A must-read for entrepreneurs, business executives and aspiring leaders, Melandrew Velasco’s latest book chronicles RSA’s business philosophy and nation-building vision as San Miguel Corporation climbs to No. 16 in Forbes’ World’s Best Employers ranking.
MANILA, October 2026 — What does it take to transform a century-old Filipino company into a globally respected conglomerate? What separates an exceptional business leader from an ordinary corporate executive? And how can entrepreneurship become a powerful instrument of nation-building?
These are among the compelling questions explored in RAMON S. ANG: The Heart of a Nation Builder, the latest book by veteran journalist, publisher and biographer Melandrew T. Velasco, who has authored more than 45 books on leadership, public service, business and Philippine history.
Velasco is widely known as a family biographer of former President Fidel V. Ramos and historian of the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation (RPDEV).
Positioned as a must-read for businessmen, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, aspiring CEOs, management students and emerging Filipino leaders, the book brings together seven years of Velasco’s articles and chronicles on San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang, popularly known as RSA.
Originally published in his Everyman column in the Manila Standard and in Philippine News Today in California, these writings offer a continuing perspective on Ang’s leadership, business decisions and vision for national development.
The book’s publication comes at an especially meaningful time, following SMC’s ascent to No. 16 in Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026 ranking, the highest placement achieved by a Philippine company on the prestigious global list.
From 42nd place in 2025, SMC surged into the world’s Top 20, joining internationally recognized corporations assessed for employee satisfaction, career opportunities, compensation, workplace culture and corporate reputation.
The Forbes ranking, developed in partnership with Statista, evaluated 900 companies across 52 countries based on responses from more than 300,000 employees worldwide.
For Velasco, the recognition provides a fitting backdrop to a book examining the entrepreneurial instincts, leadership philosophy and nation-building vision behind San Miguel’s transformation.
From a brewery to a diversified business empire
Founded as a brewery in 1890, San Miguel has evolved into one of the Philippines’ largest and most diversified conglomerates, with major interests spanning food and beverages, energy, fuel, infrastructure, transportation and other strategic industries.
Under Ang’s stewardship, the company has pursued an ambitious expansion strategy that extends beyond traditional commercial enterprises into investments with far-reaching implications for national development.
These include major expressways, airport modernization, energy facilities and infrastructure projects designed to improve mobility, connectivity and economic opportunities.
Among its landmark undertakings are the NAIA modernization program, major expressway networks and large-scale energy investments that support the country’s growing infrastructure requirements.
The book portrays Ang not merely as the executive behind a vast business empire but as a corporate leader whose vision increasingly intersects with the Philippines’ long-term development priorities.
Its central message is that business leadership achieves its fullest meaning when corporate success creates opportunities, improves lives and contributes to national progress.
A leadership playbook for entrepreneurs
Beyond chronicling San Miguel’s transformation, The Heart of a Nation Builder offers valuable perspectives on entrepreneurship, strategic management, resilience, environmental stewardship and responsible corporate citizenship.
Its recurring themes include recognizing opportunities, taking calculated risks, pursuing long-term goals, building resilient organizations and placing people at the center of corporate growth.
For small and medium enterprise owners, Ang’s journey offers insights into the entrepreneurial mindset required to establish, sustain and expand businesses.
For established executives and corporate decision-makers, it highlights the importance of strategic investments, organizational transformation, decisive leadership and long-term vision.
For management students and aspiring entrepreneurs, it illustrates how ambition, discipline, perseverance and a clear sense of purpose can shape not only individual careers but entire industries.
Velasco believes the book’s relevance extends beyond corporate boardrooms. It is equally suited for university libraries, business schools, entrepreneurship programs, leadership seminars, chambers of commerce, professional organizations and institutions promoting innovation and economic development.
It can also serve as a meaningful corporate gift for executives, business partners, employees, graduating students and young professionals.
“Ramon S. Ang’s story offers lessons that go beyond building a successful business. It invites readers to reflect on the kind of leadership that creates jobs, builds institutions, opens opportunities and leaves a lasting contribution to society,” Velasco said.
“The book is intended not only for those who admire RSA’s achievements but also for those who aspire to build enterprises, lead organizations and make a difference in the lives of others,” he added.
Filipino enterprise on the world stage
SMC’s latest international recognition reinforces the significance of Ang’s leadership journey and the continuing evolution of Filipino enterprise.
As the only Philippine company in the global Top 20 of Forbes’ 2026 employers ranking, San Miguel demonstrates that homegrown corporations can earn international recognition alongside some of the world’s most established businesses.
For Velasco, this achievement carries an encouraging message for the next generation of Filipino entrepreneurs: Philippine businesses need not confine their ambitions to the domestic market.
With vision, sound management, organizational discipline and a commitment to their people, Filipino enterprises can aspire to global standards while retaining their national identity and sense of purpose.
The book likewise emphasizes that corporate leadership is not measured solely by revenues, market share or financial performance, but also by the capacity to build institutions, create sustainable opportunities and leave a meaningful legacy.
More than a business biography
RAMON S. ANG: The Heart of a Nation Builder is more than a compilation of corporate milestones and achievements. It is a leadership narrative examining the relationship between enterprise, opportunity, social responsibility and national development.
Drawing from Velasco’s years of writing about Ang and San Miguel, the book offers readers an opportunity to understand the thinking, decisions and values that have shaped the conglomerate’s continuing transformation.
It challenges aspiring business leaders to look beyond wealth creation and consider the broader responsibilities and lasting legacy of entrepreneurship.
At a time when the Philippines needs more entrepreneurs, innovators, investors and responsible corporate leaders, Ang’s story provides a timely perspective on what Filipino enterprise can accomplish.
For businessmen seeking growth, entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams, executives navigating change and young Filipinos aspiring to become tomorrow’s leaders, The Heart of a Nation Builder is a compelling addition to their reading list.
Bringing Filipino leadership stories to the world through Amazon
Expanding its reach beyond Philippine shores, Ramon S. Ang: The Heart of a Nation Builder was published through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) platform on September 21, 2026, as part of Velasco’s continuing initiative to bring inspiring Filipino leadership stories to an international readership.
The 320-page book is being marketed to entrepreneurs, corporate executives, management students, overseas Filipinos, business schools, university libraries and institutions committed to leadership and entrepreneurship development.
Its availability through Amazon provides an opportunity to introduce Ang’s leadership journey and San Miguel’s corporate transformation to a broader international audience, particularly among overseas Filipino professionals, business communities and readers interested in Asian enterprise.
Published by Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. (MTVi), the book is also available for institutional acquisition and corporate bulk purchases.
Readers worldwide can order RAMON S. ANG: The Heart of a Nation Builder through Amazon:
For book orders, bulk purchases, institutional distribution and corporate inquiries, contact Media Touchstone Ventures, Inc. (MTVi) at mediatouchstone@yahoo.com.
