pagcor’s harmonized tax structure is a step in the right direction, encouraging investment and long-term stability,” he said.
“With this foundation, coupled with our continued push for innovation, DigiPlus is well-positioned to sustain its momentum, drive economic progress, and create long-term value for our stakeholders,” Tanco added.
