MVP: All I want for Christmas is...

As the popular Mariah Carey Christmas pop song goes: “I don’t want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need.”

- RICHMOND MERCURIO

But what does a 79-year-old tycoon who leads one of the biggest and most diversified conglomerates in the country actually want this Christmas?

For business titan and Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan — who apparently has it all - there is one currently at the top of his wishlist.

“For Christmas, I wish the profits of PLDT would be up this year compared to last year. It’s a bit of a struggle,” Pangilinan told The STAR.

PLDT's reported income for the first half of 2025 softened by one percent to P18.1 billion, while its telco core income, which excludes the impact of asset sales and gains from Maya Innovations Holdings, went down by four percent to P17.2 billion as a result of lower revenue contribution from individual and enterprise businesses.

“But I think the last two months has been good for wireless. Slightly better,” he said.