Obituary: mourn for the loss of the Group founder and honorary chairman, Mr. John L. Gokongwei, Jr.

We mourn the peaceful passing of our Founder and Chairman Emeritus John L. Gokongwei Jr., on November 9, 2019. He was 93.  Mr. John, as we fondly called him, was a visionary. He was an inspiration to entrepreneurs and businessmen around the nation, with his pioneering ideas, his strong work ethic, his passion, and perseverance.

Despite his humble entrepreneurial beginnings—he got his start in business at the tender age of 13 by selling peanuts cooked in garlic—he went on to build a diversified business empire consisting of companies that boldly challenged the status quo and became major players in their respective fields. Today, JG Summit holds significant interests in air transportation, banking, food, power, property and hospitality, and petrochemicals.

Despite his passing in November 2019, he continues to inspire countless entrepreneurs and business leaders through his exceptional life, his pioneering ideas, his strong work ethic, his passion, and his perseverance. From peanuts to petrochemicals, Mr. John really did it all, and did everything well.

It is a testament to Mr. John’s remarkable vision and boldness to dream that the Gokongwei Group stands today as a solid pillar of the Philippine economy. It is a stable yet progressive and dynamic conglomerate, painstakingly built by Mr. John for the people he loved – his family, his employees, and the Filipino people – to make everyJuan’s life better.