Robredo, Palace mourn passing of John Gokongwei Jr.
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo and Malacañang mourned Sunday the death of John Gokongwei Jr. whom they lauded as a “visionary and pillar of the Philippine economy.”
The 93-year-old business tycoon passed away peacefully on Saturday evening, his family said.
READ: John Gokongwei, 93
“Our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. John Gokongwei Jr. We will remember his many contributions not only to the business community but to helping our fellow Filipinos in need,” Robredo said in a tweet.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo meanwhile lauded Gokongwei’s contributions as one of the leading taipans in the country.
“Our people recognize Mr. Gokongwei’s amazing journey as a self-made industrialist, respected business leader, and generous philanthropist. A grateful nation respects the man for the indelible legacy he made in the fields of business, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy,” Panelo said in a statement.
Article continues after this advertisementThe chief presidential legal counsel also recounted how Gokongwei built his giant business empire from humble beginnings by working at an early age of 15 when his father died.
Article continues after this advertisementAmong the businessman’s companies were the Gokongwei Group of Companies covering a wide range of sectors from food manufacturing (Universal Robina Corporation) to real estate (Robinsons Land), air transportation (Cebu Pacific), retail (Robinsons Retail Holdings Incorporated), banking (Robinsons Bank), and petrochemicals (JG Petrochemicals).
Panelo also noted that Gokongwei, together with his siblings, established the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation where the latter donated P20 billion, considered the “biggest philanthropic endowment in Philippine history, to fund student scholarships and faculty research and build definitive learning facilities such as continuing schools for young engineers, preschool buildings and children libraries.”
“Mr. John Gokongwei, Jr., left a legacy to the Filipino nation and the coming generation worth emulating. His favorite advice: ‘Never stop learning.’ He always said: ‘I really loved my work. I loved being an entrepreneur,'” the Palace official said.
“Mr. Gokongwei was an exceptional and ideal Filipino. He exemplifies the traits that should endow us: industrious, disciplined, indefatigable, creative, generous, always hungry for knowledge, grateful and never forgetting his origins, and most of all, a loving person to his family and his country,” Panelo added.
The wake of Gokongwei, the wealthiest man in the country with a net worth estimated by Forbes magazine at $5.3 billion as of 2019, will be at the Heritage Park in Taguig City starting Monday, November 11 to Thursday, November 14, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. The funeral mass will be on Friday, November 15 at 8 a.m. /je
