Big John’s way
In her eulogy to end all eulogies, Robina – there’s only one Robina – bade farewell to her larger-than-life dad, John Gokongwei Jr., by revealing all his little secrets.
From his hospital bed, he asked for his companies’ daily financial reports. He advised his 24-year-old grandson Justin Gokongwei Pe to “play around” before settling down. He put Robina and Lance to work in the department store’s bodega during their summer break from school. No airconditioning there, only time in, time out like any other worker. This was where Lance learned how to handle brassieres with his bare hands.
When she was kidnapped in 1981 and a certain Ping Lacson stood by while negotiations for the ransom were going on, Big John said, “Hand her over to them, tell them I have five other children.” As Robina recalls, the perplexed kidnapper asked, “Ano ba yan?” (No translation I can think of.)
Big John was frugal, he rented a tuxedo to wear to Robina’s wedding to Perry Pe in Hong Kong. He thought nothing of staining his necktie with coffee and ice cream spots.
Robina thanked his two bodyguards and
BFF Antonio
Go for their services.
Last
Wednesday as crowds streamed into Heritage Park to pay their last respects, Robina disappeared to watch the UP-UST basketball game (she is the Maroons’ godmother). UP lost by three points. I told her, Big John’s telling you UST is the better team, to which she responded with a long face.
Fr. Jett Villarin, SJ, Ateneo president who said the mass, wondered why John never offered him any of the packs of chips and snacks sitting on a pile in his office. Lance explained that those were the competition’s products which he kept on his desk, and they’re not for eating.
Life goes on, a celebration at which Robina’s humorous, irreverent eulogy set the tone. Her mother Elizabeth will continue to do her workouts at the gym. Lance, whose job has just become a tad more seriously onerous, is aware of the awesome responsibility. As I held him by both shoulders, he said, “That’s why you have to pray for me.”