‘Give back the privilege by helping others’
JG Summit Holdings president Lance Y. Gokongwei addressed the 472 graduating scholars on May 25 at the annual Get Together of Scholars and Benefactors.
Held at Areté’s Hyundai Hall, Gokongwei—also a member of the university’s Board of Trustees—spoke about the lessons he learned from his father, business magnate John L. Gokongwei, Jr.
“With a highly determined entrepreneurial spirit, he began to engage in trading and earned what was then an already rewarding PhP 20 a day for working long hours up to the wee hours of the morning…His hard work eventually paid off as he watched how his modest trading business transformed into what we now know as Universal Robina Corporation," he said.
Being a son of one of the Philippines’ most successful self-made billionaires inspired the younger Gokongwei to simply be good and spread kindness and generosity.
“For all the blessings and good fortunes that I have received, I believe that the best way to show one’s gratitude is to pay it forward by being good to others—to my employees, to the communities where our company operates, and to society in general.”
He advised the graduating scholars to cultivate generosity: “Pay it forward. Give back the privilege by helping others. Be a man for others.”
The 160th Commencement Exercises of the Loyola Schools will be held on May 31 (School of Humanities and School of Social Sciences) and June 1 (John Gokongwei School of Management and School of Science and Engineering). The ceremonies will also be live streamed at www.ateneo.edu/livestream and https://www.facebook.com/
Read Mr. Gokongwei's speech:
