Jose ‘Joecon’ Concepcion, industrialist and patriot, dies at 92
PRO-FILIPINO INDUSTRIALIST Jose Concepcion, Jr., who helped ensure Philippine democracy would benefit local manufacturers, died at the age of 92 on Wednesday, according to his family.
Mr. Concepcion, who is also known as “Joecon” in his public and private life, believed in the nation’s “ability to achieve economic development that was inclusive and pro-Filipino,” his family said in a statement. “He was the epitome of the patriot-industrialist.”
Mr. Concepcion advocated for fair and honest elections at a time when the country was struggling with an autocratic regime marked by corruption and human rights violations.
He was the founding chair of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel), which exposed massive cheating in the 1986 snap elections after the Commission on Elections declared strongman Ferdinand E. Marcos as the winner.
Namfrel’s incomplete count showed opposition leader Corazon C. Aquino was ahead of Mr. Marcos, prompting Filipinos to march along the capital region’s major thoroughfare and other parts of the country, in an uprising that saw the 20-year regime’s downfall.
“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness,” Mr. Concepcion was famously quoted as having said in 1986.
Mr. Concepcion was a delegate of the Constitutional Convention of 1971, championing principles that sought to democratize the nation’s capital base to allow Filipino manufacturers to thrive, his family said.
In the post-EDSA regime, Mr. Concepcion carried on with his pro-Filipino business crusade, serving as Trade Secretary from 1986 to 1991.
His motto — “Yes, the Filipino can!” — inspired local businesses to compete and improve in an economy that had been hounded by the remnants of dictatorship.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recognized Mr. Concepcion as a “stalwart of entrepreneurship and business advocacy.”
“His visionary leadership and dedication have left an indelible mark on the Philippine economic landscape,” Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual said in a Viber message.
To honor him, the flags at the department will be at half mast, said DTI Undersecretary Ed Sunico.
It was under Mr. Concepcion’s leadership when RFM Corp. pursued the path of diversification, venturing into animal feed milling, poultry, and livestock, said his son Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III, who founded a foundation for small businesses.
“Staying true to its vision of putting food on every Filipino table, RFM offered products that were mass-based, high-quality and low cost,” he added.
As a civil leader, Mr. Concepcion helped found the Bishop- Businessmen Conference for Human Development, the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Pasay Citizens’ League for Good Government.
In his retirement, he also served as chief of Forbes Park, a Philippine village where some of the country’s wealthiest families live, “famously alighting from his vehicle one night to direct traffic himself and unravel a gridlock.”
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said Mr. Concepcion helped pave the way for “stronger engagement of the business sector in international trade negotiations” and promoted business practices that are responsive to the needs of the society.
He also pushed for a “community that is vigilant for democratic processes,” it said in a statement.
The Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc., for its part, recognized Mr. Concepcion as an “industry captain” who significantly helped establish the Filipino brand in the consciousness of domestic and international markets.
“It was from him that we also learned and adopted inclusive growth as the fulcrum of our economic development,” the exporter group added.
Go Negosyo, Mr. Concepcion’s son Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III, said that it was under the leadership of the elder Concepcion when RFM Corp. ventured into animal feed milling, poultry, and livestock.
“These propelled RFM to establish itself as one of the leading food and beverage conglomerates in the Philippines. Staying true to its vision of putting food on every Filipino table, RFM offered products that were mass-based, high-quality and low cost,” Go Negosyo added.
Mr. Concepcion is survived by his wife, his eight children, his 31 grandchildren, and his twin brother, Raul.
“Joecon lived his life in adherence to his principles: that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” his family said. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza and Justine Irish P. Tabile