Danding Cojuangco dies at 85
BUSINESS tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco Jr. died on Tuesday night at the age of 85.
Cojuangco, the chief executive officer and chairman of San Miguel Corp. (SMC),had three teams in the Philippine Basketball Association — Magnolia, San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Malacañang mourned his passing. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Eduardo ‘ Danding’ Cojuangco, Jr.,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement.
“The Palace offers its fervent prayers for the eternal repose of the soul of Mr. Cojuangco as we convey our heartfelt condolences to his family, colleagues, friends and loved ones,” he added.
Roque said Cojuangco “had immense contribution to the socioeconomic development of the Philippines through the company’s operations in food, beverages, energy, power, oil refining and infrastructure.”
“The SMC has provided livelihood opportunities to tens of thousands of our countrymen as direct workforce, and creation of additional jobs as suppliers, distributors, retailers, and the like,” Roque said.
“In these trying times, Mr. Cojuangco’s SMC has been a reliable partner of the government in mitigating the
impact of the Covid-19 by providing support and assistance to frontliners and vulnerable sectors,” he added.
The board of directors and the entire San Miguel Group said Cojuangco made a difference in the lives of many of its employees.
“Values he lived by — malasakit (concern), and sama-sama (unity), the idea that we either make it together or not at all — are at the heart of what it means to be San Miguel,” SMC said in a statement.
“His contributions to our company’s history are numerous and indelible. An agriculturalist at heart, he championed the development of rural Philippines and the setting up of our agro-industrial operations. As SMC chairman, he guided our expansion, diversification, and transformation. His vision for San Miguel — to be a beacon of hope for the Philippines and a partner in nation-building — remains at the core of everything we do,” it added.
Cojuangco founded the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in 1992 and ran against Fidel V. Ramos in the presidential race in the same year.
He also served as governor of Tarlac City from 1967 to 1969 and became Tarlac’s First District representative from 1969 to 1972.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also expressed deep sadness over the passing of Cojuangco.
“His passing leaves us with a sad void. He was considered to be one of the country’s most successful industrialists. He was chairman and CEO of San Miguel Corporation, the largest food and beverage corporation in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. He was the founder of one of the largest political parties in the country, the Nationalist People’s Coalition,” said Gatchalian in a statement.
The senator said he has been with the NPC since the start of his political career and witnessed how Cojuangco had shaped the ideals and objectives of the party that centered on love for country. “He treated us like family and I will remain grateful for his support.”
Salvador Panelo, chief presidential legal counsel, said Cojuangco “will surely be remembered by Filipinos.”
“Through his foundations, he was able to share his resources to the underprivileged, especially in the area of education,” he added.
“Owing to Mr. Cojuangco’s vision, SMC has evolved into one of the most diversified conglomerates in the Philippines with operations in food and beverage, packaging, properties, fuel or oil refining and marketing, power and energy and infrastructure,” Panelo said.