Leadership transition in the Chinese business community

While the 100th anniversary of May 1 as International Labor Day passed with non-violent rallies, the local Chinese community at 10:05 p.m. mourned the death of its popular leader Benjamin "Ben" G. Chua Jr., 65. He was a philanthropist and president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII).

The taipan who owned the country’s leading steel manufacturing firm died at the Makati Medical Center after a lingering illness since December 2001, and will be buried tomorrow, May 9. Flowers and condolences poured, and his wake was attended by President Arroyo, Trade Secretary Mar Roxas, Cabinet officials, business and other leaders. Tributes were paid by an unprecedented 478 Chinese community civic, cultural, educational, sports, business and religious organizations.

Immigrant Success, Advocate Of Social Justice

Highly-educated in Mandarin, Hokkien, English and Filipino, Ben Chua graduated cum laude from University of the Philippines (UP) with a BS Chemical Engineering degree. Like many taipans in Asia, he came to the Philippines as an immigrant boy who did not know any English, but made himself a success with the traditional Confucian values of hard work, discipline, frugality, integrity and self-sacrifice. Ben Chua’s Chinese name was "Chua Chieng Kiat", which means "clean and upright."

Chua led the federation in many socio-civic projects, one of which was Operation Barrio Schools. This is the biggest private sector project of its kind supporting public education, with many small to medium Filipino Chinese entrepreneurs joining the big taipans in donating over 2,800 public school buildings to the poorest barrios nationwide.

Ben Chua once told The Philippine Star that Operation Barrio Schools was initiated due to the Chinese community’s belief that free enterprise and democracy can only thrive if a nation has social justice, a bigger middle-class, lower levels of mass poverty and democratic access to education.

Chua is expected to be succeeded as federation president by the next most senior official, who is coincidentally his business partner and high school classmate, 63-year-old John K. C. Ng. Transport entrepreneur Robin Sy is also expected to move up as executive vice president. Coincidentally, Ng’s daughter is married to Lucio Tan’s son Michael "Mike" Tan of Asia Brewery, while the popular Robin Sy is also a trusted best friend and former high school classmate of Tan.

Industries, Peace & Order, Education

Ben Chua had on several occasions discussed with this writer his concerns about the country’s industries like smuggling and globalization, and the need to improve the peace and order situation so that foreign investors and tourists can be attracted. When he was invited by television talk shows, he would ask me to represent his group, perhaps because I shared many of his ideas, and also because he knew I would not hesitate to express my own critical views on many issues.

Chua was saddened "when our politicians recklessly made the Philippines a founding member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) without adequately preparing our local industries in the same manner that China or Malaysia did." As president of Cathay Pacific Steel Corp., the country’s leading steel manufacturer, he knew how the industries would be affected.

The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) is the vigorous proponent of the Buy Pinoy campaign led by one of Chua’s directors, industrialist Francis Chua. A favorite Federation project is the hybrid rice program by one of Chua’s young directors, industrialist Henry Lim Bon Liong.

Sources told The Philippine Star that with the expected election of John Ng as federation president, and Robin Sy as executive vice president, one vacant position for vice president will be a toss-up between Henry Lim and Francis Chua, both of whom are highly-educated in Chinese, English and Filipino, also graduates of UP.

Ben Chua served as director of the University of the East (UE) and generously supported projects in his alma mater, UP. He believed that young generations of Filipinos of Chinese heritage should learn the Chinese language and traditional Confucian values.

He was a former chairman of the board of trustees of Manila’s Chiang Kai-Shek College. In 1993, he also donated a building to Xiamen University, which was founded in Fujian province, south China in 1921 by his hero, Singaporean "Rubber King" Tan Kah Kee.

Chua said, "It is a great honor for me to be able to leave a footprint on this beautiful university built by the great philanthropist Tan Kah Kee."

Taking A Rare Political Stand

The sudden rise to the Presidency of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in January 2001 had bolstered her friend Ben Chua’s March 26, 2001 election to leadership of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. Two other contenders who lost their chance were considered favorites before the downfall of President Joseph Estrada.

Then Vice President Gloria Arroyo was principal sponsor during the wedding of David, eldest son of Ben Chua, and ex-chairman of Anvil Executive Club, which is an organization of young Filipino-Chinese entrepreneurs and professionals committed to promote traditional Confucian values and civic consciousness. Other past Anvil leaders include the late Tan Yu’s daughter Elena Tanyu Coyiuto as founding chairman, the late Ramon Siy Lai’s eldest son George Siy of Jag Jeans and now president of the Confederation of Garment Exporters of the Phil. (Congep), Lucio Tan’s son Mike Tan of Asia Brewery, steel tycoon John Ng’s eldest son Jeffrey Ng, and others.

It is interesting to note that Ben Chua’s daughter last year married the eldest son of banker George Go, former Chairman of Equitable PCIBank who was said to have facilitated some bank transactions for ex-President Estrada.

Although Chua supported the call for political change in January 2001, he said the Federation is a business organization, not a political one, that its members have diverse political opinions. Ben Chua was optimistic about the ethnic Chinese minority continuing philanthropy work and entrepreneurial ventures to support national development. He said local Chinese are exemplary Filipino citizens helping national progress without forsaking the ancestral Chinese culture, ethnic identity and Confucian values. Ben Chua expressed high hopes that the Chinese business sector will remain resilient, continue to reinvest and help as catalyst of Philippine economic recovery in 2002.

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