‘Sui generis’: Tributes pour in for colorful, controversial Roberto Ongpin, 86

Sui generis.

Unique. One of a kind.

That’s how businessman Eric Recto, the nephew of Roberto V. Ongpin described the tycoon, former government minister and philanthropist who passed away in his sleep last Sunday, Feb 5  at the age of 86, leaving in his wake a colorful and controversial record of multibillion-peso business deals and policies that helped the country survive its most devastating economic crisis.

“‘Keep it simple’, he always said,” recalled Recto, who also served in government as Finance Undersecretary and followed his uncle’s path of carving out blockbuster business deals. “He made sure to train me well.”

At the time of his death — a surprise to relatives and associates who said he was not suffering from any health problem — Ongpin was working on expanding his exclusive Balesin Island resort off the coast of Quezon province by building another resort on the larger Patnanungan Island nearby.

His record of creating upscale leisure developments include the Alphaland Mountain Lodges in Baguio City, and his pioneer project in this field, Tagaytay Highlands, which was build in the early 1990s.

But before this, Ongpin was also the youngest person to have headed accounting and consultancy giant SGV & Co. before being “drafted” by President Marcos Sr. to serve as the country’s trade minister in 1979.

“Bobby Ongpin is unique,” said Roman Felipe “Manny” Reyes who was himself a former SGV partner before moving on to co-found and chair the Reyes Tacandong & Co. auditing firm. “He is a one-in-a-million guy.”

He recalled that SGV founder Washington Sycip cried when Mr. Marcos persuaded the young Ongpin to become the country’s trade chief.

“[Ongpin] was responsible for growing the consulting practice [of SGV] and growing the firm’s presence in the region,” Reyes said, adding that the aggressive Ongpin “had the biggest balls in SGV!”

Lawyer Mario Oreta — who served as Alphaland’s first president when Ongpin was rebuilding his business empire in the early 2000s expressed shock at his former boss’ sudden passing.

“Having known Bobby, I felt that he was beyond death,” said Oreta, who owns the Mario Miro restaurant in Silang, Cavite, where one of the private function rooms is called “Taviola di Roberto” or Roberto’s table. “He told me he would live until 96. And I believed him as I always did. I’m so very sad. He has affected my life significantly, and I will miss him.”

Businessman Gregorio Araneta dealt with Ongpin regularly, and acquired Philweb Corp. from the billionaire when the latter was under constant verbal attack from President Duterte for allegedly being an “oligarch.”

Araneta described Ongpin’s business practices as “imaginative” and added that he “enjoyed [Ongpin’s] friendship and benefited from his advice.”

Dennis Valdes, the former Alphaland president and also a nephew of Ongpin said his uncle “wasn’t sick, but if he was feeling anything, in true RVO mode, he never complained. So we aren’t aware of any health issue.”

“He lived a good life and was on ‘build mode’ all the way to the end,” he said.

On Monday morning, Alphaland president Rodolfo Ma. Ponferada announced that Ongpin’s wake will be opened to the public on Wednesday, Feb. 8, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Heritage Park in Taguig City.

Those wishing to commemorate the tycoon’s life are encouraged to donate to the Jaime V. Ongpin Scholarship Fund which Ongpin established in 1993 in memory of his late brother.

The scholarship endowment started with a seed fund of P1.5 million funding 10 scholars, and has since grown to P297 million funding 200 scholarships in seven Ateneo high schools nationwide.

To date, 2,207 students have graduated from high school thanks to the scholarship fund.