Jose “Joecon” Concepcion Jr., a civil society activist and industrialist, passed away on March 6 at the age of 92.
Jose Ma founded Go Negosyo. In a statement, “Joey” Concepcion 3rd declared his father dead, but he did not specify the cause of death.
The Concepcion patriarch is survived by his twin brother Raul, his wife, the former Maria Victoria Araneta, eight children, and thirty-one grandkids.
Concepcion was a former secretary of Trade and Industry, the head of RFM Corp., and the founder of the election monitor, the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).
As a prominent businessman, he had faith in the Philippines’ capacity to attain inclusive and pro-Filipino economic growth.
Under his direction, RFM started along a route of diversification, dipping its toes into the milling of animal feed, avian and domestic animals, and securing a license from the US corporation Swift to manufacture processed meats in the Philippines.
Due to them, RFM was able to become one of the Philippines’ top food and beverage corporations. In keeping with its mission to put food on every Filipino table, RFM provided affordable, high-quality, mass-produced goods.
He fought for constitutional ideas that would democratize the country’s capital base and enable Filipino manufacturers to prosper while serving as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1971.
He was an expert at turning proverbs into action, setting an example for others, and motivating common people.
He persuaded thousands of common Filipinos to support Namfrel during the 1986 sudden presidential elections by stating, “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
In his capacity as Trade and Industry Secretary, he encouraged Filipinos to back regional businesses by announcing, “Yes, the Filipino can.”
During Martial Law, Concepcion arranged for his fellow prisoners to divide up household chores and maintain order in their cell blocks.
He continued to serve as Forbes Park’s barangay captain even after he retired, making headlines when he famously got out of his car one night to help drivers navigate a traffic jam.
One of his first campaigns as a civic leader was to establish the Pasay Citizens League for Good Government in order to aid in Pasay City’s transformation.
