We headed to a small but quaint house with orange bricks, somewhere in the sprawling forest where our hosts, tycoon Isidro “Sid” Consunji and his sister Lucy, graciously welcomed us. From the road, we walked a few steps down a slope filled with rubber trees. Furthermore, company data showed that the palm oil portion of the plantation has 600,000 productive oil palm trees and employs over 500 workers. The rubber plantation, meanwhile, has 540,000 productive rubber trees and more than 350 tappers. As I stepped out of the rubber mill, I realized that perhaps this is why Sid Consunji loves wearing rubber slippers, whether he’s brewing deals at an exclusive sports club, in a meeting at his Makati office, or simply relaxing over food and drinks.
