Lance Gokongwei remembers ‘Big John’ as a father first, tycoon second

“Many people knew him as John Gokongwei Jr., or Big John. To us, he was simply Dad,” Lance wrote in a Facebook post accompanied by a vintage black-and-white photograph showing him as a young child perched on his father’s shoulders.

In his message, Lance reflected on the lessons that continue to guide him years after his father’s passing.

“Some of the most important lessons in my life came from him, and the older I get, the more I appreciate them,” he said.

According to Lance, the founder of JG Summit believed that success should be built on “hard work, integrity, and respect for others.” He also recalled how his father remained grounded despite his immense success.

“Until the very end, he worked tirelessly, lived simply, and focused on what mattered most: his family,” he wrote.

Rather than learning through lectures, Lance said he and his siblings absorbed those values by watching how their father lived every day.

“We learned from him by watching how he lived each day. Those lessons continue to guide us in our work, our lives, and the decisions we make,” he added.

John Gokongwei Jr., who passed away in 2019 at the age of 93, transformed a modest trading business into one of the Philippines’ most diversified conglomerates, with interests spanning aviation, banking, food manufacturing, telecommunications, real estate, and retail.

Yet Lance’s tribute focused less on the billionaire industrialist and more on the father behind the business empire—a man whose greatest legacy, according to his son, was the example he set for his family.

“Today, I remember Dad with gratitude and celebrate all fathers whose love and guidance help shape the next generation,” Lance wrote.

The post resonated with many online, with netizens praising the elder Gokongwei’s enduring influence not only on Philippine business but also on the values he instilled in his children.

“Happy Father’s Day,” Lance concluded.

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