UndauntedTHE genesis of “Undaunted” began in late 2007, when Oscar M. Lopez (OML) thought of the need for a photographic chronicle of his family’s 200-year history. That story had been told before in “Phoenix: The Saga of the Lopez Family” (2000).

But there was such a wealth of archival photographs in the Lopez Museum and also in Lopez family hands that OML felt the same story could be told in a very dramatic fashion, using thousands of images. In particular, he wanted to bring to life the Lopezes of the 19th century, his particular specialization and the subject of his own multi-volume history, “The Lopez Family.”

Over the past two years, the creative team has worked to bring his vision of such a book to life. In the course of several research trips to Iloilo, the team uncovered never-before-published photographs of the Lopezes’ Iloilo and Negros sugar ventures. The team also gathered the latest images from the Lopezes’ biggest contemporary businesses, such as ABSCBN and First Gen. The book that emerged, “Undaunted,” is the 300-page visual chronicle of one of the Philippines’ most remarkable business clans.

For nearly 200 years, the Lopez family has played a significant role in the story of Philippine development, frequently bringing pioneering technology to the country. But as remarkable as its successes in politics, business and philanthropy have been since the 19th century, the Lopez clan is just as notable for its ability to recover from severe upheaval. It has survived wars, assassination, exile, systematic looting of its assets, and political vendettas. As OML once said: “The Lopez Group will live on because it believes in certain basic values and principles that guide its existence beyond mere bottom- line results.”

“Undaunted” is a story of a family carrying on through often turbulent times, passing down to each generation its values and its determination to make a difference.

Undaunted, a musicale on the Lopez Family