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THERE’S
a new person at the helm of the Philippine Racing
Commission (Philracom) who had brought harmony and
leadership that are badly needed in the local
horseracing industry today.
Atty.
Jose Ferdinand Rojas II is the new chairman of the
office who many believe is very capable of rallying the
various stakeholders in making the industry a very
prosperous one in the future.
The
32-year-old Economics and Political Science cum laude
graduate of University of Massachusetts is no stranger
to horseracing since his family had an illustrious track
in the industry long before.
Rojas,
who also served as a Philracom commissioner since 2006,
was a former director and corporate secretary of the
Philippine Thoroughbred Owners’ and Breeders’
Organization that is headed by AC Nielsen managing
director for Asia-Pacific Bienvenido Niles Jr.
I was
able to meet and interview the new chairman recently in
his office at the Electra House in
Makati and here are some of his views and plans that are sensible
and very much achievable in helping the local
horseracing industry make a big leap forward in the
future. Here are some of them:
BusinessMirror (BM):
What are
the new developments in the local horseracing after you
assumed chairmanship of Philracom?
Chairman
Rojas:
First and foremost, I had to put things back in order.
There was a racing boycott/holiday. As such, the very
first thing I did was to have a dialogue with all the
sectors of the industry. I had a meeting with the
horseowners’ groups—Marho, Philtobo, Klub Don Juan de
Manila, and SHOP—and with individual horseowners also.
They raised various concerns and issues. There was a
problem with the growth of the industry. There was also
a decline in sales. There is also the handicapping
problem. A lot of horseowners and horse breeders have
left the industry. I immediately established a line of
communication with them and with the various sectors of
the racing industry.
I also
had a dialogue with the jockeys’ association, the
off-track betting station (OTBS) operators and with the
various individuals of the industry. To date, the racing
industry is back to normal and we are experiencing an
increase in sales and government revenue.
BM:
How do
you see the present state of the local horseracing
industry?
Chairman
Rojas:
The
present state of the local racing industry is
lackluster. We need to lure back the former horseowners
and horse breeders who left the industry. We need to
encourage and entice new players to come in. We also
need a greater cooperation of all sectors in order to
ensure the growth of our industry.
At
present and for the past five years, we have annual
gross revenue of approximately P8 billion to P9 billion
of which P1 billion to P1.3 billion goes to the
government in the form of direct taxes. I believe that
we can easily have a 10-percent increase annually and
double this figure in the next decade.
BM: What are your plans? How do you intend to pursue those
plans?
Chairman
Rojas:
I intend
to encourage more people to come into the local
horseracing industry. One, you have to entice investors
and new players to come in. You can only do this by
making it profitable for them and making the industry
attractive. You must implement a system that will make
the return of investment for horseowners reasonable or
attractive. If they see it as such, they will invest
more and more new players will come in. If this happens,
there is a multiplier effect in the industry. Jockeys,
trainers and even the grooms will earn more. The
peripheral business will also flourish—the farriers, the
veterinarians, the food and medicine suppliers will also
grow, not to mention the surrounding small and medium
enterprises that rely on the industry. Additional
employment generated by an upgraded industry and the
organization of the other sectors can then easily be
achieved. A study was even made that owning a horse is
more profitable than owning a taxi or a rent-a-car [all
things being constant]. We must also get a new market to
come in the industry. The industry must also be seen not
only as a gambling activity but as a sports and
wholesome entertainment. This is how it is abroad, in
the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and
other countries. It is the king of sports.
BM:
Do you
have any intention of expanding the local market?
Chairman
Rojas:
It is
the hope and wish of our industry that we would be able
to export our local breed and have international races
locally. The plans and programs for expanding the local
market shall be part of the road map or blueprint which
the Philippine Racing Commission shall put out by the
end of the year that shall be known as “A Strong Racing
Industry for a Strong Republic: Karera 2020.” With this
master plan, everyone will know what are the aims,
mission, vision and goals of the industry. All the plans
and programs for the next 10 to 15 years shall be in
place. As an investor, you know how to program your
racing and breeding stock in accordance with this road
map.
BM: How do you see the local racing industry in the near
future?
Chairman
Rojas:
I see a very bright future for the local racing
industry. It remains robust and healthy because majority
of its members are motivated by the love of horseracing
as a sport rather than as a gaming activity. Persons of
the most impeccable character and integrity, economic
giants, respected political and civic leaders continue
to join the industry. At the same time, racing
aficionados continue to patronize the industry
countrywide, turning it into a multibillion-peso
industry. Racing clubs, with unshaken confidence, never
fail to improve their facilities. Manila Jockey Club has
moved to Carmona, Cavite, with its world-class racing
facilities while the Philippine Racing Club is moving to
its new racetrack which is another world-class facility
in Trece Martirez, also in Cavite by the third quarter
of the year. But there is still a lot to be done.
Nevertheless, with the cooperation of all sectors, we
shall succeed in turning our industry into one of the
best in the region. |
