House condoles with Gokongwei family
MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of the House of Representatives extended the chamber’s condolences to the family of industrialist John Gokongwei Jr., who died last weekend at the age of 93.
The 301-member chamber expressed its gratitude and “profound condolences” through House Resolution 525 that was initiated by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez and Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante.
“Gokongwei’s unparalleled success in business not only contributed immensely to Philippines’ economy, employment and nation-building, but deeply inspired and taught every Filipino the value of hard work, perseverance, generosity and compassion,” they said.
In a two-page resolution, the House leaders also described Gokongwei – chairman emeritus of JG Summit Holdings and owner of the Robinsons Malls nationwide, aside from budget airline Cebu Pacific – an “outstanding Filipino, renowned business leader and philanthropist.”
They stated that the patriarch manifested his true philanthropy when he established the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation to which he donated half of his fortune, considered the “biggest philanthropic endowment in Philippine history.”
“And his passing, needless to say, was a loss not only to his family and friends, but also to our country as a whole,” the lawmakers said.
The death of Gokongwei and Lucio “Bong” Tan Jr., son and namesake of tycoon Lucio Tan, is also a mournful period in the country’s growing economy, according to Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero.
“This is a sad week in the Philippine business industry. It also marks a mournful period for the country’s economy,” the president of the 54-member Party-List Coalition Foundation said on the death of Gokongwei and Tan Jr.
Romero, who represents 1Pacman party-list in the House, said the death of the two titans in the country’s economy “represents a massive loss to the country’s vastly improving economy.”
Gokongwei was a “self-made industrialist who rose from humble beginnings to become head of one of the most expansive business conglomerates in the country, JG Summit,” Romero said. “He led a life of perseverance and dedication to work that left an indelible mark in the field of business and investment.”
Bong, a triathlete, was Romero’s “personal friend, a dear brother in many fields that we set our sights on. He was a quintessential sportsman, a brilliant entrepreneur and a loving son who followed Don Lucio Tan’s footsteps that led to sterling successes in business.”
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