Manila, Philippines—Eagle Cement Corporation (ECC), after securing the Securities and Exchange Commission’s nod to conduct its initial public offering, is preparing to take on landmark infrastructure projects in Visayas and Mindanao.

Limited -- that was how life can be described in the Sitio Narra community of San Ildefonso, Bulacan. Residents had to walk to get water from a well, had to rely on rainwater for extra supply. They had to leave the community, and go to the town proper or to cities to get jobs. Children had to endure walking several kilometers to reach the school.