. When he turned 80, Mr. John blazed a trail in philanthropy when he announced on his birthday that he was donating half of his personal holdings in JG Summit to establish the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Gokongwei Group. Following World War II, in 1946, John Gokongwei launched his first company, Amasia Trading. A business partner of ours from Indonesia asked about the wake details and interment and told me he wanted to fly in to visit. We not just the family but the Philippines have just lost a great man.. 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. His patrilineal great-grandfather was Don Pedro Lee Gotiaoco, a wealthy Chinese immigrant tycoon who was once the largest taxpayer in Cebu. [19] On its 30th year, the foundation's goal is to participate in the learning journey of 10,000 teachers and one million learners by 2025. I left for Manila when I was 22. But just as when he first retired ten years before, at age 65, John could notdid notreally leave the drivers seat. Gokongwei was born in China to John Gokongwei Sr. and Juanita Mrquez Lim. He then finished his last two years in Singapore. Thanks for your feedback to [emailprotected]. His siblings then joined his business. Go told Usapang Bilyonaryo how his beloved Uncle John made sure he had options in a media career after seeing how he loved writing in college. 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. John Gokongwei Jr., fondly called Big John, passed away in 2019, but his legacy and business lessons continue to inspire other entrepreneurs. In February 2008, Forbes Asia magazine placed him on their list of the Heroes of Philanthropy. The list included three other Filipinos, Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Oscar Lpez, and Ramn del Rosario Jr. John Gokongwei was married to Elizabeth Yu from 1958 until his death in 2019. At the time, it was the nation's worst air disaster. Follow @wilsonleeflores on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. In March 1996, Cebu Pacific Air began operations. Advertise With Us. Founded in 1957 by patriarch John Gokongwei Jr., the 65 year-old Gokongwei . Gokongwei (pictured) was survived by his wife of 61 years, Elizabeth, and his children Robina, Lance (president and chief executive of JG Summit), Lisa, Faith, Hope and Marcia. Mrs. Gokongwei was characterized by her children as a selfless mother who always put her family first and described her as the reason behind John Gokongwei's success. Love your country. [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]. A decade later Lisa would launch Summit Media, this time acquiring no newspapers, just nonpolitical magazines and websites. Gotiaoco arrived in Cebu in the 1870s from Fujian province in China. Together, the siblings worked in their fathers family business, American-Asia Trading. But as for the second question, Ill get to that much later. [5] He went to Xavier School for his first two years of high school. "I salute him. Big Johns life story is no ordinary rags-to-riches because he actually once came from a wealthy clan. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. John Robinson Lim Gokongwei Jr. (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: W Yhu; Peh-e-j: G Ek-hui; 11 August 1926 - 9 November 2019) was a Filipino businessman, investor, and philanthropist. 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. The couple had six children: their son, Lance, and their five daughters, Lisa, Robina, Faith, Hope, and Marcia. [10][11] All his children play an active role in the Gokongwei group. Why do I almost always write about my life? He and his family thus focused on manufacturing. JG Summits Digital Telecommunications Philippines (Digitel) had been the first there to launch unlimited mobile texting. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. This, later on, became Universal Robina Corporation (URC) when it ventured into other finished goods. His eldest daughter, Robina, heads the operations of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. (she owns Robinsons Malls), as the company's COO since 2002. In this collection of the most popular pieces from . nullity of amended by-laws, cancellation of certificate of filing of amended by- laws, injunction and. [13], "Our world seemed to turn upside-down," Gokongwei said, as he faced the greatest challenge of his career. His great-grandfather, Pedro Gotiaoco, was one of the richest men in Cebu in the 19th century. 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. Johns great-grandfather, who was a trader from China, was one of the Philippines's most influential Chinese Filipinos. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. We need hard work, perseverance, innovation, courage, and total dedication. He attempted a $1 billion takeover of United Industrial Corporation Ltd (UIC), a property giant from Singapore of which he owned in excess of 30%. In 1957 Gokongweis business was getting bogged down by import controls that made it difficult to obtain licenses. The eldest grandchild of Mr John he is the son of Robina Gokongwei Pe he said that his grandfathers journey was that of true grit, and that despite his enormous success the business titan has remained humble. Maybe Aboitiz is going to the third. (Arguably, its already in the fifth.). It introduced Blend 45, its own brand of instant coffee. In the early 1950s, along with his brothers and sisters who returned from China, he started to import cigarettes and whiskey too. November 11, 2019. I finally joined the business four months ago not knowing he'd pass away so soon. The Gokongwei family at one of their family gatherings in the 1980s. Initially, he dealt in second-hand goods imported from the U.S., but after his family joined in, he started dealing in beverages and cigarettes, too. . He taught us everything that we needed to know, said eldest Gokongwei grandchild Justin Pe yesterday in his eulogy for his grandfather. The company was later renamed Universal Robina Corporation. Let me talk about other things first. He prepared by reading Nuts!, a book by former Southwest Airlines CEO Herb Kelleher. He came from Fujian province in China and owned a huge trading company, Gotiaoco Hermanos. In 1961, John Gokongwei launched another company, Consolidated Food Corporation (later renamed CFC Corporation). The airline is a subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings, controlled by the Gokongwei family - one of the richest Filipino- Chinesefamilies based in the Philippines. At the end were good soldiers., As the only son Lance was groomed to take over the business. Im thinking of advising them to look into digital, he says. But one in particular made me pause and reflect. Robinsons Land President and CEO Frederick Go shared a heartwarming gesture from his uncle, the late ultra bilyonaryo John Gokongwei, who wanted to get his fledgling journalism career flying high. Already, controlling shares in Summit are being transferred to the second generation. He learned that war is a great equalizer, but he bounced despite the difficult road, with his business conglomerate as one of the fixtures of the Philippine business environment. One day he noticed that my grades were slipping. [14], Gokongwei died in Manila on 9 November 2019, at the age of 93. Family businesses (Fambiz) constitute anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of businesses in the Philippines, yet many are plagued with problems. 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 try to put myself in his shoes, and I would do the same, says James. But please do guide me when I decide to play around, not at work of course. He was a second cousin once removed of Andrew Gotianun Sr., the founder of Filinvest Development Corporation. When he saw his grandfather, the boy asked why were his parents were making him work that summer job? The following day (November 16), Elizabeth died, at the age of 85. In 2013, Johns company purchased San Miguel Corporations stakes in MERALCO, the Philippiness biggest power distributor, for almost $1.8 billion. My thay-kong (Hokkien for great-grandpa) wasnt able to prepare well for his succession in the case of my grandfather, who was his eldest son. He is the only son of John Gokongwei, Jr., one of the pillars of Philippine business, who passed away on November 9, 2019. He wants to create more snack flavors., Gokongwei says he tells his children that he wants the company to exist for at least another 50 years. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. John Robinson Lim Gokongwei was born on August 11, 1926 in China to a Filipino-Chinese father who was a scion of a wealthy Cebu-based family with ancestral ties to China's Fujian province. Thus, at 13, John began peddling items from his bicycle, on the streets of Cebu. He was 93. He told me it was the least he could do for someone who had done so much for the Philippines. UIC controls Singapore Land, one of the biggest property landlords in Singapore. Below is a letter Lance wrote for his two children, Hannah and Jacob, sharing the greatest lessons he learned from his father. Present during the visit were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea and Senators Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III. By 1944 hed entered what he calls the batel age, when he broadened his inventory and used the wooden boats to trade goods in Manila, reclaiming more of his great-grandfathers legacy. Tweet John Gokongwei Jr. Love your family. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Gokongwei's only son, Lance, is president. He was 93 years old at the time of his death. Yet despite his success as one of the Philippines' most successful businessmen, he stayed humble throughout. The Palace expresses its deep condolences to the family, the surviving wife Elizabeth, children Lance, Robina, Lisa, Faith, Hope and Marcia, friends and colleagues of Mr. John Gokongwei, Jr.. - A A +. In November 1990, Gokongwei incorporated JG Summit Holdings as a publicly listed holding company. It does not store any personal data. John Gokongwei Jr. built JG Summit into one of the, biggest conglomerates in the Philippines. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Doing business was easier [than chasing her down].. Also Known As: John Robinson Lim Gokongwei Jr. father: John Gokongwei, Sr. (Go Kong Wei), siblings: Henry Go, James L. Go, Johnson Go, Lily Ngochua, children: Faith Gokongwei, Hope Gokongwei, Lance Gokongwei, Lisa Gokongwei, Marcia Gokongwei, Robina Gokongwei, Founder/Co-Founder: JG Summit Holdings, Cebu Pacific, Universal Robina, Robinsons Malls, education: De La Salle University, Ateneo De Manila University. The couple had six children: their son, Lance, and their five daughters, Lisa, Robina, Faith, Hope, and Marcia. He also owned Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. and Robinsons Land Corporation. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. whatever it takes. The family discovered that much of the business was built on debt. Some people have said: Part of the journey is the end.. From left to right: Henry, Johnson, Juanita, Edward, John Sr., John Jr., and Lily Christina. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Lance followed his fathers pattern: He recruited operating talent. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Even though he had to stop schooling in his teenage years to support his family, he always understood the value of having a good education. John's great-grandfather, Pedro Gotiaoco, was among the original rags-to-riches stories in the Philippines. Aside from their conglomerate, JG Summit also has interests in PLDT, Manila Electric Company, and other global companies like United Industrial and more. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The movie theaters, cars and the big house were all seized by the banks. I used to visit Angkong a lot at the office when i was still in school. We decided to put the same pillow with him now because we know it will provide comfort for him if he knew that that one of his bestselling snacks would go with him to the beyond. Well look at the financial statements for you, Lance on dad John Gokongwei: Why he always had food in his pocket and loved to fly cheap, /ancx/food-drink/recommended-bars/03/02/23/a-jazz-bar-just-opened-inside-makati-cinema-square, /ancx/culture/art/03/01/23/kids-of-top-artists-showcase-works-alongside-their-dads, /ancx/culture/spotlight/02/28/23/a-first-look-at-lazadas-new-cafeteria-style-office-in-bgc, /ancx/culture/spotlight/02/28/23/cebu-pacs-smile-mag-is-back-with-new-younger-design, /ancx/style/necessary-style/02/27/23/the-union-x-jordan-1-low-ajko-collab-is-a-crowd-pleaser. Petitioner Gokongwei, a stockholder of the San Miguel Corporation, filed a declaration of. He tried to ask for a loan from several banks but to no avail. John Robinson Lim Gokongwei Jr. (traditional Chinese: ; simplified Chinese: ; pinyin: W Yhu; Peh-e-j: G Ek-hui; 11 August 1926 9 November 2019)[2] was a Filipino businessman, investor, and philanthropist. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Lance Y. Gokongwei is the President and Chief Operating Officer of JGSHI. Gokongwei often has his pants pockets stuffed with peanuts, his favorite snack, and is known to leave a trail of shells. We must compete not just with rhetoric and words. 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. Philstar.com is one of the most vibrant, opinionated, discerning communities of readers on cyberspace. Through his efforts, countless Lasallian students and scholars were . That was one week before he passed. Robina Gokongwei-Pe, the eldest daughter, runs Robinsons Retail Holdings, the second-largest retailer in the Philippines. She was 85. Through his efficient and competitive businesses, the visionary Gokongwei brought down prices for consumers with his budget airline, affordable foods, and unli-texts and unli-calls for cellphones. With a net worth of US $5.3 billion, making him the third richest man in the Philippines in 2019, John Gokongwei Jr. has really come a long way from the young boy who sold soap, thread and other basic needs in post-war Cebu. He was 93. He built a massive empire consisting of businesses in sectors such as food, beverage, clothing, aviation, telecommunications, banking, energy, petrochemicals, and livestock farming. This story appears in the Septemper 12, 2016 issue of Forbes Asia. All Rights Reserved. He taught us everything that we needed to know, like not bragging about what you have, ABSOLUTELY NO ENTITLEMENT, showing me how to ride a bike, teaching me how to drink coffee and it has to be Great Taste and for the single ones like me, what I needed to know about playing around. When I asked him what are the good stocks to invest my earnings in, he answered: RLC for the Philippines and P&G for overseas. (RLC is Robinsons Land Corp.). Once at a dinner in his home, I commented to Gokongwei that he had remarkably replicated the 19th-century rags-to-riches saga of his immigrant great-grandfather Pedro Gotiaoco. 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 . John Gokongwei with eldest grandchild Justin back in the day. Mariing kinondena ng pamahalaan ng Pilipinas ang panibagong ballistic missile test na ginawa ng North Korea. When your age hits 70 sometimes you feel totally ignorant, no matter how intelligent you used to be. His conglomerate company JG Summit Holdings, Inc., had an extensive panoply of business and investment holdings across the Filipino economy, including . If not, just play around, play around! while all the nurses AND physicians were there surrounding him. Home Stories John Gokongweis Life & Success Story: From Selling Peanuts To Building A Business Empire. [6], In 1988, he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a double degree in Finance and Applied Science (summa cum laude). Back then, when I was a little boy, Angkong always beat me in swimming. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Elizabeth Yu, and his children Robina, Lance, Lisa, Faith and Hope, and Marcia, his in-laws and grandchildren, brothers Eddie and James, the current chairman of the company, his sister Lily, and his nieces and nephews. He was 93. July 20, 2020. John Gokongwei Jr. came from a wealthy clan in Cebu but they lost everything because of world war 2. She now writes for a number of websites and other online media publications. "Our beloved husband, father and grandfather . "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. [7], Lance Gokongwei started his career in the family business as a management trainee at Universal Robina Corp.[8] He sold Jack n Jill snacks to supermarkets, groceries, and sari-sari stores. The discussion ended with that, no resolution, just an exchange of positions and shortly after Mr. John left the room my father sat down with me, had a few more glasses of whiskey and told me that I have to remember that at one point it would no longer be about the money.. He and my grandmother would always winthese two old fellows who, in their late 70s back then, were still very, very sharp. In 2010, the airline underwent major refleeting with a $3 billion order with Airbus. Because once when I lived in the US, I came across a wheelchair-bound columnist who wrote about his life. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. We were left with practically nothing, except a good name, says Gokongwei. At least I had some suits and education," says Gokongwei. My fathers words suddenly made things clear, this was not about money anymore. Anyway, like my mom, I decided that sticking to something despite so many defeats is no longer being smart. He knows hell be here, says Robina. 1! Angkong also always gave me stock advice. A decade later, he attended a 14-week advanced management program at Harvard University.[5]. Tycoon John Gokongwei Jr., who is turning 90 by August next year, has made his mark in corporate Philippines as the founder of JG Summit Holdings, a conglomerate seen to have benefited and yet to . Taipan John Gokongwei continues to shower his family with his generosity three years after passing away at the age of 93. Until October John Gokongwei would participate in these executive committee meetings, but after a brief illness he stopped coming to the office. [12] His only son, Lance, currently leads the group as president and CEO of JG Summit. Established in 1992, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation has for the past three decades "equipped learners with the tools they need to grow and develop as well-rounded members of the community. 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. The line is repeated by Tonythis time as hologramto his daughter at his funeral. According to a later Manila Times recap, [T]errorized by Estradas wrath, the Gokongweis were forced to apologize to stop him and soon after sold the newspaper in a deal allegedly orchestrated by Estrada. In 1961, he established Consolidated Food Corporation (later known as CFC Corporation, which later merged with Universal Robina Corporation), which launched its instant coffee brand Blend 45. In 2016, Gokongwei wrote a book "Lessons from Dad, John Gokongwei Jr."[23] He also contributed to an anthology titled "Letters to My Children".[24]. I told my mother shes the one Im going to get married to, so I chased her for four years. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 21:04. This site uses cookies. "We need blood and sweat and hard work to make the Philippine economy compete globally, for our family businesses to be world class in this era of globalization. https://investment.fwd.com.ph/experts/asia-s-business-leaders-and-what-we-can-learn-from-them. Terms I love seeing them, entertaining them (and myself), taking them to places they enjoy visiting. [citation needed], In 2020, Gokongwei was named a member of board of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), representing the business enterprise sector. That there was more than enough money and that they should rest already that was his argument. , who was a second cousin once removed of Andrew Gotianun Sr., the airline underwent refleeting. Pedro Gotiaoco, a book by former Southwest Airlines CEO Herb Kelleher, Gotiaoco... Leave the drivers seat Elizabeth died, at 13, John could notdid notreally the! Controlling shares in Summit are being transferred to the second question, get! 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