Who’s Who in Bataan – ONOFRE BANZON BANSON

ONOFRE BANZON BANSON was a well-known civil engineer from Balanga who founded the Monark International, a multi-billion peso construction company.

Engineer Banson, the son of Dr. Antonio Banson and Teresita Banzon, was born and raised in Poblacion, Balanga. He completed his secondary education as salutatorian at the Bataan High School, Class 1940. His former classmates include Conrado P. Banzon, Tomas B. Aguirre, Nestor E. Gonzales and Rosario Quesada, to mention a few.

Banson finished a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. He founded Monark International in the early 1960s, together with townmate Joaquin Banzon and brother-in-law Reynaldo Tanjuangco of Bulacan. The company’s main office is located in Libis, Quezon City, along E. Rodriguez Avenue.

The company was involved in various types of construction, such as roads and major

irrigation projects. Monark undertook the Pilar-Mariveles phase of the Roman Expressway (also known as Bataan Highway), Pilar-Morong Highway (known today as Governor Joaquin J. Linao Highway), Gamu-Roxas Road, and the Jaro-Janiuay-Calinog Road in Iloilo, among others.

Engr. Banson also completed the Chico Dam Irrigation Project, Pantabangan Dam, Danon Dam and the Magat Dam in San Ramon, Isabela, acknowledged as the most expensive and the biggest dam in Asia. It was completed at a staggering cost of P23.7 billion.

The late Onofre Banson was married to the former Carmelita Suntay Tanjuangco of Bulacan with whom he had five children, namely: Annamaria B. Pastelero (Monark’s finance vice president), Jose Antonio, Luis Manuel, Manette and Onofre Jr. He passed away in 1998.

LUIS MANUEL TANJUANGCO BANSON is the current president of Monark Constructors Corporation, Concrete Masters Inc., Nissan Car Lease Philippines, and the CMC-Monark-Pacific Tri-Joint Venture, developer of the “Novo City” in Quezon City.

Luis Manuel is the third of five children of Onofre Banson and Carmelita S. Tanjuangco. He finished his primary and secondary education at the Ateneo de Manila University. Just like his father, he finished a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.He completed his Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management at the Stanford University in the United States.

“Louie” Banson, a consummate corporate executive, is also the chairman of Nissan Gallery-Ortigas and treasurer of Regalia Group of Companies and Scorpio Land Properties Holdings, Inc. He holds directorship in other companies such as the Monark Equipment, Polar World Holdings, Halco Prime Holdings, Libra Agro-Industrial Contractors, White Craft, Inc. and GIS Aranet Inc.

Louie is married to Regina with whom he has nine children.