FOR A billionaire such as Antonio Ongsiako Cojuangco, it’s ironic that carrying a begging bowl has been keeping him busy.

“Right now,” he chuckles at the launch of Ballet Philippines’ 40th season at Lolo Dad’s Brasserie. “Sometimes I wonder how my friends feel. Every time I call them up maybe they think, ‘Ano naman ito? Pera na naman! [What’s it this time? Money again?]”

Cojuangco’s day job is serving as chairman of Bank of Commerce and president of the network ABC5. An arts patron, he chairs the boards of Ballet Philippines (BP), Tanghalang Pilipino, National Museum and Cinemalaya.

When he’s not trying to woo advertisers for his network, he’s been trying to court support for Ballet Philippines and Tanghalang Pilipino.

“These companies are struggling because of the recession. There is very little incentive from our usual sponsors to give the way they used to. It’s low in their priority,” he says.

Artists such as Fernando Josef, Tanghalang Pilipino’s artistic director, describes Cojuangco as their angel, as the latter has kept the theater group alive, without expecting anything in return.

Friendship with founders

Maan Hontiveros, BP’s vice chair, adds, “He is the most consistent supporter of the ballet. He digs deep into his pocket to support the company. As a very active chair, he makes calls, talks to people, and looks at our financial management report. We must show him that we are doing our best to make them viable as well.”

Cojuangco’s involvement with Tanghalang Pilipino was born out of friendship with founders Felix Padilla and lawyer Tito Tesoro. They were his schoolmates in Ateneo. He joined BP in 1993 upon the invitation of then outgoing chair Ernest Escaler. He knew nothing about dance then, he says.

He’s learned to appreciate the company’s endeavor. It’s been said that he donates as much as seven figures for a production.

Modestly, he replies, “No, it’s not me who’s giving. Sometimes I’m able to raise money from friends. But there are years when those friends wane in terms of support. You must use your own resources or look for new ways to generate money. There are many ways to do these things – either you reduce the costs or look for more supporters. Or, come up with more productions that are very popular but may not have very high aesthetic values and mix them in with more serious productions. That way, you get a lot of ticket sales.”

As arts fundraiser, Cojuangco has had his share of rejections. “I can understand because I’m a businessman. They tell me their business is not doing that well. I would know if their business is doing well or not. But sometimes even if their businesses are not doing well, if people are serious about the projects, they will find a way to help not necessarily through cash. Or, they will refer me to somebody else who is in the position to give. We have been able to meet the hurdles.”

In his 16-year involvement with BP he has seen it in a flux. One of the biggest setbacks was when BP lost many of its seasoned dancers for greener pastures in Disneyland HK in its 2005 launch. “After a couple of years, they came back regretting their decisions. That’s life, it’s constantly changing,” he muses.

To culture watchers, Cojuangco seems one of the last benefactors of the arts. But he is quick to acknowledge the artistic director, dancers and people who have devoted their lives, such as school director Noordin Jumalon, Hontiveros and CCP president Nestor Jardin. “I may have given a substantial amount in terms of funding, but it’s not a big percentage of the total project cost of the year. You still need a good product to sell. If you don’t have that, I won’t be able to get sponsors or ticket sales, nor will we be able to retain our position in CCP as resident dance company.”

Asked what has motivated him all these years, Cojuangco replies, “Somebody has to do it. You cannot come to a country where there is no national theater or dance company. Ballet Philippines not only does classical ballet, it also tries to combine it with other dance traditions of the country. It’s recorded for posterity and can be revived.” He says the choreographies, particularly the Neo-Filipino works, are a way of documenting history.

He adds, “I believe you must know where you came from to understand what is happening, and how people think. In dealing with other people, you get to know your background, the influences, whether internally, in the family circle, or externally, to be able to understand what makes their mind think and what drives them. That’s the only way we can come to agreement on any issue, whether business, art or politics. For me, keeping history and culture alive and aware in the consciousness of people is important.”

Rough patch

Last summer BP went through a rough patch which led to the resignations of key individuals. Cojuangco doesn’t want to give names. “If you mention names, they might feel they have to answer. What for? It’s done. They moved on. We’ve moved on.”

He admits that never in his long tenure has he experienced dispute over leadership until recently. “I had to make a difficult decision. I don’t want to be detailed about it. The issue was a management problem. There were two conflicting sides. Initially I was trying to accommodate everybody. There were different perspectives of what happened. At the end of the day, I had to choose one side only because the person from the other side had many other issues aside from management. It was ego.”

On disputes among the board members, Cojuangco says, “I will not allow wrangling in the board. If you’re not united, it’s so hard to raise money. In a company situation, if you can’t get along, you do a buyout offer. Wala namang buyout ditto [There is no buyout here]. I had to put a stop. I chose the people who put in more years in the company than I have.”

BP’s management and board have since reorganized and infused new blood. Cojuangco says, “We are all in one direction. We are all in unison.”

BP will always be close to his heart. “I love watching their works. They’re like family.”