• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

<Note>A Note on Information Sources on Philippine Business Title History Author(s) Yoshihara, Kunio Citation 東南アジア研究 (1984), 22(3): 307-315 Issue Date 1984-12 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/56178 Right Type Departmental Bulletin Paper Textversion publisher Kyoto University Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 22, No.3, December 1984 A Note on Information Sources on Philippine Business History Ku nio YOSHIHARA* Studies on Philippine industrialization is necessary. usually focus on overall performance, structural change, and other statistically Company History. When I started my study comprehensive aggregates. If non-statistical in the early 1970s, the only substantial matters are dealt with, they are largely company history available was that of San confined to government policy. These Miguel Corp., which was published 111 aspects are undoubtedly important, but 1940 to celebrate its 50th anniversary (San hardly any studies deal with participants Miguel Brewery, Inc., Golden Jubilee, in industrialization (the only exception is 1890-1940, 1940).Il In the past 10 years John Carroll, The Filipino Manufacturing or so, several company histories have been Entrepreneur: Agent and Product of published. In 1973, Aboitiz & Co. pub­ Change, Ithaca, Cornell University Press, lished a company history (Aboitiz & Co., 1965). This is said to be due to the The Story of Aboitiz & Co., Inc., and the limited availability of company histories, Men behind It, Cebu, 1973), and it was biographies, and other micro data. But probably around this time that the history for the Philippines, such information is of Smith, Bell, & Co. appeared (Under more abundant than generally thought. I Four Flags: The Story of Smith, Bell, & describe below the sources of information Co. in the Philippines, n. d.). I could use for my research on major Then in 1975, Manila Cordage put out manufacturing companies in the early a company history (Ma. Theresa Colayco, 1970s. Since I was primarily concerned The Ropemakers: The Story of Manila with tracing their history, this note might Co rdage Co., 1975), and in the following be of interest to those who want to trace year so did Manila Electric Co. (Manila business history from more recent times, Electric Company: A Brief History, 1976). but might be of limited use to those In 1978, three more came out: Ma. Theresa who are concerned with companies which Colayco, Seeds and Suds: The History of existed at one time but have since disap­ Philippine Refining Company, 1978; Ed. C. peared. Especially for those who are con­ de Jesus, The Amon Story, 1978; and Ed. cerned with Japanese companies before the C. de Jesus, Benguet Consolidated, Inc. 1903- Pacific War, an entirely new search method 1) If the name of a publisher is missing for a work cited, it was privately printed. If the * 5JJ.¥.:~t*=, The Center for Southeast Asian place of publication is omitted, 1t was pUb­ Studies, Kyoto University lished in Metro Manila. 307 1978, 1978. Two years later, two more scope, it is comparable with a major company histories were issued: Ed. C. de company history in any industrial country Jesus, Fit at Fifty: 1931-1981 Engineering and appears to be the most comprehensive Equipment Inc., 1981 and Emili Raventos, company history in Southeast Asia. It La Compania Gene ral de Tabacos de Fili­ seems that the Spaniards' love for history, pina, 1881-1981, Barcelona, 1981. Finally, especially the Philippines' Spanish heritage, in the near future, the Bank of the made this possible. Tabacalera not only Philippine Islands will publish a history kept records on its Philippine operation (the manuscript has been completed by but also collected materials on Philippine Ma. Theresa Colayco). history and, when the time came to Compared with the company history in celebrate its centennial, decided to make an industrial country (say Japan), most major efforts to record its footprints in of the Philippine company histories are the Philippines. short. They are about 100 pages long (some a little shorter and others a little Biography. Earl Carroll is an American longer), whereas it is not unusual for the businessman whose name is closely asso­ Japanese company history to be several ciated with Philippine-American Life In­ hundred pages long. One problem in surance. His biography came out a few publishing a more detailed history is the years ago (Ed. C. de Jesus and Carlos lack of relevant records. In particular, it Quirino, Earl Carroll: Colossus ofPhilippine is unusual for a Philippine company to Insurance, the Underwriters Publications have prewar records, since most were Co., 1980). destroyed during the Pacific War. Until The biography of Jose Yulo by Baldo­ recently, it was possible to make up for mero Olivera (Baldomero Olivera, Jose this by interviewing people who used to Yulo: the Selfless Statesman, The U. P.­ work for the company, but this is now Jorge B. Vargas Filipiniana Research difficult. Even when it was possible, the Center, 1981) deals mainly with his career executives were foreigners who had retired as a civil servant and politician, but because to their home countries and were difficult of his acquisition of Calamba Sugar Estate, to get in touch with. This problem could it is of some interest to those interested be partly overcome if there were sufficient in Philippine business history, particularly funds available for the history project, the part dealing with how he came to but most companies could not afford to acquire the sugar estate. allocate a large enough sum. This financial Guillermo Guevara may be better known constraint tended to favor a short history as an authority on criminal justice than as even if enough information for a longer a businessman, but in early postwar years, one was available. he and his sons were pioneers in Philip­ The only exception is the history of pine industrialization. His autobiography Tabacalera. In terms of both length and (Guillermo Guevara, Across Four Genera- 308 K. YOSHIHARA: A Note on Information Sources on Philippine Business History tions, United Publishing Co., 1973) traces Pacific Banking Corp. A few years after his life from the late 19th century up to his death a book came out containing his the early 1970 s. Compared with other biographical data (Tsai Wen-Hua Hsien­ biographies, which tend to emphasize the Sheng Chi-Nien Chi, Don Antonio Roxas political side of life, this gives a personal Chua Foundation, 1980). This is not a account of how he got involved in business biography in the usual sense, but it and the problems he faced in his manu­ gives a great deal of information on his facturing ventures. life, and because of this, is valuable to Oscar Lopez has published a Lopez family those interested in business history. In tree (Oscar Lopez, The Lopez Family, Vol. Southeast Asia, the Chinese dominate I, Eugenio Lopez Foundation, 1982). His business, but biographical information on is a big family, so relationships within it them is extremely scarce. This book on were difficult to determine. The central Antonio Roxas Chua, being about 500 business figure in the family in the 1950s pages long (though with many pictures), and 1960s was Eugenio Lopez. With this is a welcome addition to the present state book, it is now possible to say how he of knowledge on Chinese entrepreneurs in was related to other Lopez who owned the region. sugar centrals in Negros and to Lopez A biography of Claus Spreckels (Jacob daughters who married prominent Filipino Adler, Claus Spreckels: The Sugar King leaders in Manila. in Hawaii, Honololu, University Press of There is also an autobiography by Hawaii, 1966) deals with the period before Teofilo Reyes, Sr., in Tagalog (Teofilo the Spreckels got involved in the Philip­ Reyes, Taginting ng Kampana, 1<.• P. Garcia pines, but it is useful as background read­ Publishing Co., 1973). He began his career ing. Theo Davies is another American as a professor at Far Eastern University, company which came from Hawaii to the and later became a dean at the University Philippines. A family history of the Davies of Manila. Then he went into business. has been written by Edwin Hoyt, and is of Among the companies he established, the more direct relevance to those interested best known is Reyes Auto Supply (a in Philippine business history, but unfor­ manufacturer of "Triple A" batteries). He tunately, it has not come out yet. 2l then went into politics and left business to A few family histories have been written his wi fe and sons. So, he was not directly by a Filipino historian, Carlos Quirino, involved in the more substantial businesses commissioned by the families concerned. the family founded later (such as Overland These are The Cojuangco Family (1968), Department Store and Overland Hosiery The Ayala and the Zobel Families (1975), Mills), but his autobiography is still useful and Philippine Tycoon: The Life and Times as a background reading. 2) Correspondence with Marsha Kitagawa, Antonio Roxas Chua is known for sugar Communications Coordinator for Theo Davies trading and as the major architect of (August 6, 1982). 309 of Vicente Madrigal (1967). Unfortunately, Silverio group of companies (September none of these have been published. The 30, 1969), Prudential Bank (December 7, first two are difficult to get hold of, but 1969), the Marcelo group of companies the third is available in manuscript form (April 5, 1970), Pacific Banking Corp. at the American Historical Collection in (June 24, 1970), and China Banking Corp. Manila. (August 16, 1970). Newspaper. There are a number of news­ Directory. A number of directories have papers published in the Philippines, some been published on people and companies of which began before the war, which in the Philippines. A book published in contain bits and pieces of information, and England entitled Seaports of the Far East sometimes in-depth news, on companies (London, Allister Macmillan, 1907) is not and entrepreneurs.

Load more

  10

Copy Link