by Sasha Lim Uy, Esquire Magazine

How, where, and even why you went to college probably won’t be an indication on how your life (and bank account) will turn out, but the answers might carry some privileges. Bill Gates himself—the world’s riches man and a college dropout—regularly stresses the value of education:
“I think the value of getting a great education—that is going to college—is easy to underestimate. The most interesting jobs require a college education. The STEM related jobs are probably the most interesting although they are not for everyone. The value of staying curious—reading a lot and learning new things even after college is also underestimated.” (March 2016, Reddit AMA)
Gates constantly advocates for college education on his blog, once writing, “Although I dropped out of college and got lucky pursuing a career in software, getting a degree is a much surer path to success”; he’s also called the college dropout rate in the United States “tragic.”
It’s the same here. Though some of the Philippines’ richest individuals may not have completed their degrees, they still emphasize the value of education—if not in words, then through their actions: sending their children to topnotch institutions, providing scholarships, and donating academic facilities. Here we look at the academic histories of some of the country’s richest for inspiration:
Henry Sy Sr. ($18 billion)
Chiang Kai Shek College (high school)
Associate Arts, Commercial Studies, Far Eastern Universtiy (1950)
John Gokongwei Jr. ($6 billion)*
San Carlos University
MBA, De La Salle University (1961)
Harvard Management Program (1971)
Enrique Razon Jr. ($4.3 billion)
BS Business Administration, De La Salle University (1980)
Lucio Tan ($4.2 billion)
BS Chemical Engineering, Far Eastern University
Received an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Santo Tomas under the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (2003)
Received a BS Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Santo Tomas under the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (2006)
Jaime Zobel de Ayala ($3.7 billion)
BA Architectural Science, Harvard University (1957)
Took the Advanced Management Program by the Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration in Baguio (1963)
David Consunji ($3.6 billion)
BS Civil Engineering, University of the Philippines (1947)
Consunji passed away in September 2017
George Ty ($3.6 billion)*
BS Commerce, University of Santo Tomas
Enrolled in 1955 but dropped out to focus on business
Received an honorary Humanities doctorate from the same university in 2014
Tony Tan Caktiong ($3.4 billion)
BS Chemical Engineering, University of Santo Tomas (1975)
Earned certificates from Harvard University, Asian Institute of Management, University of Michigan Business School, and Harvard Business School
Received honorary doctorates from the Far Eastern University, St. Paul University, and Southwestern University
Andrew Tan ($2.5 billion)
BS Accounting, University of the East (1974)
Ramon Ang
BS Mechanical Engineering, Far Eastern University (1981)
Manuel Villar ($1.65 billion)
BS Business Administration, University of the Philippines (1970)
Masters in Business Administration, University of the Philippines (1973)
Robert Coyiuto Jr. ($1.5 billion)
BSC, San Beda College
Mercedes Gotianun ($1.4 billion)
BS, University of the Philippines (1950)
Roberto Ongpin ($1.15 billion)
BS Business Administration, Ateneo de Manila University (1957)
Masters in Business Administration, Harvard University
Eduardo Cojuangco ($1.1 billion)*
Lafayette College
Dean Lao ($1 billion)
BS Chemical Engineering, Polytechnic Colleges of the Philippines
Ricardo Po Sr. ($980 million)*
BS Industrial Chemistry, University of Santo Tomas
Masters in Business Administration, University of Santo Tomas (2005)
Edgar Sia ($820 million)*
BS Architecture, University of San Agustin
Oscar M. Lopez ($760 million)
BA Harvard University (1951)
Masters in Public Administration, Littauer School of Public Administration, Harvard University (1955)
Received an honrary doctorate from the De La Salle University (2010)
Received an honorary doctorate from the Ateneo de Manila University (2010)
Received a Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the Philippine Women’s University (2009)
Received a Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of the Philippines (2012)
Carlos Chan ($620 million)*
BS Architecture, Mapua Institute of Technology
Alfredo Yao ($600 million)*
BS Chemical Engineering, Mapua Institute of Technology (1962)
Received an honorary doctorate from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines
Frederick Dy ($520 million)
BS Industrial Engineering, Cornell University
Jacinto Ng ($420 million)
BS Chemical Engineering, Mapua Institute of Technology
Jose Antonio ($400 million, with his son, Robbie)
BS Commercial Science, San Beda College (1966)
Robbie Antonio ($400 million, with his father Jose)
BS Economics, Northwestern University
Masters in Business Administration, Stanford University
Michael Cosiquien ($385 million)
BS Civil Engineering, De La Salle University (1995)
Jorge Araneta ($380 million)
BS Business Administration, University of the Philippines
Edgar Saavedra ($375 million)
BS Civil Engineering, De La Salle University (1996)
Mariano Tan Jr. ($370 million)
BA Economics and Business, Lafayette College (1983)
Master of Science in Management, Hult International Business School Massachusetts (1986)
Jon Aboitiz ($350 million, with his brother Mikel)
BS Management, Santa Clara University
Mikel Aboitiz ($350 million, with his brother Jon)
BS Business Administration, Gonzaga University
Manuel Zamora ($280 million)
BS University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines Law School
Ranked 3rd on the Bar in 1961
Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr. ($240 million)
BS Business Administration, University of Southern California
Vivian Que Azcona ($230 million)
BS Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas (1977)
Management Program, Asian Institute of Management (1978)
Eric Recto ($225 million)
BS Industrial Engineering, University of the Philippines
Masters in Business Administration, Johnson Graduate School of Management, Cornell University
Jose Ma. Concepcion ($220 million)
BS Business Management, De La Salle University
Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. ($190 million)
BCS Jose Rizal College (1941)
Felipe Gozon ($170 million)
Bachelor of Laws, University of the Philippines
Master of Law, Yale University
Ranked 13th on the Bar in 1962
Menardo R. Jimenez ($165 million)
BS Commerce, Far Eastern University
BS Accounting, Far Eastern University
Walter William Brown ($160 million)
BS Physical Science, University of the Philippines (1959)
BS Geology, University of the Philippines (1960)
Master of Science in Geology, Stanford University (1963)
Doctorate in Geology, Major in Geo-Chemistry (1965)
Gilberto Duavit ($155 million)
AB Philosophy, University of the Philippines
Eusebio Tanco ($150 million)
AB Economics, Ateneo de Manila University
Master of Science in Economics and Political Science, London School of Economics
Juliette Romualdez ($145 million)
BS Education, Maryknoll College
Michael Romero ($135 million)
BS Management, De La Salle University
Masters in Business Management, Asian Institute of Management
Doctorate in Business Administration, De La Salle University (2006)
Doctorate in Political Economics (2008)
Erramon Aboitiz ($130 million)
BS Business Administration Major in Accounting and Finance, Gonzaga University
Luis Virata ($125 million)
AB Economics, Trinity College, Cambridge University
Master of Arts in Economics, Trinity College, Cambridge University (1976)
Masters in Business Administration, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (1979)
Philip Ang ($120 million)
Business Administration, Oregon University
Masters in Business Administration, University of Denver
*Dropped out/ did not graduate
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