He left us with a lasting legacy.

1. JOHN
GOKONGWEI, JR.
QUOTES
ABOUT LIFE, LEADERSHIP, & BUSINESS
T H E T O P 1 2

2. “I DON'T RELY
ON FENG SHUI.
I BELIEVE
HARD WORK
BRINGS US
GOOD LUCK
AND SUCCESS.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

3. “I DON'T USUALLY
MAKE POLITICAL
COMMENTS,
BECAUSE I AM A
BUSINESSMAN,
NOT A
POLITICIAN.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

4. “SUCCESS IS NOT NECESSARILY
ABOUT CONNECTIONS, OR
CUTTING
CORNERS, OR CHAMBA -
THE THREE CS OF BAD
BUSINESS. CALL IT TRITE, BUT
BELIEVE ME:
SUCCESS CAN BE ACHIEVED
THROUGH HARD WORK,
FRUGALITY, INTEGRITY,
RESPONSIVENESS TO CHANGE,
AND MOST OF ALL, BOLDNESS
TO DREAM.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

5. “AS A BOY IN SCHOOL, I
ALREADY HAD THE
DRIVE TO BE NO. 1.
IF I ACHIEVE MY
GOALS, OK, BUT IF
NOT, I ALWAYS ASK
WHY AND TRY TO
RECTIFY
MYSELF.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

6. “CHOOSE TO BE
ENTREPRENEUR BECAUSE
THEN YOU CREATE VALUE.
CHOOSE TO BE AN
ENTREPRENEUR BECAUSE THE
PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND
JOBS YOU
CREATE THEN BECOME THE
LIFEBLOOD OF OUR NATION.
BUT MOST OF ALL,
CHOOSE TO BE
AN ENTREPRENEUR BECAUSE
THEN YOU DESIRE A LIFE OF
ADVENTURE, ENDLESS
CHALLENGE,
AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
YOUR BEST SELF.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

7. “IT WAS DURING MY FIRST
TRIP TO AMERICA IN 1953 -
THATS WHEN
I LEARNED TO VISIT
MUSEUMS. I WAS THEN 26
YEARS OLD. WHEN I
TRAVEL,
THE FIRST THING I DO IS
TO VISIT MUSEUMS. WHEN
I GO TO NEW YORK CITY, I
USUALLY GO TO
BROADWAY TO SEE THE
SHOWS.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

8. “DO WHAT IS
RIGHT... DO IT WITH
HONESTY AND
VIGOR.
BE CREATIVE -
THATS IMPORTANT.
DON'T FOLLOW
WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE ARE
DOING.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

9. “SUCCESS DOESN'T
HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
IT'S THE SMALL
SUCCESSES
ACHIEVED DAY BY DAY
THAT BUILD A
COMPANY. SO,
DON'T BE IMPATIENT
OR FOCUSED ON
IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL
REWARDS.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

10. I AM OPTIMISTIC
ABOUT THE
PHILIPPINE FUTURE.
YES, THE MOMENTUM
IS THERE.
I THINK THE FUTURE
LOOKS GOOD, UNLESS
THERE'S A BIG
RECESSION IN THE
WORLD.
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

11. THROUGHOUT
PHILIPPINE HISTORY,
IT'S THE IMMIGRANTS
WHO BUILT
FORTUNES AND, IN THE
PROCESS, HELPED
BUILD PHILIPPINE
ECONOMY.
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

12. WE HAVE TO
LOOK FOR
OPPORTUNITIES
IF WE'RE GOING
TO SURVIVE
THE NEXT 50
YEARS. WE CAN'T
DEPEND ON
WHAT WE HAVE
NOW.
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S

13. LOVE YOUR
FAMILY. LOVE
YOUR COUNTRY.
NEVER STOP
LEARNING...
AND ALWAYS
LOOK BACK AND
BE GRATEFUL TO
WHERE YOU
CAME FROM.
JOHN GOKONGWEI JR
B U S I N E S S