12 Longevity Secrets of Mr. John Gokongwei Jr.

There are nine requisites for contented living: Health enough to make work a pleasure; Wealth enough to support your needs; Strength enough to battle with difficulties and forsake them; Grace enough to confess your sins and overcome them; Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished; Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor; Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others; Faith enough to make real the things of God; Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future.  — German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, quoted by John Gokongwei Jr. at his 85th birthday speech

One of Asia’s smartest and most well-read business taipans, John Gokongwei Jr. on Aug. 11 celebrated his momentous 85th birthday and the 55th anniversary of JG Summit Holdings, Inc. with a dinner reception for 800 guests at his Crowne Plaza Hotel’s grand ballroom. The Company, Radioactive Jazz band, Jed Madela, Zsa Zsa Padilla and a surprise dance number by 12 grandkids provided entertainment, with Zsa Zsa telling Gokongwei that her husband Dolphy is 83 years old and “hindi po nalalayo sa inyo.”

A Generous Gift To His Alma Mater La Salle

The highlight of the evening was the speech of his only son Lance Y. Gokongwei that their Gokongwei Brothers Foundation is donating P250 million to De La Salle University’s College of Engineering and donating 18 pre-schools to poor rural areas within the year through the Aklat, Gabay, Aruga tungo sa Pag-unlad at Pag-asa (AGAP) Foundation led by President Noynoy C. Aquino’s elder sister Pinky Aquino Abellada.

Their foundation also sends outstanding Filipino youths to study in top China universities following Gokongwei’s wish to promote better Philippine-China relations and for the country to benefit from China’s economic miracle as well as rich ancient civilization.

John Gokongwei Jr., in his own speech at the finale elicited laughter when he said that, thankfully, the corporate logo of his holding firm JG Summit Holdings is in blue and green colors — the famous colors of basketball archrivals Ateneo and La Salle. His family foundation also endowed P200 million to the Ateneo for its John Gokongwei School of Management, which is led by its brilliant dean Prof. Rudy Ang.

Due to the elder Gokongwei’s father dying when he just 13 years old and his family’s poverty, he wasn’t able to finish schooling but enrolled in De La Salle University for its masters in business administration classes when he was already a young successful industrialist. Gokongwei says he prefers to donate to educational causes only.

During Lance Gokongwei’s speech paying tribute to his dad, he humorously revealed that his father has been saying that he would retire ever since his 75th birthday celebration and every five years after when he would host a big reception. Lance told his dad that they don’t want him to retire, that they and JG Summit Holdings, Inc. need his entrepreneurial energy, wisdom and sense of excitement. The son added: “Retirement will be a danger to your personal health and to the company’s health… You have the energy of a 40-year-old.”

Not Retiring, Like Lee Kuan Yew, Wash Sycip & Deng Xiaoping

I have known John Gokongwei, Jr. very well ever since I was a college student, and through the years I’ve had lunches or dinners with him, he has on several occasions cited those energetic world-class achievers who have not totally retired but still remain active, such as Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew and his friend SGV Group founder Washington SyCip.

Once, I had lunch with Gokongwei just after the death of former Indonesian President Suharto and with the latter’s peer, Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew visiting him, the tycoon told me that retiring early can hasten a person’s demise. That is one of many wise insights into life which I cannot forget from Gokongwei.

Indeed, one of the true secrets of longevity is not totally retiring. One can retire from a job or a profession, but a person should ideally be busy doing things or something always. Lee Kuan Yew is three years older than Gokongwei, but he just recently won a seat again as legislator and at 87 years old (he marks his 88th birthday on Sept. 6) he still made a speech promising to take care of his constituents in the coming five years. Isn’t that amazing and inspirational?

Washington SyCip this year just marked his 90th birthday, and he remains busier than ever with his numerous global business and civic commitments. SyCip also told me and claims that one secret to his longevity is the ability “to appreciate beautiful women.” Coincidentally, it was SyCip’s late dad, Dr. Albino SyCip, and my grandfather’s cousin Dee K. Chiong who granted Gokongwei his first loan of P500,000 pesos to put up his factory after World War II.

The retirement idea of John Gokongwei Jr. is actually very Oriental in tradition, seemingly following the successful examples of enduring Asian leaders like political genius Lee Kuan Yew and China’s late great leader and gutsy reformer Deng Xiaoping. Both Lee and Deng officially retired from their high positions to wisely ensure orderly succession, but remained de facto supreme leaders, strategically guiding and keenly supervising the next generation.

Lee officially retired as prime minister of Singapore, passing on political authority to Goh Chok Tong and with his brilliant son Lee Hsien Loong as deputy prime minister, chosen based on meritocracy. Similarly, Gokongwei officially retired as head of JG Summit to give way to his MIT-educated younger brother James Go and his own son Lance Gokongwei as next in line.

Another sign that Gokongwei is not totally retiring from being busy? The taipan in his speech revealed that he is actually more tech-savvy than his son Lance who is 40 years younger than him. Gokongwei said he is active on Twitter and Facebook, but he half in jest and proudly admitted that his son Lance “has more Facebook friends” than him.

[SOURCE: WILL SOON FLOURISH By Wilson Lee Flores of The Philippine Star | Updated August 14, 2011 12:00 AM]

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