Former NLEX Corp. chief takes the helm of MPT South

METRO Pacific Tollways Corp.’s (MPTC) unit MPT South Corp. announced on Monday the appointment of Raul L. Ignacio, the former chief operating officer of NLEX Corp., as its new president and general manager.

He replaces Robert V. Bontia, who “has been designated as chief transformation officer to head on a full-time capacity the Business Transformation Office of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp.,” the company said in an e-mailed statement.

MPT South also said Mr. Ignacio “has extensive years of experience and expertise in our organization with a tenure that started with NLEX Corp. and has led our company’s initial venture into the mobility space by heading MPT Mobility since 2020.”

On Mr. Bontia, the company said: “As one of the most senior executives of the organization, [he] will ensure the effective implementation of vital groupwide transformation projects.”

MPT South’s existing projects include the 7.7-kilometer C5 Southlink and the 45.4-kilometer Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

The company is hoping to open the road section connecting Aguinaldo Highway to Silang East interchange of the P35-billion CALAX project by the third quarter of the year.

MPTC’s capex for the year is estimated to be P32 billion.

MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

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