Joey Cuisia's excellent business and personal journey

About a month ago I sat beside a man who was celebrating his 65th birthday, having reached retirement age looking almost as young as when I first met him. Jose L. Cuisia Jr. was retiring as president and CEO of one of the largest corporate entities in the country, Philippine American Life and General Insurance Co. As I listened to his close friend from elementary school, Ramon del Rosario Jr., talk about him, I couldn’t help but feel good that these two friends from way back have gone on in life to be two of the most admired business leaders in our country.

In the words of Vicky, Joey’s wife: “These two men’s paths to destiny have been so parallel yet distinctly separate and divergent, pursuing their passions from Grade 1 until this day, in a seemingly competitive environment, yet fused together in a bond of brotherhood so pure, so steeped in respect and admiration for each other, breaking the barrier of time, conflicts, and their individual successes and greatness. If only people could coexist taking a cue from these two, then this world would be a better place to live in.”

I believe Vicky J. Cuisia’s words are so true because both men share the same basic idealism and moral values not many business leaders have.

I have become immensely proud of Joey and Vicky, at whose wedding I was a sponsor, together with Ramon’s father, the late Ambassador Monching del Rosario, and therein lies my affinity with Ramon. It is really unbelievable that this wedding happened 36 years ago. I actually first met Joey when my late husband, Eddie, was president of the Ayala Investment and Development Corp. (AIDC). I remember Eddie having arrived home to tell me that he had successfully been able to “pirate Joey Cuisia who went to Wharton; not Harvard, though.” You see, Eddie Lichauco graduated from Harvard and every school was so much less, even Yale Law School where I obtained my Master of Laws degree.

When Joey and Vicky got married they asked me to be ninang. Just last week Joey invited me to be the “surprise guest” at a reunion of about a hundred officials, employees and former executives of AIDC. I cannot begin to explain how powerfully the feelings of nostalgia hit me. But this is not what I intended to write about today.

Ramon narrated it so well when he said that the “real fun began around junior year in high school when we formed, would you believe, a basketball team and called ourselves the Rebels. No one recalls why we chose the name, especially since most of us were actually nerds! Who would guess that one day, some of us would actually gain a reputation as critics of or rebels against the government?”

And that’s what I truly admire about these two gentlemen. Aside from being so aware of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, and undertaking great strides in this direction, they are still such an idealistic pair in their senior years.

They are not into pleasing the powers that be to get business mileage, they both have always kept their moral values at such an enviable level. This is what separates them from the ordinary “hombres” who are chairmen of the boards. They don’t just stand willy-nilly about their moral convictions.

Before I go on writing about these exemplary business leaders, let me quote a line Ramon said at the end of his tribute to Joey, that “our friendship of nearly 60 years is one of the greatest gifts of my life!”

Perhaps the best way to pay tribute to Joey is to refer to Ramon’s speech that evening. He said, looking back at their youth, that they were “the first to do dances like The Twist and The Mashed Potato. And one of our occasional guests was a petite young lady whose initials then were GM without the A! Of course, Joey even then was Mr. Overachiever as he was the star not only on the basketball court but on the dance floor in our parties.” 

And there was healthy competition that existed at school. In the words of Ramon, “I can still recall how our friendship blossomed even as we tried to outdo each other. We competed for school honors. I topped grade school and high school; he did better in college. Of course we both agreed that we went to the best school in the Philippines, De La Salle. But for our MBAs, he went to Wharton and I went to Harvard, and each of us believed ours was the best! I married a girl named Victoria, and so did he. I had four daughters; he had five. I ran a medium-sized bank called Asian Bank; he ran the biggest bank of all called the Central Bank of the Philippines! And now, in our advancing age, as my hair turns silvery gray, his remains gloriously golden! But I do have an edge as I have five grandchildren going on six, and Joey has only one. But knowing him he will not stop nagging his daughters until he has at least seven! Through all these, we have become the best of friends.”

According to Ramon, as a government official, Joey’s record stands out because he is not only intelligent and competent but also a true patriot with unquestioned integrity. Ramon says, “I can’t help but wonder what a different country ours could be if only we could find national leaders as competent, courageous, patriotic, and principled as Joey Cuisia.”

Ramon is not the only one who says this of Joey. A lot of meaningful people feel that way. With all the powers he held as Central Bank governor, he kept true to his ideals and moral values which, to this day, he treasures as a part of his being.

It was heartwarming to listen to Ramon when he said that Joey has succeeded in proving that “success in one’s career need not come at the expense of one’s family … his professional achievements are matched by his great success in being a good and ever-loyal husband to Vicky and being a great father to his five daughters, and now a doting grandfather to his only grandson. Important though his career has always been, I believe he has always placed primary importance on caring for and nurturing his family.”

In the words of Vicky Cuisia, who spoke at the end of the celebration, “Being married to Joey for 35 wonderful years, I saw a special man who endeavors to keep me and our children happy and God-loving, who cares enough for his parents and siblings to take time to be with his ailing mom no matter how busy he is.”

As to that “God-loving” quality, according to Ramon he remembers so well when Joey and he were briefly in government together and went on official missions abroad. The main criterion for choice of hotel was that it should be near a church because of Joey’s daily Masses. He never tired of inviting Ramon to go with him, but Ramon confessed that he always ended up postponing piety for one more hour of sleep!

When Joey spoke to thank everyone, especially his family, he referred to Vicky as one who “has always been and will continue to be the one greatest love of my life.” Blessed with five daughters: Ina, the eldest, and her husband, Abush; Jaymi; Nana; Jessica and Justine, all very gifted in their respective fields — who all helped organize and manage such a delightful program of songs, dances and speeches — you could see how proud Joey was of his family.

Joey’s speech at the end referred to his retirement from all corporate management responsibilities but indicated that he has committed “to spend time with the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) in promoting good governance in publicly listed companies, as well as doing some finance advisory for Gawad Kalinga.”

Joey will also continue his involvement with the Philippine Cancer Society and the Kidney Foundation but confided to everyone that “most of all, I will enjoy spending more time with my personal apostolate, my sole apo, Crae.”

Why am I going to such great lengths writing about the exemplary lives of these two gentlemen, Joey Cuisia and Ramon del Rosario Jr., both in the professional and family dimension? With all the sordid headlines nowadays of corruption in high places and families broken by the indiscretions of either spouse, an everyday occurrence in Philippine society, the youth can pick up on the example of two successful business leaders, unbending in their principles and imbued with great integrity.

It has been said that a great society is a society in which “men of business think greatly of their functions.” But these two gentlemen have managed to steer their entire lives in business and at home towards such an extraordinary trajectory, toward the highest convergence.

I salute them and their families.

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