Aside from their conglomerate, JG Summit also has interests in PLDT, Manila Electric Company, and other global companies like United Industrial and more. I told him he didnt need to and that his expression of sympathy was already much appreciated by the family. Still, in 1999 president Joseph Erap Estrada filed a 101 million pesos ($2.6 million then) libel lawsuit against the familys Manila Times, then run by Robina, after the newspaper called Estrada an unwitting godfather for approving a disputed power contract. UIC controls Singapore Land, one of the biggest property landlords in Singapore. John Gokongwei Jr., owner of Cebu Pacific, died on Nov. 9 at the age of 93, according to a statement from the airline. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I was really shocked that someone who was 78 could beat me in swimming. Though he belonged to an affluent trading family, he lost all his wealth after his fathers death. Banks seized their properties, and they fell into poverty. I left for Manila when I was 22. The movie theaters, cars and the big house were all seized by the banks. Now, as he turns 90, he is retiring again, and this time may really mean it. Elizabeth Yus father owned a hardware store there. In 1961, John Gokongwei launched another company, Consolidated Food Corporation (later renamed CFC Corporation). Elizabeth's father owned a hardware store back then. That was part of the culture, so what can you complain about, he says. . The eldest grandson of John L. Gokongwei, Jr. and son of Robinsons Retail Holdings president Robina Gokongwei-Pe, the New York University-educated, 24-year-old Justin G. Pe shared his unforgettable conversation with his angkong (Hokkien for grandpa) one week before he passed away. He always made sure that he worked hard and smart, giving 100% of his effort in everything he did. ), As they prepare for the leadership shift, Robinas eldest son, a senior studying chemistry at New York University, will likely be the first member of the third generation to join. John', "John and Elizabeth Gokongwei: A Love Story Not Limited by Life on Earth", "Publishing Mogul Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng's Dream: To Own a Tiny Bookstore", "Daughter Fulfills Father's Wish, Heads Giant Robinsons Retail", "The Secret Father of President Sergio Osmea & Forebear of John Gokongwei, Jr., Gaisanos, Gotianuns", "John Gokongwei Jr.'s Widow Elizabeth Passes Away", "Elizabeth, Wife of 61 Years of John Gokongwei Jr., Dies One Day after His Burial", Lessons on Entrepreneurship from John Gokongwei's Life, John Gokongwei Speech to the 20th AD Congress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Gokongwei&oldid=1139477252, Articles containing Chinese-language text, Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text, Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 09:58. Our new product developments have contributed a lot, and so have Great Taste Premium and Great Taste Choco. I swear to God that he had the biggest smile I ever saw in his face. He then finished his last two years in Singapore. His other. In March 1996, Cebu Pacific Air began operations. Tweet John Gokongwei Jr. Love your family. John always went for the best; he liked to take on challenges. John initially studied at the University of San Carlos in Cebu for primary school and high school. [20], Gokongwei was awarded the 2005 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, one of Ten Outstanding Young Men in the Philippines in 2000, Finance Asias Best CEO in 2015 and 2018, and Institutional Investors Best CEO in 2015.[21]. Gemma Cruz Araneta, the first Filipina Miss International in 1964, is a Rizal descendant, the first major beauty contest winner Its the time of year when first cousins who once moved to the other side of the world come for a visit. She had also been a founding member of the Robinsons Department Store and had served on the board of trustees of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF). Philstar Global Corp. All Rights Reserved. His businesses are now managed by his six children and his brother, James. His funeral was held on November 15. In 2003, John launched his telecom company, Digital Telecommunications Philippines, which invested almost $800 million to establish its mobile carrier, Sun Cellular, the third-largest mobile operator in the country back then. After the war, Big John took it as a good opportunity to expand his trading business abroad. whatever it takes. He is survived by his wife of 61years Elizabeth, and children Robina, Lance, Lisa, Faith, Hope and Marcia; his in-laws and grandchildren; brothers Eddie and James Go, sister . Powered by. John and Elizabeth had first met when John was still a small-time importer of second-hand goods and owned a tiny store in Cebu. With a loan of 500 thousand pesos from Albino Sycip, then chairman of China Bank, and Dee K. Chiong, he started a corn milling plant producing glucose and corn starch. Currently, I work with the best and funniest team Ive ever met, and thanks to them, we made Angkong let out the biggest smile in the world before he finally passed on. John Gokongwei My great-great-grandfather lived to age 28, my immigrant great-grandfather Pedro Gotiaoco died at 66, my grandfather was 68, and my father died at 34. Gokongwei used his bicycle to trade goods through checkpoints across towns. Gokongwei was born in Manila, as the second of six children. [10][11] All his children play an active role in the Gokongwei group. In 2002 Gokongwei donated P200-million to the undergraduate school of management. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Terms Together, the siblings worked in their fathers family business, American-Asia Trading. . I admired them as inspiring business heroes who are positive role models for their Confucian values, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. He checks his Bloomberg Terminal at home each weekday and has been weighing what JG Summit should do next. [7], On 29 August 2007, at the Ateneo de Manila University, Gokongwei's biography, John L. Gokongwei Jr.: The Path of Entrepreneurship, by the university's Dr. Marites A. Khanser, was launched, and it narrated the "riches-to-rags-to-riches" story of the tai-pan. [5] From the years 1943 to 1945, or between the ages of 17 and 19, he traded using a wooden boat, taking his goods to Dalahican, Lucena by sea and then to Manila by truck. His great-grandfather, Pedro Gotiaoco, was one of the richest men in Cebu in the 19th century. He came from China with nothing. As for himself, he says its time for him to enjoy life and focus on philanthropy. We were in Rome, Italy then, it was just house coffee and tasted so bitter. Through his efforts, countless Lasallian students and scholars were . John was 13 years old, the eldest of six siblings, so he felt the big responsibility. By the time the U.S. retook control of the Philippines, he had saved enough to travel to America for secondhand goodsused shoes, used clothing, used newspapers, any used remnantsto sell at a small storefront he rented in Cebu. I told him, Angkong, I was told to socialize more to not be so torpe and not be such a nerd. To which he replied: Id rather you be a nerd. Just goes to show how back then, and even now, being smart is truly the new sexy. The Chippy pillow was a product that we sold at Toys R Us last year, along with the Chiz Curls pillow. Copyright 2023. Lucio Tan had to sell his mill to us, says Gokongwei of his established rival. Together, they have two children, Hannah and Jacob. John Gokongwei was a Filipino billionaire businessman and philanthropist, best known as the founder and former chairman of JG Summit. So at age 15, having dropped out of school to work, he started selling goods like soaps and tires at the local market. It's his daughter's reply to his "I love you," after he tucksher in to bed. The airline is a subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings, controlled by the Gokongwei family - one of the richest Filipino- Chinesefamilies based in the Philippines. In 1992, John together with his brothers, Johnson, Henry, and James, donated a significant portion of their shares from JG Summit to their very own foundation, Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) which aims to create lasting impact on education in the Philippines. We must compete not just with rhetoric and words. "John Gokongwei Jr., Industry Game Changer; 93", "Watch: John Gokongwei, Jr. Talks About School, Business, and the New Digital Age", "Gokongwei's Nine Rules of Business Success", "A Way out of Poverty, According to 'Mr. On his mothers side, his grandfather was the immigrant tycoon and Iloilo Chinese community leader Pedro Marquez Lim. Justin smiled, saying: We talked about coffee and dating. His great-grandfather, Chinese immigration Pedro Gotiaco, rose from being an oil peddler to become proprietor of Gotiaco Hermanos, then the largest enterprise in trading and insurance in Cebu. With his money, Big John founded his cornstarch manufacturing company, Universal Corn Products, in 1954. https://investment.fwd.com.ph/experts/asia-s-business-leaders-and-what-we-can-learn-from-them. For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. [citation needed], In 2020, Gokongwei was named a member of board of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), representing the business enterprise sector. Big Johns life story is no ordinary rags-to-riches because he actually once came from a wealthy clan. He and his family thus focused on manufacturing. This year, two of the Philippines' greatest taipans passed away, both peacefully. Ive come to love and enjoy drinking coffee ever since.. Love your country. Wake details are private, to be shared with family and friends, the children said. James, Johns brother, is the COO and chairman of the company. At some point after the meal he slips away, and his only son, Lance, is summoned for quiet talk about the family business, JG Summit, which the host founded in 1957 and which today is the second-largest family-run business in the Philippines, with a market capitalization of $13.2 billion. He became the. . He supported mainly educational charities through the familys Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. Why do I almost always write about my life? Culture Gokongwei's eldest apo on how he gave his Angkong the biggest smile just before he died "He taught us everything that we needed to know," said eldest Gokongwei grandchild Justin Pe yesterday in his eulogy for his grandfather. John Gokongwei and his family now owns a lot of big companies: chemicals, food, airline, mall chain, mobile service provider and even an entertainment showbiz magazine. Credit: Munshi Ahmed for Forbes. Justin, who said he just joined the family business four months ago, also thanked Mr. John for teaching him humility, how to ride a bike, and to play around. For what he exactly meant, below is Justins full eulogy courtesy of the Gokongwei family. He built a massive empire consisting of businesses in sectors such as food, beverage, clothing, aviation, telecommunications, banking, energy, petrochemicals, and livestock farming. Under Big Johns leadership, he launched Universal Corn Products (now Universal Robina Corporation), Consolidated Food Corporation (later CFC Corporation), JG Summit Holdings, Cebu Pacific Air, Robinson Retail Holdings, and more. President and CEO of JG Summit Holdings Inc. Chairman of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. He took a loan of 500 thousand pesos from Albino Sycip, who was the chairman of China Bank back then, and Dee K. Chiong. The company was named Universal Corn Products (which later evolved into Universal Robina Corporation). Gokongwei stated that entrepreneurship is a way out of poverty. The Lasallian Community is saddened by. Let me talk about other things first. 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