Editor’s note: Mercedes “Chita” Tan Gotianun, co-founder of the business organization Filinvest, passed away on December 11 at the age of 94. In this article, grandson Francis Gotianun, director of Filinvest Development Corp. , will pay tribute to his beloved mistress, widely regarded as the best complement to the defeated patriarch Andrew Gotianun Sr. and a woman who persisted in achieving her goals in ordinary ways.
I was in the hospital the day before my grandmother passed away and I was able to communicate with her one by one.
There were 3 things in his life that she did.
This company the moment he explained it.
She is now known as a pioneer in banking, but all because of her preference for helping her husband with what she considered a heavy burden. When they founded the Family Savings Bank, it had paved the way to be the first automatic savings bank. bank from the first day of operations in the Philippines, which allowed the bank to be known for its slogan “We pay interest daily”.
Because it was computerized, the bank was able to be the first to pay interest based on the depositor’s daily balance, while other banks paid interest based on the depositor’s lowest quarterly balance. The bank pioneered the status quo of domestic branches at a time when few banks were located in the most remote spaces of Luzon and in remote parts of Visayas and Mindanao, a service that allowed depositing and withdrawing at any branch in the country in the 70s before the Internet and pretelco rental lines, using microwaves. Connect connections to the knowledge center. While Family Bank temporarily achieved universal banking status, it eventually cemented its position as the first female president of a Philippine universal bank. When Family Bank was sold in the mid-80s, my grandparents retired.
But while many other people may have rested on their laurels, Andrew, with a Mercedes in hand and with his children, made the decision to relaunch the company in 1989. founder. He confronted Mindanao amid checkpoints and the sound of gunfire in the hills as he rehabilitated Davao Sugar Central and North Cotabato Sugar. She said this venture brought her the greatest satisfaction because she can see how the restart of the plant had brought peace. and prosperity to a hectic neighborhood.
The organization of corporations Filinvest has grown rapidly. Today, it is a major conglomerate with interests in Filinvest Land and Filinvest Alabang for land development, East West Bank for universal banking and Davao and North Cotabato Sugar Central for sugar. It also operates hotels under the Crimson and Quest brands, generates electricity from Filinvest Utilities and manages infrastructure through Clark International Airport, among other start-ups.
The third thing that explained her larger-than-life role as a mother and grandmother. They had 4 children: Andrew Junior, Jonathan, Josephine and Michael. He made traveling trips with his young grandchildren and spent summers with them, shaping their minds. and values with their consistent storytelling. He lived his values by example.
Our circle of family will not forget Ama as a loving and concerned mom and grandmother, and will serve as an example of a pioneering businesswoman who pursued everything with love and was the first in many things thanks to her courage, determination. and drive.
The last thing I discussed with him was not to worry about our circle of family and our things. I told her they were in good hands and that we would fight to build on her legacy and make her proud. Although the task ahead is daunting, I am sure that I do not carry this weight alone. I have a circle of loving and supportive family members and a circle of committed Filinvest family members with whom I know this will lead to a smart fortune, as many hands do smooth work.
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