Robina Gokongwei

Last updated
Robina Gokongwei-Pe
Born (1962-07-15) 15 July 1962 (age 62)
NationalityFilipino
Education University of the Philippines
New York University
Occupation(s)Businesswoman, investor, philanthropist
Spouse
Perry Pe
(m. 1993)
Parent(s) John Gokongwei
Elizabeth Yu

Robina Gokongwei-Pe (born July 15, 1962) is a Filipino businesswoman who is currently chairman of Robinsons Retail. [1] She is the daughter of late tycoon John Gokongwei and Elizabeth Yu-Gokongwei. [2]

Contents

Business

Gokongwei served as the president and COO of Robinsons Retail in 1997 and then appointed as president and CEO of the company in 2018 before stepping down from both positions on January 1, 2025. [3] [4]

She is also a director of JG Summit Holdings, Robinsons Land, Cebu Pacific, and the now defunct Robinsons Bank Corporation. [5] She is a trustee and the secretary of the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Inc. and a trustee of the Immaculate Concepcion Academy Scholarship Fund. [6]

Gokongwei formerly wrote a column at The Philippine Star named Chicken Feed. [7] [8]

Kidnapping victim

Gokongwei was once kidnapped in the 1970s, only to be saved later by a unit of the Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group (MISG) led by Ping Lacson. When Lacson ran in 2022, she supported his campaign. [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

Sports

Gokongwei is a sponsor and patron for her alma mater’s men’s basketball team, the UP Fighting Maroons. [14] [15]

Personal life

Gokongwei is married to Perry Pe, an Atenista lawyer. [16] [17]

Robinsons Galleria urban legend

An urban legend relating to the Robinsons Galleria flourished in the 1990s, which claimed of a half-snake, half-human creature that resided in the basement of the mall and purported to be a lucky charm installed by the Gokongwei family, feeding it with unsuspecting victims from a supposed shaft from a dressing room. Among its supposed victims were actresses Alice Dixson and Rita Avila. Although the rumor is now considered absurd and dead, it was revived in 2010 after a supposed YouTube video depicting it surfaced. [18]

Gokongwei asserted in 2008 that the tale emerged from the "market competition". [19] Dixson herself dismissed the entire narrative as fake, and in 2020 she finally put the entire tale to rest through a YouTube video. [20] She had appeared in a videographic advertisement by the mall two years earlier, poking fun at and lampooning the extinct urban legend. [19] [21]

On January 27, 2025 ahead of the Chinese New Year which happens to be the year of the snake, Gokongwei poked fun at an urban legend in a Facebook post featuring herself posing with snake decorations at one of the Robinsons malls. [22] [23]

References

  1. Montejo, Jimmy (19 January 2025). "Robina Gokongwei-Pe: Newly minted chair of RRH". Manila Standard. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  2. San Juan, Ratziel (November 17, 2019). "Palace mourns Elizabeth Yu Gokongwei, 'heart and soul' of conglomerate family". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  3. Loyola, James A. (26 July 2024). "Stanley Co taking reins of Robinsons Retail from Robina Gokongwei-Pe". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  4. De Castro Jr., Isagani (26 July 2024). "Leadership transition: Robina Gokongwei to step down as CEO of Robinsons Retail". Rappler. Retrieved 7 March 2025.
  5. "Ending 2023 strong: Robina, Lance Gokongwei attend final Robinsons Bank board meeting". bilyonaryo.com. 2023-12-22. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  6. "'Wine' not? Robina Gokongwei shares how she became part of ICA scholarship board". bilyonaryo.com. 2023-09-07. Retrieved 2024-08-17.
  7. Gokongwei-Pe, Robina (May 26, 2002). "To have or not to have Children | CHICKEN FEED". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  8. Gokongwei-Pe, Robina (2003-02-09). "Memories of a Chinoy student in the '70s | CHICKEN FEED". www.philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  9. "As the Elections Die Down, Robina Gokongwei-Pe Remembers How Ping Lacson Once Saved Her Life". Esquire Philippines. May 13, 2022.
  10. Gabinete, Jojo (May 12, 2022). "Robina Gokongwei-Pe nagbigay-pugay kay Ping Lacson: "Time to relax, White Knight!"". PEP.ph.
  11. "Gokongwei's savior: Robina meets Ping Lacson, looks back on kidnapping rescue - Bilyonaryo Business News". bilyonaryo.com. 2022-04-21. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  12. "Time to Chill-chill: Robina Gokongwei sends off 'white knight' Ping Lacson with touching gift - Bilyonaryo Business News". bilyonaryo.com. 2022-05-12. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  13. Sunnexdesk (2019-11-11). "Bzzzzz: Lacson recalls kidnapping of Gokongwei daughter in Cebu". SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  14. "Top UP Maroons backer calls for calm after loss to Ateneo: 'Hey, we're 5-2'". Spin.ph. September 30, 2019. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  15. Gonzales, Irish. "Why Robina Gokongwei-Pe never gave up on the UP Maroons". Philstar Life. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  16. "'Opposites do distract!' UP-schooled Robina Gokongwei marks 30th wedding anniversary with Atenean hubby". bilyonaryo.com. 2023-02-19. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  17. Daza, Pat-P. (January 20, 2020). "My friend Robina". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  18. Bolando, AJ (October 29, 2013). "5 'creepiest, scariest' places in Metro Manila". PhilStar.com. Retrieved July 30, 2016.
  19. 1 2 "In time for Halloween, Alice Dixson makes light of urban 'snake' legend in ad". ABS-CBN News . October 31, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  20. "Was 'snake man' real or not? Alice Dixson finally puts reptilian rumors to rest". ABS-CBN News. July 25, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  21. Tapnio, Kevyn (October 31, 2018). "Alice Dixson Finally Meets the Famed Robinsons Galleria Snake in This New Video". SPOT.ph.
  22. Tunac, Hermes Joy (27 January 2025). "Ahead of the Year of the Snake, Robina Gokongwei-Pe pokes fun with photo of her 'twin'". GMA News Online. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  23. Uson, Melanie (27 January 2025). "LOOK: Robina Gokongwei-Pe's 'twin' snake makes appearance in Robinson's ahead of Lunar New Year". Philstar Life. Retrieved 5 March 2025.