Few families in the Philippines have had a history as colorful and as successful as the Lopezes. Since their beginnings in Iloilo in the early 1800's, the Lopez family members have espoused business excellence, nationalism, and social responsibility.
THE BENPRES HERITAGE
Benpres Holdings Corporation derives its character from a family that for nearly 200 years has espoused the values of business excellence, nationalism, and social responsibility. The Lopez family began in Jaro, Iloilo, in the early 1800's, when Basilio Lopez and Sabina Jalandoni married and founded what would become one of the country's most prominent clans. Basilio and Sabina were prominent local traders and gave theirs sons the best education available. Basilio was also a man greatly respected in his community; he was appointed cabeza de barangay (district leader) and then gobernadorcillo (mayor) of Jaro in 1849.
Kapitan Eugenio
Basilio's son Eugenio became the leader of the next generation. In the 1860s, while only in his 20's, Eugenio spearheaded the shift of the Lopez family from textiles and trading, which were once the centerpiece of the Iloilo economy, to sugar, which was then becoming a key export crop. Eugenio and his siblings made their fortunes growing and trading sugar in Iloilo and the newly opened frontier of Negros - in the process demonstrating a key Lopez trait, the ability to foresee the wave of the future and transform the family business accordingly.
But the Lopezes also took their social responsibilities seriously. Eugenio in particular held liberal views, very advanced for his time. When he became gobernadorcillo of Jaro in 1876, Eugenio put up a system of public education, aiming to make all his constituents literate. By now known as Kapitan Eugenio, he also campaigned against the practice of debt peonage, a device used by unscrupulous traders and hacienderos to trap poor folk in servitude that could sometimes last for generations. Kapitan Eugenio also gave considerable aid to the poor. When a famine struck Iloilo in June 1878 and thousands began to die of hunger, Kapitan Eugenio and his brother Caludio contributed money and rice to ease their suffering. Kapitan Eugenio sold a hacienda to feed the people of Jaro. The Kapitan began a tradition of philanthropy that his descendants continue to this day.
Benito Lopez
Kapitan Eugenio's son Benito proved himself to be the most dynamic member of his generation. With the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution and the Philippine-American War, Benito, although only in his early 20's, became a key member of the Iloilo revolutionary council. Other Lopezes such as Benito's brothers Vicente and Ramon, fought in the infantry. The Lopez family was right in the thick of the struggle in Iloilo, because nationalism was a key Lopez tenet, even in the 19th century.
After the war ended in 1901 and Iloilo began to rebuild itself, Benito became a leading political figure. In 1901, he opened what became the region's leading newspaper, El Tiempo. In 1903, at the age of 26, he was elected municipal vice-president or vice-mayor of Jaro, and then in 1906, he was elected governor of Iloilo. After a successful first term, Benito was reelected by a larger margin in November 1907.
Eugenio and Fernando Lopez
Benito and wife Presentacion Hofileña Lopez had two sons: Eugenio and Fernando. Eugenio, known as Eñing, distinguished himself as a business pioneer, nationalist, and philanthropist. Fernando, or Nanding, continued the family's involvement in politics, would become mayor of Iloilo in 1945, be elected senator of the Republic three times (1947, 1953, 1959) and then become vice-president for three terms (1949-1953, 1965-69, 1969-72).
As a businessman, Don Eugenio had the boldness and vision to establish the first airline in Asia, become a media mogul feared and respected by the corrupt and powerful, and acquire and masterfully run Meralco, the country's largest power utility. In buying Meralco in 1962, in what was the biggest financial undertaking of its time, Don Eugenio demonstrated not only audacity but also his belief that Filipinos could manage businesses not only as well as but even better than Americans. During the years 1962-1972, he proved this. Without tapping government financing or guarantees, Meralco increased its power generating capacity by a factor of five, adding 1.1 million kilowatts by 1972 and in the process become virtually independent of the National Power Corporation. It became the first Filipino company to issue bonds on Wall Street. It also offered the cheapest power rates in Asia, outstripping even Japan. At the same time, Don Eugenio created a new corporate culture among Meralco's employees, teaching them to put paramount importance on service and integrity. He became legendary for his care and concern for his employees.
The Next Generation
Don Eugenio and his wife Pacita Moreno Lopez had five children: Eugenio Jr., Oscar, Presentacion, Manuel, and Roberto. In the 1950's and the 1960's, Don Eugenio's son Eugenio Jr. or "Geny" was building ABS-CBN into the undisputed leader in Philippine broadcasting. By 1972, ABS-CBN had six TV stations and 22 radio stations, possessing complete domination of the ratings and a Broadcast Center so technologically advanced that its only rival in Asia was NIIK in Tokyo. In the years 1966-1972, Oscar Lopez masterminded the growth of Meralco Securities Corporation (MSC), the holding company of Meralco, into a formidable conglomerate that controlled the country's largest corporation and its largest bank. For his part, Manuel or Manolo rose swiftly through the ranks of Meralco becoming vice-president by 1970.
| back to top | next » |