Six years on: The  John Gokongwei Jr. story his son Lance wants everyone to remember

An empire built from scratch, founded and fueled by education.

The Philippines may know John Gokongwei Jr. as the powerhouse behind Cebu Pacific and the architect who built Robinsons Land Corp. into a major real estate player. 

But to his son, Lance Gokongwei, he was more than a tycoon. He was a man driven by a simple yet meaningful goal: to build a competent nation through education, starting with himself. 

The younger Gokongwei, president and CEO of JG Summit Holdings, recently offered insights into the mindset and values of his father, revealing how the elder Gokongwei’s vision shaped the companies he built and the broader Philippine business landscape.

Six years after his passing, the man known by friends as “Big John” remains a remarkable figure in Philippine business. Millions of Filipinos still feel the convenience of his airline’s piso fares and savor the taste of his Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) Jack ‘n Jill snacks.

His life may have been the ultimate “rags-to-riches-to-riches” story. But in his recent tribute, Lance shared a more personal side of his father: one defined not by the billions he earned, but by the diploma he chased.

An unfinished journey

The Gokongwei empire was famously built from scratch, born from a hardship that would define its founder. “Dad lost his father when he was 13 years old, and as the eldest, he had to work hard to support his mother, brothers, and sister,” Lance said. “He never finished college.”

And that last detail of not finishing his education was a huge blow to the tycoon that stuck with him for decades.

Born to an initially wealthy family, Big John nearly lost it all when his father, John Gokongwei Sr., died unexpectedly. Battling debt, his private violin lessons transformed into trading goods on his bicycle in Cebu as a teenager and, later, on a small boat called a batel to run products between his hometown province and Manila.

Seeing he could do more, Big John grabbed the post-war opportunity and pivoted from trading to manufacturing, starting with a cornstarch plant that would become the food and beverage giant URC.

Also tapping into the aviation and real estate industries, and even in petrochemicals, he was slowly building an empire while amassing a fortune. Yet, the absence of a college degree was a smudge too big to ignore for the business titan.

“Dad had always believed in the power of education, and so years later, when he was already a father of six, he chose to fulfill his dream,” Lance said. “He enrolled in a master’s degree in business administration at De La Salle University.”

Doing homework at 51

The founder of one of the nation’s largest conglomerates was once again a student. A striking image is made of an industry giant, who, after a day’s work of managing thousands of employees and making decisions worth millions, is hunched over textbooks to diligently finish his assignments.

“I remember him coming home from the office and staying up late at night so he could read his schoolbooks and do his homework,” Lance said.

For John Gokongwei Jr., this was the fulfillment of a promise he made to himself decades prior, proving that learning was a lifelong pursuit and a value he held higher than profit.

The climax of this journey was a family affair. “Mom, my sisters, and I were at Dad’s graduation when he received his diploma,” Lance said. “It was one of the proudest moments of his life.”

In 2008, during his 80th birthday, Big John quietly announced that he would donate nearly half of his fortune to education through the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. This donation of shares is now worth more than P50 billion, which his children say is an act of giving back to society after the kindness it has shown him.

The mantle he carries

John Gokongwei Jr.’s achievement paved the way for millions of others to create their own legacies, including his children.

Lance Gokongwei now captains the vast JG Summit conglomerate, expanding its digital footprint with GoTyme Bank, steering its core businesses, and ensuring its future through honest service to Filipinos. His elder sister Robina Gokongwei-Pe also chairs Robinsons Retail, continuing their father’s dream.

“For over 30 years, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, which Dad and his brothers founded, has been contributing to the country’s educational system through its various programs directed toward learners, educators, institutions, and communities,” Lance said.

Championing knowledge, Lance said that the foundation’s programs “focus on providing access to quality education, enhancing educators’ professional development, and supporting institutional initiatives that focus on advancing STEM education.”

Six years on, John Gokongwei Jr.’s influence is undeniable. But while the corporations he built transformed the Philippine economy, his passion endures through his business legacy. Now stewarded by his children, they consider the empire as the vehicle and education its fuel.

“Dad’s belief in education as a building block in nation building continues,” Lance said.

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