Mr. Jonathan T. Gotianun

68 years old

Chairman of Filinvest Development Corporation and other Filinvest Development Corp.’s principal subsidiaries, among others

Please also tell us about your family history. How long have you been married and how many children do you have?

I have been married for 41 years and have 5 children.

Your father passed away in 2016. Please tell us your fondest memories of him. What was he like as a father? And what were the most important lessons in business and in life that you learned from him?  

Many knew that my father, Andrew Gotianun Sr., built his fortune as the patriarch of the Filinvest group of companies. Not too many people knew of his journey before he became a successful entrepreneur.  

He was born in Amoy, China on November 24, 1927. He was a child of Chinese immigrants who established a thriving trading business in Cebu. Like many others, the family business suffered huge losses from World War II. This forced my father to start working at the tender age of 18. He salvaged naval vessels known as minesweepers for inter-island shipping. He dropped out of college two years later to support his family after my grandfather’s untimely demise. 

I was still a toddler when the family relocated to Manila. Together with my mother, Mercedes, my father planted the seeds of Filinvest in 1955 by opening a second-hand car financing business. They converted the ground floor of their home in Quiapo into an office. In the 1960s, the family started to venture into the property development business, beginning with a subdivision project in Cebu, St. Michael.

Until he died at 88 years old in 2016, my father has never stopped working. Being entrepreneurial and inquisitive were his innate character. His world was always filled with wonderment; either he was trying new things or figuring out how to make a better version.    

He passed this on to us as he taught us many things: the value of discipline, integrity, and hard work; setting a good example; having an entrepreneurial mindset; constantly learning new things and improving on whatever we were doing; planning ahead and working towards our objectives until we succeed; being innovative and forward looking, watching out for new opportunities; respecting and being fair with other people; being honest, truthful, transparent; and having a generous spirit and contributing to the greater good, among others.

What was it like when you became a father yourself? What changed in you? And what sort of adjustments did you have to make in your life? 

I got married when I was 27 years old. Fatherhood is something I learn through time. Even after raising 5 children, I don’t think I can say my work as a father is already done. It’s a continuing education. You make some mistakes along the way, you try to learn from them, and commit to be better. I’m fortunate that I have a father whom I consider as a good role model. 

But as I got older, I realized that the circumstances he and I faced as fathers are different. The way we brought up our children, as well as the milieu, are also different. So I’d like to think the challenges I met along the way also helped me learn to be a better father. As a father, you learn to be more mindful of other people’s needs, not just your own. You listen more and talk less, be more consistent, and more positive. You offer constructive advice and encouragement instead of being overtly critical.

How did you spend quality time with your child/children when they were little? What are your fondest memories of them growing up?

When the kids were younger, their needs were simpler. We would eat out, go to movies together, and spend time together (whether it is just hanging out at home or going on short vacations). Of course, we also spend time shopping (mostly window shopping). I like going to the bookstore so I would take them and buy any book they wanted. We didn’t limit them as far as buying books were concerned.  

What would you say is your parenting style?

I think I’m a cool dad. When they were younger, of course, we set some rules like, “Do your homework before doing other things (such as watching TV, chatting with friends),” “Eat your meals properly,” “Always let us know your activities and whereabouts,” “Try to be neat,” etcetera. 

When they became older, we let them do whatever they wanted. We left them to their own devices. But we always keep an open communication line. They know they can ask us any questions or advice, and we are always ready to help. We don’t have a long list of do’s and don’ts. I don’t even check up on their grades; they were not important to me. What’s more important in school is to learn how to learn and to love learning. They must never stop learning even after leaving school. We try to teach them the right values as we have been taught by our own parents.

What are the most important lessons you are teaching your kids now? 

Some of the things we teach are the things I learned from my own parents. We want our children to be disciplined and productive, who try to be the best they can be and contribute, not just to their own development and success, but also to the greater good. To be a force for good, and a responsible citizen. A person not solely focused on self but is more outward oriented, who can have a positive impact on others and on society in their own way. To value simplicity, integrity, and service, and to live accordingly. As I am Roman Catholic, living a life that is worthy to be called a Christian (a follower of Christ) is important.

Your children represent the next generation of Gotianuns that will possibly take over the business in the future. How are you preparing them for this responsibility? Have they expressed any intentions or desire to join the family business? 

We try to teach them the right values and have a good culture growing up. We gave them all the opportunities to gain a good education, and encouraged them to take on-the-job training opportunities wherever they can. It’s up to them if they want to do this in the Philippines or abroad; they have our support. 

We also encouraged them to gain work experience to broaden their perspectives or pursue post-graduate studies. If they consider working in the business we are involved in, they must have the right competencies and values, and show that they are capable to be hired. 

Tell us about spending quality time with your kids now? What do you like to do on a typical day together? 

Practically all of them no longer live with us now. So we try to seize every opportunity to spend more time and bond whenever we can, particularly on weekends when they have more time. 

We enjoy taking vacations together, whether only for a few days or a bit longer. Going to a new place is always a favorite pastime. Eating out together as a family is also popular with the kids.

What would you say are the most difficult aspects of being a father? As a counterpoint, what are the most rewarding aspects of it?

I suppose telling a child he might need to do something differently is one of the most difficult aspects of being a father. Giving thoughtful guidance while respecting the person’s autonomy and freedom is always a challenge. As fathers, we do know some things, but we don’t know everything. So they have to decide things on their own and to chart their own course, hopefully guided by the values we have imparted to them. We can’t live their lives for them. We are happy when they are able to put into practice the lessons we have taught them and attain some level of fulfillment, happiness, and peace in their lives.

How are you planning to spend Father's Day this year? 

With the quarantine restrictions, particularly for people our age, maybe the best place to celebrate is still at home. We’ll just be content eating some takeout food as long as we get together. Nothing fancy.

Mr. Francis C. Gotianun

36 years old (eldest son of Jonathan T. Gotianun and Cristina Consunji)

Senior Vice President of Filinvest Hospitality Corp.

How would you describe your dad? 

I think of my dad as an intelligent, diligent, inquisitive, and passionate individual. He thinks things through and considers carefully all the scenarios before making a decision. Once he decides, he works to get it done and done right. He is always reading and learning. He is someone who likes challenging the norm, always pushing to see things done better and from a new perspective. He is dedicated to his work and his family and passionate about seeing both thrive and succeed. He is a caring individual who always tries to live by the Jesuit motto of “Man for Others.” 

I could not be more blessed with anyone than my dad. He has given his whole life to make sure he is there for all of us — spiritually, mentally, and physically. There was not even a single moment in my childhood when he missed spending dinner or weekends with us. I always felt that he was always available to listen, guide, and console us. It was only later when I came to understand how much responsibility he had at work that I started to realize how devoted my father is to his family. He would always try his best to understand where his kids were coming from, and adjust to us when we were growing up — always giving us the space to discover ourselves, but always close by in case we fall and need to get back up again.   

What is your current involvement in the family business? 

Over ten years ago, I joined the family business after finishing my MBA at IESE in Barcelona. Serendipitously, there was an opening in the company for someone to help manage the up-and-coming hospitality business of the group. At the time, the business was just about to finish its maiden hospitality project, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan, and close to finishing two other hotel projects: Quest Hotel and Conference Center Cebu and Crimson Hotel Filinvest City. The opportunity to help manage these hotels lined up perfectly with my own career aspirations of getting into real estate and, more specifically, hospitality development. 

Ten years on, I’m responsible for growing and managing the hospitality portfolio of the group under the homegrown hotel and resorts brands: Crimson, Quest (for the mid-market), and Grafik (for young travelers). Today, we have over 1,800 keys under management across our seven properties. 

In addition to my hospitality responsibilities, I sit on the Board of Filinvest Land and serve as a member of the executive committee. Recently, I have started to get involved in charting a new and exciting course for Filinvest Land: the creation and operation of a REIT company to be eventually called Filinvest REIT Corp. and its contemplated offering, subject of course to the approval of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

How did your dad inspire you to join the family business? 

My business education started early. At a young age, I was already going to the Filinvest office to visit my dad and to see my grandparents, aunt, and uncles, who all built the business. 

My dad’s enthusiasm and excitement for the family business inspired me to join. He always jokingly said, “TGIM” (Thank God, it’s Monday), because he was always anticipating his exciting week ahead.  

In the mid-1980s, we left for the US and came back to the Philippines in the early 1990s. The projects we saw in California inspired what would become our projects here, namely Filinvest City (inspired by Irvine in Orange County) and Northgate Cyberzone (inspired by Silicon Valley in San Jose). The family also foresaw that the business process outsourcing (BPO) trend would one day arrive in the Philippines. This vision emboldened them to build a world-class purpose-built office complex that will be home to BPOs and technology companies, just like in Silicon Valley. 

This California dream is now known as Northgate Cyberzone, an 18.7-hectare PEZA Special Economic Zone in Filinvest City in Alabang that is home to one of the earliest BPO campuses in the country. It is also why Filinvest takes great pride in being a pioneer and having one of the longest track records in leasing office spaces to BPOs. We even hired a Silicon Valley-based architect for the first office building in Northgate Cyberzone. 

Once approved by the SEC and PSE, I believe that the business of Filinvest REIT Corp., as well as its upcoming REIT offer, will help usher a new phase of growth for Filinvest and unlock the value for our stakeholders, as well as the work that my father and our family have been doing over the last 60 years. It is not just the fulfillment of our Silicon Valley dream, but more importantly, the Filipino dream as well. My grandfather has passed on this vision, and it’s up to us to preserve his legacy as a builder of dreams. As American author Chuck Palahniuk said, “The goal isn’t to live forever; it is to create something that will.”