Our History

Gokongwei brothers John, Henry, Johnson and James, established the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF)  in 1992 with the goal of having a lasting impact on education in the Philippines.  The brothers have donated a generous amount of their shares from JG Summit Holdings Inc. to set up and sustain the foundation, making it the biggest shareholder in the conglomerate.  The brothers strongly believed that education was key to our nation's progress, and that the business should contribute to nation building through education.  
                             

 

Our Vision

Every Filipino with access to education that enables them to work and contribute to family and the country. 

Our Mission

To build a strong future through STEM education. 

Our Strategic Pillars

To support the growth of STEM and digitally-enabled learners and professionals by:

  • Elevating educators' professional development 
  • Increasing access to quality education for underprivileged students
  • Creating quality content that is accessible to educators and learners 

Our Core Values

  • We prioritize efforts that are sustainable, scalable, and measurable. 
  • We believe in the power of collaborative effort and synergy. 
  • We believe that values are as important as competencies.
  • Hard work, integrity, grit, innovativeness, and service to others define excellence for us. 
  • We favor helping people who are themselves helping others. 

Lance Y. Gokongwei

Chairman

Mr. Lance Y. Gokongwei is the Chairman of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. He is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of JGSHI and Cebu Air, Inc. He is the Chairman of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., Universal Robina Corporation, Robinsons Land Corporation, JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation, JG Summit Olefins Corporation, and Robinsons Bank Corporation. In addition to this, he is a Director and Vice Chairman of the Manila Electric Company and a Director of Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corporation and United Industrial Corporation Limited.

He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

James L. Go

President

Mr. James L. Go is the President of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. He is the Chairman of JGSHI and Cebu Air, Inc. and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corporation. He is also the Chairman Emeritus of Universal Robina Corporation, Robinsons Land Corporation, JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation, and JG Summit Olefins Corporation. He is currently the Vice Chairman of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., and a Director of Marina Center Holdings Private Limited, United Industrial Corporation Limited, and Hotel Marina City Private Limited.

Since November 3, 2011, he has been a Director of the PLDT Inc. He was also elected a Director of the Manila Electric Company on December 16, 2013. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.

Robina Y. Gokongwei-Pe

Secretary

Ms. Robina Y. Gokongwei-Pe is the Secretary of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. She has been a Director of JGSHI since April 15, 2009. She is also a Director of Robinsons Land Corporation, Cebu Air, Inc., and Robinsons Bank Corporation. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., which consists of Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Department Store, Handyman, True Value, Robinsons Builders, Robinsons Specialty Stores, Robinsons Appliances, Toys R Us, Daiso Japan, Ministop, South Star Drug, and The Generics Pharmacy.

She is also a Trustee of the immaculate Concepcion Academy Scholarship Fund. She was a member of the University of the Philippines Centennial Commission and a former Trustee of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation. She attended the University of the Philippines-Diliman from 1978 to 1981 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the New York University in 1984.

Patrick Henry C. Go

Treasurer

Mr. Patrick Henry C. Go is the Treasurer of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. He is currently the Executive Director of JGSHI. He holds the positions of Director and Executive Vice President of Universal Robina Corporation, Director and Chief Executive Officer and President of Merbau Corporation, and Director of Robinsons Land Corporation, Meralco Powergen Corporation, and JG Summit Olefins Corporation.  He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from the Ateneo de Manila University and attended the General Manager Program at Harvard Business School.

Johnson Robert G. Go, Jr.

Trustee

Mr. Johnson Robert G. Go, Jr. has been a director of JGSHI since August 18, 2005. He is currently a director of Universal Robina Corporation, Robinsons Land Corporation, Robinsons Bank Corporation and A. Soriano Corporation. He is also a trustee of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Liberal Arts) from the Ateneo de Manila University. He is a nephew of Mr. John L. Gokongwei, Jr.

Antonio L. Go

Trustee

Mr. Antonio L. Go is a Trustee of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. He has been an Independent Director of JGSHI since May 28, 2018. He is a Director and President of Equitable Computer Services, Inc., and Chairman of the Equicom Savings Bank and ALGO Leasing and Finance, Inc. He is also a Director of Medilink Network, Inc., Maxicare Healthcare Corporation, Equicom Manila Holdings, Equicom Inc., Equitable Development Corporation, United Industrial Corporation Limited, T32 Dental Centre Singapore, Dental Impant and Maxillofacial Centre Hong Kong, Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corporation, Pin-An Holdings, Inc., Equicom Information Technology, Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., Cebu Air, Inc., and Steel Asia Manufacturing Corporation.

He is also a Trustee of the Go Kim Pah Foundation and Equitable Foundation, Inc. He graduated from Youngstown University, USA, with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. he attended the International Advanced Management Program at the International Management Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, as well as the Financial Planning/Control Program at the ABA National School of Bankcard Management, Northwestern University, USA.

Marcia Y. Gokongwei

Trustee

Ms. Marcia Y. Gokongwei is a Trustee of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. She is also the Co-Managing Director for Operations of Universal Robina Corporation Branded Consumer Foods Group (URC-BCFG). In this role, she is accountable for all operational aspects of sales and customer development, integrated supply chain management, and all functional support initiatives. Prior this, she served as Vice President for Snack Foods of URC-BCFG Philippines, where she managed all Jack ‘n Jill brands which include Snacks, Bakery and Confectionery categories.

She completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and attended the Developing Strategy for Value Creation program at the London Business School. Ms. Gokongwei obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree major in Communication Arts from the De La Salle University, Manila.

Frances T. Yuyucheng

Trustee

Frances T. Yuyucheng serves as of counsel in the law firm of Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc and De los Angeles, where she also previously served as senior partner. Her practice focused on mergers and acquisitions, project development and finance, and securities law.  Fran has represented a number of Philippine-listed and international corporations, and entities engaged in the financial service, retail, energy, cement, gaming and entertainment, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. Chambers Asia-Pacific has cited her as a leading individual for Corporate/M&A.

Fran received her bachelor’s degree in Management from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1990 and her juris doctor degree from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law in 1994. She was admitted to the Philippine bar in 1995.

Lisa Y. Gokongwei-Cheng

Trustee and General Manager

Ms. Lisa Y. Gokongwei-Cheng is a Trustee and the General Manager of Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. As General Manager, she oversees the programs, projects, and initiatives to ensure that they are aligned with GBF’s vision and mission. Aside from leading GBF, she is an advisory board member of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. She is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of Summit Media Group, as well as Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of Summit Media Informatix Holdings, Inc.

She graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts degree (in Communications) in 1990 and obtained a Master of Science degree in Journalism from Columbia University in 1993.

Grace R. Colet

Executive Director

Grace is currently the Executive Director of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. Under her leadership, GBF has recalibrated its core thrust to focus on advancing STEM education in Philippines. Before joining GBF in 2017, Grace served as country manager of JobStreet Philippines, a portal that helps jobseekers find life-changing careers. She guided the team from its pioneering stage until JobStreet Philippines reached number one position in income and market share. In 2010, she was one of the ten recipients of the Mansmith Young Market Masters Award. Grace graduated cum laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a bachelor's degree in business economics. 

Raymund L. Ganotice

School Director, Technical Training Center

Raymund is currently the School Director of the GBF Technical Training Center.  He was formerly the Executive Director of CITE Technical Institute, Inc., a Cebu City-based technical vocational school providing training in electrical, electronics, mechanical and computer skills to the less privileged youth and the industrial sector of Visayas and Mindanao. Since 2006, he has been teaching part-time in DLSU Manila and De La Salle College of St. Benilde handling undergraduate business and IT courses and MBA subjects. He also has extensive experience in corporate training having been the training/education services manager of Bayantel, Corporate Information Solutions (CIS), Sun Microsystems, Oracle Australia-New Zealand, Datacraft Phils and Atlantic Gulf and the Pacific (AG&P).  Raymund obtained his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the Gokongwei College of Engineering DLSU Manila and a Master in Technology Management degree from UP-Diliman.  He also completed a scholarship certificate in Management of Training Institutions from Centro ELIS, Rome Italy. 

Kristine Tabuena-De Asis

Head of Educator Programs

Tinette is currently the Head of Educator Programs.  She is a seasoned senior leader, with 20+ years combined experience in technology driven local and multinational companies. Her experience is well-rounded, with deep exposure in various industries: Telecommunications, Human Resource, International & Domestic Freight Forwarding Logistics, Education-focused Development Sector and Digital Logistics. She has extensive experience handling multiple functions and departments focusing on Organizational Design & Development, Operational Transformations and People & Process Management & Development. She graduated from De La Salle University with a bachelor's degree in business management.

GBF seeks to promote STEM education through scholarship grants, technical-vocational training, institutional endowments, educators' professional development, and collaborations with industry and community partners.

Graduates

1,446

Scholars

2,749

Current Scholars

1,303

Teachers Trained

6,673

Communities Served

2,427



Creating Impact among Learners and Educators

             

Over the past 30 years, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) has made a profound impact on communities, particularly among learners and educators. GBF has become one of the leading scholarship organizations in the country, notably as the largest private-sector provider of STEM-related scholarships.  Our extensive scholarship programs have empowered countless students and supported STEM education. GBF has also made substantial endowments to key educational institutions to promote centers of excellence in the field of STEM.  Through its own school, the GBF Technical Training Center, GBF also provides fully subsidized Techvoc training to underprivilged youth.  These scholarships provided are unique in the sense that GBF also assists in the students' path to employment.  Apart from scholarships, GBF has launched several key initiatives to focus on educators' professional development namely the GBF Class Builder, a platform that provides engaging teaching materials and STEM Collab, an online learning community that provides training on STEM mastery.   

 

Annual Reports

GBF 2023 Annual Report: Creating Pathways to Possibilities

GBF 2022 Annual Report: Walang Imposible

GBF 2021 Annual Report: Towards 2025

GBF 2020 Annual Report: Supporting Educators' Development

GBF 2019 Annual Report: Strengthening Institutional Support

GBF 2018 Annual Report: Excellence and Equity in Education

John L. Gokongwei, Jr.

A pioneering entrepreneur, industrialist, and philanthropist, Mr. John, as he was fondly called, devoted much of his life to making the lives of all Filipinos better. Through hard work, creativity, and passion, he became a paragon of success in business and industry, and a true role model for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.

When he turned 80, Mr. John blazed a trail in philanthropy when he announced on his birthday that he was donating half of his personal holdings in JG Summit to establish the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Gokongwei Group. Among its chief goals is to provide Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education and scholarships to the underprivileged.

Mr. John considered education as an investment for one’s future. Even though he had to stop schooling in his teenage years to support his family, he always understood the value of having a good education. He firmly believed that education is the best way to uplift the country’s people, and that a quality education is what would enable Filipinos to compete on equal footing in this world.

Henry L. Go

Henry, was Mr. John’s younger brother. He was two years younger, and was a partner, together with their mother, Juanita, from the very beginning.

He shared with his brother, the vision of philanthropy, of giving back to society for all the bounty given to the family and the conglomerate.

He was a great believer in education and knowledge. He truly believed that the best way to give back was through quality education.

Henry contributed a substantial amount of his shares in JG Summit, as he believed that there is strength in combining resources with his siblings to build a foundation that can truly give back to society.

Johnson Robert L. Go, Sr.

As with all the Founders, Johnson juggled multiple sectors across his many years in the family business. He was a reliable and durable team player, supporting both value-creation and shared success, as the business expanded.

He started with building the family’s humble farms business, proceeding to run the hotel operations and the sugar milling business. Later in his life, as the family invested in new sectors, his attention expanded into telecommunications. Much of the success in these businesses were due to Johnson’s operational diligence — but an openness to learning was just as vital.

Johnson had a perspective that education bestows a combination of values, reliability and a diligent work ethic. This he practiced in his everyday work, remaining inherently curious throughout. He believed strongly in lifelong learning and aligned clearly to his siblings’ commitment of being advocates for education in the country through the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. 

James L. Go

Mr. James L. Go is the President of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. He is the Chairman of JGSHI and Cebu Air, Inc. and the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corporation. He is also the Chairman Emeritus of Universal Robina Corporation, Robinsons Land Corporation, JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation, and JG Summit Olefins Corporation. He is currently the Vice Chairman of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., and a Director of Marina Center Holdings Private Limited, United Industrial Corporation Limited, and Hotel Marina City Private Limited.

Since November 3, 2011, he has been a Director of the PLDT Inc. He was also elected a Director of the Manila Electric Company on December 16, 2013. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, with a Bachelor of Science degree and Master of Science degree in Chemical Engineering.

 

Creating Meaningful Breakthroughs

In 1992, industrialist John Gokongwei Jr. and his brothers—Henry, Johnson, and James—established the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), with the goal of making a lasting impact on our nation’s education. Three decades later, the foundation is one of the largest philanthropic educational organizations in the country.

This year, GBF held a kick-off event that celebrates the joint launch of the Gokongwei Group’s master brand and the Foundation’s 30th Anniversary.

The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation has always believed in the role of good education in building a strong Philippine economy. For the past three decades, the foundation has equipped learners with the tools they need to grow and develop as well-rounded members of the community. It has also provided the content and technology teachers and other stakeholders need to develop their skills as educators.

The partnerships between GBF and the Gokongwei Group business units are dedicated to reach our ambition of fast-tracking the learning journey of 1 million learners and 10,000 educators by 2025.

 

A Yearlong Celebration

The Foundation is gearing toward these upcoming activities that will highlight GBF’s advocacy and commemorate our 30 years of service.

GBF STEM Advocate Awards

A recognition of outstanding educators, employees, and alumni for their contributions to STEM towards the growth of the Gokongwei Group and nation-building

STEM is for Every Juan

A people-driven campaign to increase appreciation of STEM in everyday life

30th Anniversary Thanksgiving Celebration

A multi-stakeholder, internal and external partners gathering that will conclude the yearlong celebration