His son, JG Summit president and CEO Lance Gokongwei, returned to those humble beginnings on Tuesday as the family marked the business icon’s 100th birthday.
“Dad often reminded us that success comes from hard work, perseverance, and the courage to keep moving forward, even when the path becomes more difficult,” Gokongwei said in a birthday message on his Facebook page.
“As a young boy in Cebu, Dad sold soap, candles, and thread in the market before dawn. Later, he crossed the sea by batel to Manila to sell his wares, eventually building a modest trading business that would grow into the Gokongwei Group,” he said.
Bicycle to business empire
Born in Xiamen, Fujian, in 1926 and raised in Cebu, Gokongwei was only 13 when his father died, pushing him into business early to help support his family.
The modest trading operation he built eventually grew into the Gokongwei Group, whose businesses today span food and drinks (Universal Robina Corp.), real estate (Robinsons Land), airlines ( Cebu Pacific), retail (Robinsons Retail Holdings), energy (Manila Electric Co.) and telecommunications (PLDT).
“Through every stage of his life, he worked tirelessly to build businesses that make quality products and services accessible to every Filipino,” Lance said.
A lasting place in Bridgetowne
The birthday message comes days after the Gokongwei family gathered for another centennial tribute, with Robinsons Land renaming the main boulevard of its 33-hectare Bridgetowne estate after its founder.
Lance was joined by sisters Robina Gokongwei-Pe and Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, other family members and group executives for the unveiling of the roughly one-kilometer John Gokongwei Jr. Boulevard.
“Those lessons continue to guide our family and everyone across the group. His legacy lives on in the businesses he built, the values he passed on, and the countless lives he touched,” Gokongwei said.
“Happy 100th birthday, Dad. We think of you always, and we remain grateful for the example you set for all of us,” he added.
—Edited by Miguel R. Camus
