José "Pepe" Chichioco Cojuangco Sr., KSS (July 3, 1896 – August 21, 1976) was a Filipino politician and banker who served as Representative of the 1st District of Tarlac in the Philippines from 1934 to 1946. Cojuangco is one of the patriarchs of the Cojuangco clan.
In 1938, Cojuangco co-founded the Philippine Bank of Commerce (PBC; later the Equitable PCI Bank), the first bank to be majority-owned by Filipinos. In 1963, he founded the First United Bank (later acquired by the Philippine Coconut Authority and renamed UCPB).
He was the father and grandfather of future Philippine presidents Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino III, respectively. His other grandchildren include actresses Kris Aquino and Mikee Cojuangco.
Personal life
Parents His grandfather Khó͘ Gio̍k-khoân () was the first José Cojuangco ("El Chino" José), the progenitor of the Cojuangco clan, from Hongjian, in Jiaomei Township, Zhangzhou in Fujian province.
His father was Melecio Cojuangco y Estrella, who was a skilled carpenter. Melecio helped build churches in Binondo, Bulacan and in Gapan, Nueva Ecija. Melecio's mother was Antera Estrella, a Tagalog from Malolos, a daughter of Felipe Estrella and Martina Calub Cruz. With the Estrella connection, the Cojuangcos gained their initial foothold in Nueva Ecija.
Melecio's wife was a Chinese mestiza, Tecla Chichioco y Jumaquio of Malolos and Hagonoy, Bulacan. She was a scion from the Spanish Valenzuela clan of Malolos, the Chinese Chichioco clan of Malolos, and the Japanese descendant hacienderos (plantation owners) Jumaquio clan of Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan. Tecla was the great-grandniece of Don Tiburcio Jumaquio and Doña Urzula Gutierrez, hacienderos and merchants of Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan. One of her blood relatives was Don Catalino Gutierrez Jumaquio, of Calizon, Paombong, Bulacan, in the late 1800s and one of the sons of Don Tiburcio and Doña Urzula. Melecio's siblings include elder sister Ysidra, who massively enlarged the already considerable Cojuangco fortune by buying land and dabbling in sugar mills and real estate; and younger sister, Trinidad, who died a spinster.
Siblings Cojuangco was the oldest of four siblings: Juan "Itoy" Chichioco Cojuangco (1st marriage to Elena Garcia / 2nd marriage to Lualhati Aldaba). His first wife, Doña Elena García Cojuangco, was a daughter of Spanish mestizo Gregorio García, who owned a rival sugar mill in Paniqui, Tarlac. His second wife, Lualhati "Hatì" Aldaba was a sister of Opera Guild of the Philippines founder Dalisay Aldaba and also the sister of the Philippine Government's first Social Secretary, Estefania Aldaba Lim. Juan Cojuangco died without legitimate heirs, although he sired a daughter through his sister-in-law, Imelda García. Antonio Chichioco Cojuangco, Sr., who married Victoria Uychuico, a Chinese mestiza from Tarlac. Antonio was a doctor in Manila. He was massacred at De La Salle College by the Japanese in the final days of the Second World War, together with his wife, adopted son Ricardo ("Carding"), daughter Trinidad, household staff and neighbors. His daughter Trinidad was married to Servillano "Billy" Aquino II (a half brother of Benigno Aquino Jr.). His son, Ramón ("Monching"), was the owner of the PLDT and the father of Antonio, Jr. ("Tony Boy"), former chairman of TV5. Eduardo "Endeng" Chichioco Cojuangco Sr. was José's youngest brother. He married Josephine Murphy, a Miss Baguio beauty queen and only daughter of Alhambra Theater owner John J. Murphy. Murphy, who later made Baguio his home, was a former United States Army soldier and paymaster to Colonel Lyman Kennon (for whom Kennon Road was named). Murphy and his battalion initially pursued Emilio Aguinaldo up to the Sierra Madre. Endeng is the father of Eduardo Cojuangco Jr.
Among the four male heirs of the Cojuangcos, Don Pepe (as José was remembered) was the only one born in Malolos, Bulacan, where his father Melecio built the secret stairway in Barasoain Church used by the Spanish friars to smuggle women into their private quarters. The old Cojuangco-Chichioco mansion still stands a few meters from the Barasoain Church on land inherited by Tecla from her father. It is maintained for the Cojuangcos by their Chichioco-Jumaquio relatives. The physical address used to be 540 Paseo del Congreso but the locals called it Calle de las Mestizas (Street of the Mestizas) on account of the numerous women who lived there, offspring of the friars nearby. After World War II, the name was changed to Santo Niño Street, Mestizohin District.
Wife and children Cojuangco was married to Demetria "Metring" Sumulong, daughter of Senator Juan Marquez Sumulong of Rizal province and sister to Lorenzo Sumulong, also a Philippine senator. Their law offices were located within Manila's Plaza Cervantes where Metring used to serve as legal assistant. Demetria was also related to Senator Ceferino de Leon of San Miguel de Mayumo, Bulacan (Senator De Leon's daughter was Philippine Carnival Queen Trinidad Roura de Leon, wife of President Manuel Roxas, whose grandson Mar Roxas would be Demetria's grandson Noynoy Aquino's vice president running mate.) Family lore has it that Don Pepe's grandfather, "El Chino" José, insisted his eldest grandson to marry Metring since she had a mole under her nose, which would bring Pepe wealth beyond compare during his lifetime. The most obedient of the four boys, Don Pepe did not object to the marriage.
The couple had eight children: Ceferino (died August 26, 1925) Pedro or "Pete" (October 19, 1926 - July 20, 2011), married to Rosario "Sari" Cacho. Their younger son, Fernando "Nando" Cojuangco, is the administrator of Hacienda Luisita. Rosario Cacho is the youngest sister of Milagros (wife of Manuel Araneta) who is the mother of Louise "Liza" Cacho Araneta, wife of Bongbong Marcos Josephine (November 26, 1927 - July 26, 2011), married to Nicanor Reyes, Jr., whose family founded Far Eastern University and the FEU-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation. She was named after Josephine Murphy Cojuangco, wife of her uncle Eduardo "Endeng" Cojuangco Sr. (father of Danding). She was president of FEU from 1985 to 1989 and held graduate degrees in education. Teresita or "Terry" (March 26, 1929 - January 16, 2005), married to Ricardo "Baby" Lopa (whose brother Manuel Lopa, Jr. married Maria Teresa Araneta, sister of Manuel Araneta and paternal aunt of Liza Cacho Araneta - Marcos), was born in 1929. The Lopa clan, through their patriarch Manuel Lopa, Sr. and matriarch Purificacion Tagle-Abad, (grandniece of the famed José Tagle - hero of the Battle of Imus and immortalized in a beautiful Fernando Amorsolo painting), were close business associates of the Cojuangcos who have mutual investments in Mantrade, First Manila Management, Pantranco, First United Bank, Central Azucarera de Tarlac, and Nissan Philippines. The Lopas made their fortune in the automotive and transportation industries, and were co-founders of Equitable Bank (now BDO Unibank). Lopa and his siblings were known for their extensive collection of Manansala, Amorsolo and other Filipino masterpiece paintings amassed during the 1960s when his father, Don Manuel, and father-in-law, Don Pepe, were at the height of their wealth. Carmen (June 20, 1931 - September 25, 1932) Maria Corazon or "Cory" (January 25, 1933 - August 1, 2009), In 1954, she married Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Benigno, or "Ninoy", with President Ramon Magsaysay as one of the sponsors. Ninoy's grandfather, Servillano Aquino, was a general in the revolutionary army against Spain while his father, Benigno Aquino, Sr. was the Speaker of the National Assembly during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Honest politicians, General Servillano and his son were known to refuse any government salary or stipend. To finance their political activities, the elder Aquinos hocked their three largest haciendas away: Hacienda Lawang, Hacienda Murcia and Hacienda Tinang. By the time of Ninoy's marriage to Cory, much of the Aquino lands have dwindled. To finance his own political ambitions and election kitty, Ninoy was assisted by his dutiful wife who sold some of her assigned inheritance such as a one hectare sized lot in Wack-Wack subdivision near Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. The couple opted to build their very simple home in a very middle class area that is Times Street. Ninoy was previously the youngest governor of Tarlac and a Philippine senator, the staunchest critic of President Ferdinand Marcos and a protégé of President Ramon Magsaysay. Ninoy was assassinated at the tarmac of Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983. She became the 11th president of the Philippines. José Jr. or "Peping" (born September 19, 1934), married to Margarita "Tingting" Manzano de los Reyes. Peping was president of the Philippine Olympic Committee and previously a representative of the first legislative district of Tarlac. Margarita was governor of Tarlac (1992–1998). Through her de los Reyes side of the family, she is related to Gilbert Teodoro (Teodoro's great-grandfather was a de los Reyes love child), Manila Carnival Queen and billionaire attorney Pacita de los Reyes y Ongsiako (later married to an American serviceman) and Imelda de la Paz Ongsiako (who married Ramon Cojuangco). One of Peping's daughters married into the Benetton family of Italy that owns the iconic United Colors of Benetton brand, as well as vineyards and lands estancias in Argentina. Maria Paz or "Passy" (May 3, 1938 - June 2, 2015), married to Ernesto "Esting" Teopaco. The Teopacos were the neighbors of the Cojuangcos on Roberts Street in Pasay. Other families residing on said road were the Elizaldes, Sorianos, Quezons, Lopas, Cu-Unjiengs and the Oppens (the parents of Gretchen Oppen, the wife of Danding Cojuangco). The Teopaco-Cojuangcos were once known for their winning collection of gamecocks in the 1960s and 1970s.
World War II
In the 1940s, with less than a day's notice, he left the Cojuangco mansion (built in 1933) along Agno Street (near De La Salle College) in Malate, Manila for the safety of Antipolo, Rizal (political bailiwick of his wife's relatives). Meanwhile, his aunt Ysidra and brother Eduardo Sr. ("Endeng") fled to Baguio city where they thought the Japanese would not go and where there were large Cojuangco apartments. (Endeng's mother-in-law Gregoria Beley Murphy was in Baguio as well.) His relative Antonio stayed behind due to his son's fever.
While Ysidra, her nephews and their families all sought shelter at the Baguio Cathedral during the bombardments, the Antonio Cojuangcos were trapped in the De La Salle College chapel where they were massacred by the desperate Japanese. Only two survived, the siblings Lourdes ("Lulu") and Ramon ("Monching"). Monching's wife, Natividad "Nene" de las Alas, was also hacked to death. Lulu was saved when a bayonet hit Monching's first born, who she was holding. Lulu would later marry Luis Tirso Rivilla of Ormoc City and Monching would later marry Imelda dela Paz Ongsiako.
As the eldest Cojuangco male, Pepe felt partly to blame for the near decimation of the Antonio Cojuangco branch. From that day on, Cojuangco and his relatives never lived in Malate ever again. He sent Monching, Lulu and his own children to the United States for their studies. (Ravenhill Academy, College of Mount Saint Vincent, et al.). He cared for Antonio's children as if they were his own.
1950s
As his businesses outside of Tarlac flourished, Cojuangco invited the rest of his family to join him. His brother, Itoy, and Antonio's son, Monching, benefited from this arrangement. Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco Jr., eldest son of Endeng, declined.