Jesus Lim Arranza is a writer and radio personality. He is the chair of Federation of Philippine Industries and convenor of the Fight Illicit Trade (Fight IT) Movement.
Jesus Arranza has also been the chairman of the Anti-Crime Council of the Philippines since 2018. He has been a radio personality for 20 years with a regular weekly Saturday show, Dito sa Bayan ni Juan on Sonshine Radio DZAR 1026. He has been writing a column, “Makes Sense,” for the BusinessMirror since 2017.
“It’s not the time to argue on what to do to address the frailty of the government’s healthcare program amid the pandemic. All problems, after all, have a solution. And that is why in addressing the country’s healthcare issues amid the pandemic, as I say it in Pilipino, “May solusyon kay Arranza.”
JESUS LIM ARRANZA PROFILE
Full Name: Jesus Lim Arranza
Nickname: Mang Jess
Birthday: October 7, 1942 (Age 82)
Gender: Male
Place of Birth: Bacon, Sorsogon
Civil Status: Married
Profession/Occupation: Industry Consultant
EDUCATION:
- Master’s in Public Administration, University of the East, 1998
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics, University of the East, 1965
- Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa, University of the East, 2016
WORK EXPERIENCE:
- Chairman, Federation of Philippine Industries, 1990s – present
- Chairman, FPI Anti-Smuggling Committee
- Fight IT – Fight Illicit Trade
- Consultant, Dangerous Drugs Board
- Anti-Crime Council of the Philippines, current
- United Coconut Association of the Philippines
- Chairman, Coconut Oil Refiners Association, Inc. current
- Columnist, “Make Sense”, Business Mirror
- Radio Personality, weekly show Dito sa Bayan ni Juan, on Sonshine Radio DZAR 1026 with Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile
- Director, Philippine Electricity Market Corporation, current
- Coconut Industry Investment Fund Oil Mills Group, 2009-2013
- Director, United Coconut Planters Bank, 2002-2009, 2013-20191
- Faculty member, Graduate School, University of the East, 2001-2002
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
Private Sector
Jess Arranza is a businessman and sector leader. He chairs the FPI, which is composed of local manufacturing and industrial companies allied together to promote and develop globally-competitive industries. Among the group’s advocacies are anti-smuggling campaigns, encouraging fiscal incentives for local industries, cooperation with laborers to increase productivity, promotion of trade policy and becoming an indispensable partner of the Philippine government in enhancing competition in a global economy.
Arranza was appointed as president of Coconut Industry Investment Fund – Oil Mills Group in 2009 by then president, now Pampanga solon Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In June 2018, the entire 12-man board of directors and key officials, including Arranza, submitted their mass resignation in protest of the appointment of Rehan Lao as president and chief executive officer of CIIF-OMG by President Rodrigo Duterte, claiming it could have reverberating effects on the local coconut industry. Arranza stressed the need to put people who are competent and knowledgeable about the coconut industry to ensure that CIIF-OMG, being a sequestered company, is run profitably in support of the government and the local coconut industry.
In October 2020, FPI, through Arranza, pushed for improvement of the rules on product standards since consumers were placed at greater risk of purchasing substandard goods during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
By August 2021, when re-imposition of enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila was imminent due to spikes in positives COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant, Arranza called for the government to gather public health leaders and listen to their expertise experience on the country’s COVID-19 response. FPI said that it would respect the government’s decision on quarantine “as long as it is based on science and sound analysis of relevant statistics, but emphasized that the government needed to ramp up vaccination to protect Filipinos and support unhampered economic recovery.
PLATFORM AND ADVOCACY:
- Smuggling Suppression
- Fighting Corruption
- Making laws for marginalized sectors
- Economic revival
- Strengthening the health sector
- PhilHealth reform
- Addressing the climate crisis
- Promotion of the Vape Bill
Mang Jess Arranza is a businessman and sector leader, serving as chairman of the Federation of Philippine Industries. He also provides commentary on social, political and economic matters on both print and radio.
In addition to his duties as FPI chairman, Arranza hosts a radio show with former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, Dito sa Bayan ni Juan, on Sonshine Radio DZAR 1026. Sonshine Radio is owned and operated by Sonshine Media Network International, a broadcast company owned by Davao-based Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
Quiboloy, who is President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called spiritual adviser, is facing several charges under a 74-page indictment document filed by federal prosecutors in the United States for a series of alleged criminal acts, including orchestrating a sex trafficking operation within his church.
An investigative report published by Rappler also found that Quiboloy’s Sonshine Media Network International, a recipient of one of the networks seized from ABS-CBN Corp., fuels online disinformation and attacks against journalists and activists.
This is Arranza’s first electoral race. He has recently cited reenergizing the local industry as the key factor in achieving economic recovery. If elected, he intends to support the agricultural sector, which has been suffering under the inundation of imported products and smuggled items, by promoting a “buy Filipino” agenda and modernization of the agricultural sector.
However, in more than 30 years of commercial success and business sector development, Arranza has advocated for the promotion of local businesses through ensuring globally competitive industries as well as supporting anti-smuggling advocacies and buying local movements.
