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Tuesday, 7th February 2023



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Message from Lopez

Oscar M. Lopez: even at 85, there are worlds left to conquer

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OSCAR-M.LOPEZOscar M. LopezA very good evening to all of you. I thank you for taking the time and effort to attend this evening’s presentation and festivities. Each of you has been an important part of my life, and I consider myself very blessed and very fortunate to be able to share this evening with you. To be able to reach the age of 85, even in this day and age, is an achievement worth celebrating. And to be able to do so in a healthy, ambulatory state, with all my mental faculties still spinning, is, to use a Gen X/Gen Y word, simply AWESOME!!

I suppose it means that for all the challenges and obstacles that life has posed, it has also provided many kind and gentle moments. It means that life’s journey has, to this point, not been a lonely and cheerless one; rather, it has been a stimulating, often exciting journey in the company of warm and wonderful friends, associates and family. And so once again, I thank all of you for having been part of my journey to I don’t know what ages. But I hope another 8 to 10 years. But I am not yet 85 today. I will reach that exact date on Sunday, April 19 and then I will be in our Baguio home in Camp John Hay, on the edge of huge pine forest, where I can fill my lungs with unpolluted fresh air.

Tonight, we have been entertained by a show that sets elements of that journey to music. I congratulate those who painstakingly put it together. It tells, or sings, of some of the things that I have stood for, that have given my life meaning: the values that I have tried to live by, my passions, my advocacies and my interests. In the metaphoric library that is my life, they are like paintings on the wall, and framed pictures on the mantle. And as I sit among these paintings and pictures, memories and thoughts occur like comforting books and pieces of music on a cold, rainy night.

The trees we planted, the mountains we climbed, the early morning walks and calisthenics for exercise, day-long treks through the rain forest seeking to identify new species of plant life, visits to bookstores all over the world, concerts attended, cruises along the coast, good food tasted, trips with the children and grandchildren. These are all of great comfort and satisfaction to someone fortunate enough to be able to ease himself into the senior years. And for all of that, I am most grateful.

I am also most grateful for the many marches that I have led, and the many battles that I have fought, at the head of first, the First Holdings Group of Companies, and later, the wider Lopez Group of Companies when my elder brother died in 1994. It is a privilege to have taken my turn as chief steward of our businesses, and to have left them in a better state than when I took them over. It is a bit saddening that some of my colleagues have gone ahead, or have retired, so that I do not see them among you tonight.

But it also warms my heart that I have been able to pass the torch of leadership on to the next Lopez generation with my son Federico or Piki and my nephew Gabby Lopez and their core of young, dynamic executives who have been prepared well for the challenges of bringing our businesses forward.

The good news for me is that, even at 85, and this also applies to those of you who here tonight who are likewise in their seventies, eighties, and even nineties, there are worlds left to conquer. If there is anything that characterizes our world today, it is the fact that technology, life science, information and software make it possible for even the most senior of us to remain productive.

I would dearly love to be able to continue climbing mountains, although I can accept that I may not be strong enough to do so any more, except on a very good day with very good climbing companions and given enough time to rest at intervals during the climb. The same goes for hikes in the rain forest. But I can still lose myself in the great biodiversity of our native hardwood trees, and occasionally, go out and plant one, fully expecting to see it grow to relative maturity.

I can still champion our need to be more aware, more knowledgeable, and more involved in protecting ourselves, our people and our country from the adverse effects of climate change. I can still climb with some difficulty six flights of stairs to my office, to show all the young ones that wellness is something that really pays off. I can dabble in the design and creation of a music hall where young Filipino artists will be able to express themselves through beautiful classic and contemporary music. And there are many, many things that I can still do to contribute to a better system of education for our youth. 

When I look at our world today, I see a glass half full. I see a Philippines with the potential and opportunity to leap forward in a way that it has never done before. In a way that, having shown the same promise in the fifties, it failed to do so in the sixties. That opportunity has taken all of fifty years, a full generation, to recur. We cannot afford to waste it again. I hope and pray that we choose our next leaders well, and we should all do everything we can to make it happen. But if the country is to take that leap forward, then it will require the passion, dedication and effort of all Filipinos, of all ages, to do it. 

There is so much that we can do, that we can contribute, each in our own big or little way, so that we can wake up every morning energized and eager to do something positive. On that note, I look forward to getting together with you again in around five years’ time to talk about what we will have accomplished between now and then. If I can last that long!

Let me close by saying that a walk through life without a companion would be just about the loneliest thing that I can imagine. For the better part of 59 years, I have walked with a companion, a friend, and a partner who has been loving, steadfast and supportive, and with whom I have been able to share everything – all the good times as well as the bad these past 59 years. My dear wife Connie, thank you for being with me all this time and caring for our big family. I also thank all my 8 children, 28 grandchildren for all their love and support for our family. 

Again, good evening and thank you all!!

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Archive

  • ► 2022
    • ► December
      • • Let’s help one another heal
      • • Building a resilient Philippines
      • • Our hope this Christmas
      • • Remembrance, reflection, gratitude
  • ► 2021
    • ► December
      • • Honoring the reason for Christmas
      • • Prosperity for all
      • • A time of cheer
      • • Making Christmas memorable
  • ► 2020
    • ► December
      • • Humanity at its finest
      • • Moving forward in a new world
      • • Hope for better days
      • • Stewardship and fidelity
  • ► 2019
    • ► December
      • • The truest treasure
      • • Continuing our great work
      • • The gift of life
      • • Seeking peace
      • • Perfectly united
  • ► 2018
    • ► December
      • • Let’s help keep the lights on
      • • Family is our place of love
      • • Spreading Christmas cheer
      • • Renewing family ties
    • ► March
      • • Keeping the lights on in the transition to an all-renewable future
  • ► 2017
    • ► December
      • • Together we have stepped up
      • • A year of rebirth and gratitude
      • • Looking forward, looking back
  • ► 2016
    • ► December
      • • Choosing to be powered by good
      • • Our mission remains the same
      • • Remember God’s love
      • • Changing with the changing times
      • • Each Christmas is a new opportunity
    • ► June
      • • Keynote Remarks of First Philippine Holdings chairman and CEO Federico R. Lopez at the 3rd Annual Summit of the Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines on June 17, 2016
      • • Keynote Remarks of Lopez Holdings chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez at the 3rd Annual Summit of the Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines on June 17, 2016
  • ► 2015
    • ► December
      • • Continue to push the boundaries
      • • We cannot lose hope in the Filipino
      • • Let us count our blessings every day
      • • Thank you for a remarkable year
      • • The wonders of Christmas
    • ► October
      • • Remarks of Chairman Emeritus Oscar M. Lopez, on the Lopez Achievement Awards 2014 held at Studio 10, ABS-CBN Compound on October 15, 2015
      • • Remarks of Federico R. Lopez at the 2014 Lopez Achievement Awards Ceremony held at ABSCBN Studio 10 on October 15, 2015
    • ► July
      • • For love of country, we are prepared to take action to make it better
    • ► May
      • • Remarks of Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez, Chairman and CEO of Lopez Holdings Corporation, at the Annual Stockholders’ Meeting held at Power Plant Mall Cinema, Rockwell Center, Makati City
      • • Remarks of Federico R. Lopez, Chairman and CEO, at First Gen Annual Stockholders Meeting on May 13, 2015
      • • Remarks of Federico R. Lopez at the Annual Stockholders' Meeting of Energy Development Corporation on May 5, 2015
      • • Oscar M. Lopez: even at 85, there are worlds left to conquer
    • ► April
      • • The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name
      • • Oscar M. Lopez on Longevity and Success
    • ► March
      • • Remarks of Lopez Group Chairman Emeritus Oscar M. Lopez at the 2012 Commencement Exercises of the University of the Philippines and Conferment of the degree of Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa
    • ► February
      • • Excellence is a Habit
    • ► January
      • • Towards A New Year of Promise
  • ► 2014
    • ► December
      • • Christmas is a time for gratitude
      • • Christmas message from Eugenio Lopez III
      • • Christmas message from Federico R. Lopez III
      • • Christmas message from Presentacion L. Psinakis
      • • Christmas message from Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez
      • • Christmas message from Oscar M. Lopez
    • ► October
      • • The Parley between Lopez and Marcos
      • • Why Choose Philippines?
      • • When War Escalates to Devastating Results
      • • The Inevitable Decline: Did Marcos Finally Go Too Far?
      • • Mayhem in Malacañang: Find Out What Caused Eñing’s Massive Fit
      • • The Yolanda Hero and the Unsung Hero
    • ► September
      • • Igniting the fallout: The unbelievable tactic President Marcos enforced
      • • Inspirational Remarks by Lopez Group Chairman Emeritus Oscar M. Lopez on the occasion of the Lopez Achievement Awards Ceremonies held at ABS-CBN Studio 10 on September 24, 2014
      • • A fork in the road: When two brilliant forces arrive at a point of dissent
      • • Discover what happened when a national problem took a turn for the worst
      • • Guess who came to the Nationalista victory party
      • • Don Eñing fights his greatest battle
    • ► August
      • • Remembering Ninoy this August 21
    • ► July
      • • CSR Challenges to Corporations
      • • Lessons from Typhoon Yolanda
      • • The exciting conclusion to the most epic chapter of the 100-year history of the Lopez Group (page 8)
      • • Lopez Values: a powerful rival makes an unforeseen move
      • • Remarks of Ambassador Manuel M. Lopez, Lopez Group Chairman at the Lopez Service Awards Night on July 2, 2014
      • • Just as Macapagal goes in for the kill, the chink in his armor is revealed
    • ► June
      • • From Bridges to Betrayal: the Lopez-Macapagal battle takes on another surprising twist
      • • Just When Macapagal Thought Victory Was His For The Taking…A Surprise Move from the Lopez Camp!
      • • Celebrating the Filipino Identity
      • • Chaos Warfare: Find out what brilliant tactic Don Eñing used to beat Macapagal at his own game
      • • Don Eñing lost BISCOM to Macapagal but What He Did Next Will Amaze You
    • ► May
      • • Defeating the Enemy with the Power of Unity and Trust
      • • Let’s celebrate something GOOD!
    • ► April
      • • The Start of an Alliance. Read page 8 of Underestimated webcomics
      • • Summer Break
    • ► March
      • • Facing a New Vendetta: Page 7 of Underestimated Webcomics
      • • A Bitter Demise: Page 6 of Underestimated Webcomics
      • • An Iroclad Approach: Page 5 of Underestimated Webcomics
      • • The adversary strikes back. Read page 4 of Underestimated webcomics
      • • Heritage and Love of Country
      • • What happens to Montilla in the Battle of Biscom?: Page 3 of Underestimated Webcomics
    • ► February
      • • How far have we come since EDSA 86 People Power?
      • • Outsmarting the Foe: Page 2 of Underestimated Webcomics
      • • Hope for the Laborers’ Plight: Page 1 of Underestimated Web Comics
    • ► January
      • • Resilient and Unsinkable: Why the Lopez Spirit Is Never Underestimated
  • ► 2013
    • ► December
      • • This season, Selflessness is more than possible
    • ► September
      • • To Fly and Fly Again comic series
      • • A Letter from Oscar M. Lopez
    • ► July
      • • Eugenio at Heart series
      • • A Lifetime of Excellence
    • ► June
      • • Independence and Nationalistic Pride
    • ► May
      • • Happy Mothers’ Day to everyone
    • ► March
      • • Pope Francis of the Poor and Lent
    • ► February
      • • Remembering the Spirit of EDSA
      • • Chinese New Year
  • ► 2012
    • ► December
      • • The Hope for Unity: The Winning Entries to the “What Do You Want This Christmas” Lopez Values Stars Facebook Contest
    • ► November
      • • What do you want this Christmas?
    • ► October
      • • LAA: Setting Ourselves Apart
      • • EDC and Claudio Bravo
      • • OML on Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s Memoir
    • ► September
      • • In Pursuit of Education and Social Justice
    • ► July
      • • It’s Good to Go Green!
    • ► June
      • • Winners of the Nationalism Essay Contest
      • • Nationalism in the Workplace
      • • Nationalism and the Lopez Group Employee
      • • How can we express nationalism in our everyday work?
      • • Ang Pagiging Makabayan
      • • We now have our own Facebook page!
      • • Back-to-school this June
    • ► May
      • • Ready, Set, Succeed: OML’s Take on Life
    • ► April
      • • It’s More Fun to Choose Philippines
    • ► March
      • • How can we express our nationalism today in our everyday work?
    • ► February
      • • Dragon Energy
  • ► 2011
    • ► December
      • • This Season is the Best Time to Give Thanks
    • ► November
      • • A Whole New World
      • • Giving Voice to Lopez Values
    • ► October
      • • Serving the Kapamilya
    • ► September
      • • Social Responsibility
    • ► July
      • • Eugenio Lopez on his 110th Birth Anniversary
    • ► June
      • • Rizal the Sportsman and our Palaro
      • • It Is Never Too Late To Try Something New
    • ► May
      • • Giving Back
    • ► April
      • • Why Do I Climb Mountains?
      • • Lent at 81
      • • Creating Trust
      • • Getting Ready for the Big One
    • ► March
      • • Aligning the Values
      • • Unity in Tragedy
      • • Remembering the “Ides of March”
      • • Our Values Unite Us
    • ► February
      • • Love for Country
      • • Eyes on the Prize
      • • Happy Valentine’s, Kapamilya!
      • • Kung Hei Fat Choi!
    • ► January
      • • Are You A Lopez Values Superstar?
      • • Happy New Year, Kapamilya!
  • ► 2010
    • ► December
      • • Happy Holidays!
  • ► 0000
    • ►
      • • To survive and not despair

Web Comics

Enemy of My Enemy (Part 2)
Enemy of My Enemy (Part 2)
Enemy of My Enemy (Part 1)
Enemy of My Enemy (Part 1)
Underestimated
Underestimated
To Fly and Fly Again
To Fly and Fly Again

Under Estimated

 

Man in the Frame

 

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