A matter of competence

Edgar Saavedra, founder, chairman, and CEO of Megawide Construction Corp., had a conversation with members and guests of the Monday Circle last week. They discussed Megawide's business plans, the Private-Public Partnership (PPP) program, and the company's commitment to socialized housing, construction of classrooms, and energy-related projects. Saavedra, who is a "probinsyano" from Zamboanga, holds a civil engineering degree from De La Salle University.

Saavedra's journey in the construction industry began as a structural designer for a year, before shifting his focus to small construction projects. His company's growth led him to acquire German-made construction equipment, which sparked innovation and eventually led to the adoption of pre-fabrication and precast concrete for faster growth and expansion.

Megawide's reputation as a competent construction firm was solidified with its PPP project for the Cebu-Mactan International Airport, a partnership with the Indian firm GMR Infrastructure.

Saavedra believes that the government should focus on ensuring better educational opportunities for public servant workers, similar to Singapore's model. However, he acknowledges the government's failure to sustain and push forward PPP projects, as well as the lack of participation by big firms in socialized housing and public school construction.

Despite this, Saavedra remains committed to building classrooms in far-flung areas, seeing it as part of Megawide's mission to transform the nation and provide better facilities for Filipinos.

Saavedra criticizes the government's competency, noting that many officials lack the skills and capability to complete projects. He suggests that Singapore's model of competency-focused government service, which includes providing quality education even abroad with a commitment to serve the country, could be beneficial for the Philippines. He also proposes that government workers should be paid close to their private sector counterparts to reduce corruption.