Career
Upon graduation, Antonio took a job as a management consultant at the international trading company, Warner Barnes Co. Ltd. in 1968. After his stint with the company, he then became a stock broker for 10 years.
In the 1980s, Antonio entered the real estate industry by initially buying and selling houses, developing town homes and subdivisions. He then thought of putting up his own real estate company. In an interview, Antonio admits that he had also gone through failed business ventures but it did not stop him from trying again.
With a P30,000 capital and six employees, he founded Century Properties in 1989. It was the first independent property management company to introduce international standards to the local property market. Twenty years later, Century Properties is the largest private real estate company with over USD2.5 billion in assets.
He was also responsible for introducing a lot of firsts in the industry. His Soho Central is the country’s first transportation-oriented development with a direct access to the MRT station in Shaw Boulevard; South of Market, on the other hand, is the the country’s first fully fitted, fully furnished residential high rise in Fort Bonifacio. Grand Soho Makati is the first fully fitted, fully furnished condominium; while Canyon Ranch is the first Wi-Fi integrated residential development in Carmona, Cavite; and the Medical Plaza in Makati is the first of a series of medical arts buildings designed to provide clinic space for doctors.
His business has also expanded into other fields. He is the distributor of the luxury automobile brand BMW. He also has business interest in Subic Air, the biggest corporate jet charter service in the Philippines. Other businesses include HiWire Asia, an IT company; and Philtranco, the oldest bus company in the Philippines.
In 2005, former President Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo appointed Antonio as the Special Envoy to People’s Republic of China. As the special envoy, he was tasked to bring businesses and investments from China to the Philippines. At the same time, he ensures that the Chinese businessmen do business smoothly in the Philippines. He assists them by providing legal offices, accounting firms and tax consultants.
He also co-founded the USD150 M Fund called the New Asian Opportunity Fund and the USD200 M Fund Asian Specialist Growth Fund.
Antonio also chairs the Philippine-Chinese Business Council, whose members include the head of the top conglomerates in the Philippines.