Eduardo is the second son of Andres Soriano Jr., who served as chief executive officer of San Miguel Corp., under whose leadership the company underwent massive expansion and diversification.
The family’s connection to the legendary beer brewery-turned-infrastructure conglomerate began in 1945 when Col. Andres Soriano, Eduardo’s grandfather, began working there as an accountant at the age 20.
On May 3, 1936, Andres Soriano Jr. married María Natividad Loinaz, and together they had four children: Andres III, Cristina, Eduardo and Carlos.
The Sorianos swiftly expanded their business interests through A. Soriano Corp. (ANSCOR), the family holding company that was founded in 1930, which remains in operation today. In 1951 Col. Soriano became a junior partner in Philippine Airlines, holding a 28-percent stake while the government held a majority share of 52 percent.
Although a shadow of its former self, ANSCOR’s crown jewel is the renowned Amanpulo Resort in Pamalican, Palawan province, which is managed by subsidiary Seven Seas Resorts and Leisure.
From UPenn to agribusiness
Like most of the Soriano men, Eduardo earned a degree in economics with a major in history from the University of Pennsylvania.
He joined the ANSCOR’s board as a director in 1980 and was appointed vice-chair in 1990. By the time he retired in 2018, he had also taken on a role of treasurer. He was also, for a time, president of the Andres Soriano Foundation and a director of Manila Standard.
Eduardo’s interest in agribusiness became evident during his tenure as president of Atlas Fertilizer Corp. (AFC).
AFC developed and utilized pyrites -- the by-product in the production of copper concentrate -- as a raw material to produce sulfuric acid, which was used in fertilizer manufacturing. AFC operated as a subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Co., a leading copper mining company.
The company, which also ventured into prawn farming, was later sold to a group led by Lorenzo Tan’s HLG Capital Philippines in 1996.
In addition to his business pursuits, Eduardo became a lifetime member of the Philippine Game Fishing Association (PGFA) in 1989.
Hacienda Macalauan Inc.
In 1995, Eduardo, in his personal capacity, founded Hacienda Macalauan Inc. (HMI), operator of a state-of-the-art dairy farm and facility in Calauan, Laguna. HMI specializes in the production of premium fresh cow’s milk and a variety of cheese products under the Pure & Best brand.
In 2002, Eduardo was recognized as “one of those who have been seriously putting in money to build his dairy herd population.”
Then Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor remarked, “From a businessman’s viewpoint, this simply indicates there’s money in dairying; otherwise, he wouldn’t go so far as transporting his herd by air.”
Eduardo was married to former supermodel Menchu Menchaca, and they had three children.
Features Reporter
