Gokongwei named Bacolod’s adopted son, honorary mayor

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines   â€” Business tycoon John Gokongwei Jr. was conferred “adopted son of Bacolod” and declared honorary mayor of the city for a day last Thursday (Feb. 14).

The 86-year-old Gokongwei said he was very happy and honored of the titles, and that he was very grateful to this city. “Thank you for having me here today. It is truly an honor to be named honorary mayor of this city.”

The conferment rites was held at L’Fisher Hotel, largely attended by the Filipino-Chinese community, which was also the culmination of the 8th BacoLaodiat Festival showcasing the binding cultures of Filipinos and Chinese.

“I’ve done many things in my 86 years of life, but I’ve never held any political office. Mayor John Gokongwei. I like the way that sounds. And to think I didn’t even have to spend months out on the streets of Bacolod campaigning, making speeches and shaking hands,” he said.

“It is also very much an honor to be named an adopted son of Bacolod. I really am Bisaya, just like you. My mother, Juanita Marquez Lim, grew up in Iloilo. My father, John Gokongwei, grew up in Cebu. I myself grew up here in the Visayas, in Cebu,” he said.

Gokongwei said whenever he sees Robinsons Place mall here, which his family built in 1997, he would remember his poor “bicycle days when I would stand in the market calling out to people to buy my products.” The mall was the first of the Gokongweis outside Metro Manila.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia thanked Gokongwei for it was him “who ignited the big bang in Bacolod which became a big boom.” Gokongwei was the first major investor to put up the mall here 15 years ago, which attracted more investments in the city, said the mayor.

The executive order declaring Gokongwei the city’s honorary mayor, reads: “He had contributed so much to the economy of Bacolod by bringing air travel and communication within the reach of more Bacolod residents through the entry of Cebu Pacific and Sun Cellular.”

Gokongwei told city officials and Bacolodnons that he would bring in more investments to Bacolod in the coming years. He said his business conglomerate is expanding into the production of ethanol and power, and into the sugar industry.

Beside the one in Cagayan Valley, there are five Gokongwei sugar mills in the Visayas: Passi Sugar Central in Iloilo; Southern Negros Development Corp. in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental; Universal Robina Sugar Milling Corp. in Manjuyod, Negros Oriental; and recently a sugar mill in Tolong, Negros Oriental. “We use sugar in many of our very important products,” said Gokongwei.

Gokongwei, chairman of JG Summit Holdings, one of the largest conglomerates in the country, did not have his success served in a silver platter, so to speak. “My happy childhood in Cebu did not last very long. When I was 13, my father died suddenly, and his creditors took our house and his business and everything we owned. I remember my mother crying so hard. She had six children to feed, clothe and send to school,” he recalled. “As the eldest child, I took the responsibility to help my mother support the family by selling my wares in the market,” he added.

One of our partners in our success is Bacolod City, Gokongwei said, adding that his family has been into the development of education among Filipinos also. He said the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation helps fund projects that educate students in the field of management, and grants scholarships to brightest students in engineering.

“We have partnered with some of the top engineering schools in the country, including University of Negros Occidental–Recoletos here in Bacolod to give these intelligent students a bigger, brighter future,” he added.

Leonardia said Gokongwei was the third business tycoon to be adopted son by Bacolod. The other two were Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. and Lucio Tan.  (FREEMAN)