Oscar M. LopezAt 86 years of age, I have seen many more Christmases than most of you, my kapamilya, in the Lopez Group.

Still, each Christmas represents a new opportunity to celebrate the gift of life, as well as the gift of faith that assures us of joys beyond our life on this earth. After all, it is the coming of Jesus our Savior that is the reason for this season.

It is common to have Christmas wishes and throughout the years, I have seen many of my own wishes fulfilled. But I must say I also worked quite hard to make those wishes come true. For example, when I was still very actively trekking mountains, I had wished to summit the highest mountains in our country. And over a span of a few years, I did so, reaching the top of Pulag in Luzon, Kanlaon in the Visayas and Apo in Mindanao. And after all that, I went to Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia and in the Malay Archipelago.

These days I no longer wish anything for myself, but am more focused on our country and on our group of companies. I wish for our country the kind of growth and development that can be sustained for generations. What use is economic prosperity if we will rob future Filipinos of their health and natural resources? Rather, we should take care of the environment so that it can continue to provide for the needs of our grandchildren’s grandchildren.

For the Lopez Group, I have long articulated my desire for it to be “built to last.” Guided by our cherished values, I am proud to say that we have not strayed from this overarching vision for our companies to outlive us all. Our power generation investments have focused on natural gas, the cleanest fuel, as well as renewable energy sources. Our communication investments have innovated on the way we serve customers, blazing the trail for convenience and relevance in this modern, digital age that we live in.

This brings me to my wish for you, my fellow members of the Lopez Group. My wish is for you all to plant a tree. It could be in your backyard or in a pot by your bedroom window. I assure you that this is part of working for our wishes to be fulfilled. Future generations will undoubtedly be grateful for even just one tree that will give clean air for humans and animals to breathe.

Other than that, I wish for you good health and cheer as you celebrate the holidays with your family

Mabuhay ang pamilyang Pilipino!

OSCAR M. LOPEZ Chairman emeritus, Lopez Group