Billionaire David M. Consunji, who built one of the country’s largest construction and real estate empires after getting his start building chicken coops, has died at 95, his son said Tuesday.
His cause of death was not disclosed. He will be interred on Saturday, according to his son Isidro, who runs the conglomerate named after the family patriarch, DMCI Holdings.
According to Forbes Philippines, Consunji was the 6th-richest man in the country, with an estimated net worth of US$3.68 billion.
The elder Consunji set up a contracting company in the 1950s after graduating from the University of the Philippines with a civil engineering degree. One of his first projects was to build chicken coops for the agriculture ministry.
Another of his first projects was the dome-shaped Parish of the Holy Sacrifice chapel in his alma mater.
He served government as public works, transportation and communications secretary under the Marcos administration.
In 2014, he handed over leadership reins to his son, Isidro, just as his initials have become a common sight in construction sites across the country.
His remains lie at the Capilla de San Francisco of Santuario de San Antonio Parish in Makati City. It will be opened for viewing from Tuesday evening until Friday.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the UP Engineering Research and Development Foundation, Inc. and Orani Suhay Foundation, Inc.
