John Gokongwei Jr. was one of the wealthiest individuals in Southeast Asia, with a net worth that consistently placed him among Philippines’ influential billionaires. Yet, despite owning a thriving conglomerate, he knew there was always something missing: a college degree.
Losing his father at 13 forced him to prioritize the family's survival over his education, and the lack of a college degree became a chip on his shoulder, his son Lance Gokongwei said at the launch of the documentary, “A Boy, a Bicycle, and a Legacy: Remembering John Gokongwei Jr.” in August.
“Dad loved to read and loved to learn, and the idea that he had to stop schooling was such a big disappointment for him,” the President of JG Summit Holdings said.
As “Big John” built the business empire, he addressed his personal regret by going back to school in his 50s to earn an MBA, recalled Lance.
“He made sure to find the time in his hectic schedule.. I remember him coming home from work and staying up late at night so he could pore over his school books and do his homework,” he added.
The Gokongwei patriarch’s graduation in 1977 was one of the proudest moments of his dad, said Lance, but this perhaps comes only second to the JG Summit founder’s 80th birthday celebration, where the billionaire gave half of his ownership to the Gokongwei Brothers’ Foundation (GBF).
“After the initial reaction, you feel quite sweet, quite proud, quite gratified that your father and mother, obviously, were willing to contribute so much to a cause greater than themselves,” said Lance.
Lance’s sibling, Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, who is now the General Manager of GBF, knew the move was an unforgettable family milestone.
“I felt that it was generous, which is why we’re very proud of that, because of the size of it, and what it would mean for the education in the country,” she said in the documentary.
Gokongwei Brothers Foundation: Nation-building through education
What John missed out on, he made sure others wouldn’t. He believed education was the key to nation-building, and GBF was his way of empowering future generations.
Five years after his death, and 32 years since GBF was founded, nearly 1,500 scholars have graduated, nearly all of them employed in companies under the Gokongwei group.
To date, hundreds more are in the scholarship program, including Universal Robina Corporation partner sugarcane and potato planter-farmers’ children enrolled in agriculture, outstanding science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students, and technical-vocational enrollees in most need of financial assistance.
The education program has also aided some 30,000 educators, including almost 7,000 teachers who received certifications under the teacher training initiative. The foundation also recorded at least 13,400 resource downloads, and registered hundreds of attendees for its online learning sessions.
The GBF also established a training center in Calamba, Laguna for its tech-voc program, to help its scholars become experts in different fields. The facility is equipped with 12 top-notch laboratories, various meeting rooms and classrooms, a library, a dorm that can accommodate up to 132 scholars, a study area, a canteen, a clinic, and an administration office. The campus also offers training in specialties like chemistry, physics, computers, pneumatics, hydraulics, mechanics, electronics, instrumentation, and mechatronics, according to GBF.
“Big John” may not have had the academic journey he dreamed of, but through GBF, thousands of Filipinos are getting the chance to pursue theirs. His legacy isn’t just about the businesses he built—it's about the futures he's helping create.
To learn more about the scholarship programs of the GBF, head on to their website. To learn about the inspiring stories of GBF scholars and how the Gokongwei family remains committed to education, watch the full documentary here.
