Arthur Fuentes

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Boardroom Tea

Salve Ibaňez

ABS-CBN News

<div><strong>FROM BOARDROOMS TO COCKPITS TO FILM SETS</strong></div><p>Receiving the Ramon Magsaysay Award—Asia&#x27;s Nobel Prize equivalent—represents the pinnacle of public service recognition. For Dr. Aristotle &quot;Aris&quot; Alip, it was apparently just the beginning. This microfinance maverick has decided that conquering poverty through traditional means isn&#x27;t ambitious enough. Now he&#x27;s literally soaring above the clouds as a licensed pilot and telling stories through film.</p><p>During our recent Business Outlook interview on ANC, Aris dropped a perspective that stopped me mid-question: &quot;CARD&#x27;s business isn&#x27;t microfinance—it&#x27;s poverty alleviation.&quot;</p><p>That distinction isn&#x27;t semantic hairsplitting; it&#x27;s revolutionary thinking that explains why CARD MRI&#x27;s ecosystem spans education, healthcare, and marketing alongside financial services.</p><p>But here&#x27;s what truly impressed me: Aris freely shares CARD&#x27;s hard-earned AI innovations with competing microfinance institutions. Why give away your competitive advantage? Because when your mission transcends profit, collaboration becomes strategy.</p><p>Three separate times, Aris had opportunities to reshape Philippine policy from within the government&#x27;s highest echelons. Three times, he walked away. His reasoning cuts straight to the bone: bureaucratic machinery moves too slowly for someone determined to lift families out of poverty today, not decades from now.</p><p>The private sector became his battlefield of choice—and frankly, the results speak volumes. Under his stewardship, CARD MRI has built a diversified ecosystem of 31 mutually reinforcing companies, all laser-focused on inclusive finance for marginalized families.</p><p>But apparently, revolutionizing microfinance wasn&#x27;t enough for this Renaissance man. Recent social media posts reveal Aris proudly sporting his pilot&#x27;s uniform—having recently earned his license to fly. Because why limit yourself to financial altitude when actual altitude beckons?</p><p>And then there&#x27;s his latest venture into film production, creating movies that spotlight the &quot;nanays&quot; and the selfless microfinance workforce. His recent premiere of &quot;I Remember You,&quot; starring JC Santos and set against Boracay&#x27;s scenic backdrop, isn&#x27;t just entertainment—it&#x27;s storytelling with purpose, showcasing the continuing struggles of CARD bank clients post-pandemic while weaving in themes of lost love and resilience.</p><p>As if piloting planes and producing films weren&#x27;t ambitious enough sidequests, Aris casually mentioned his next adventure: law school. At an age when most successful executives are contemplating retirement golf games, this man is planning to add legal expertise to his already formidable arsenal.</p><p>It&#x27;s the kind of restless brilliance that makes you wonder: when someone has already received Asia&#x27;s most prestigious award for public service, built a poverty-fighting empire, learned to fly, and started making movies—what possibly comes next?</p><p>Knowing Aris, we&#x27;ll probably find out soon enough.</p><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17532765925402.jpg" style="width:750px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1753276611664IMG_2815.JPG" style="width:750px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>I SPY: FAMILY BOARDROOMS</strong></div><p>Families that build business empires inevitably harbor personalities as deep and complicated as the Marianas Trench. When you train the next generation to be opinionated decision-makers who direct billion-peso enterprises in a heartbeat, clashes become inevitable. Which makes this particular dynasty absolutely riveting.</p><p>Multiple boardroom insiders confirm that third-generation shareholders of this firm—numbering more than 30—are directing their two-branched empire remarkably smoothly despite fireworks during and after board meetings.</p><p>The flashpoint? Their most prominent Top 50 richest billionaire board member. And from the looks of it, he won&#x27;t even deny it. He’s unperturbed by outsiders’ opinions that way.</p><p>This billionaire, who shall remain unnamed for your guessing pleasure, has publicly acknowledged that his family consists of fiercely independent thinkers who aren&#x27;t afraid to clash—yet somehow maintain their tight bonds despite the heated exchanges.</p><p>This, dear Boardroom Tea drinkers, reveals the DNA of successful Philippine family-owned conglomerates.</p><p>However, keeping the peace transcends simply avoiding each other. Robust governance mechanisms create space for healthy disagreements in the boardroom. Regular family shareholder meetings ensure connection as the clan expands. Transparency and accountability measures must be followed to the letter—or else.</p><p>The challenge emerges when he navigates big personalities outside his family circle. Those who&#x27;ve dealt with this billionaire often describe him as &quot;standoffish and entitled&quot;—a stark contrast to his beloved father&#x27;s legendary warmth. Yet to his credit, he continues building businesses, championing economic advocacies, and nurturing that famously close-knit family. Love him or loathe him, his influence in Philippine business remains formidable.</p><p>Guess who?</p>

<p>This billionaire, who shall remain unnamed for your guessing pleasure, has publicly acknowledged that his family consists of fiercely independent thinkers who aren't afraid to clash.</p>

This billionaire, who shall remain unnamed for your guessing pleasure, has publicly acknowledged that his family consists of fiercely independent thinkers who aren't afraid to clash.

Boardroom Tea: Clash in a family firm and a pilot who fights poverty

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Boardroom Tea: Clash in a family firm and a pilot who fights poverty

Salve Ibaňez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 23, 2025 10:00 PM PHT

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