17 October 2019 – The Makati Business Club assisted the Ongpin family in the re-launch of “Jaime V. Ongpin: The Enigma (The Profile of the Filipino as Manager)”, written 30 years ago by national artist Nick Joaquin. The event was held in Assumption College, Makati City, and gathered close family, friends and colleagues of the former Finance Secretary, who led the business sector against the Marcos regime and then tackled the debt and economic mess Mr. Marcos left behind.

Mr. Ongpin co-founded the Makati Business Club during the Marcos regime. During the relaunch, Mr. Randy David said, “Many had taken refuge in the belief that the expression of political views was not a function of business – conveniently forgetting that silence in the face of the blatant abuse of governmental power was an equally political form of expression, though its message was far less clear. In those times, silence meant everything.”

Mr. Ongpin’s wife, Mrs. Maribel Ongpin, and his eldest son, Mr. Rafael Ongpin, also shared their personal reflections on behalf of the family. Mr. Rafael Ongpin wrote the second edition’s foreword, which Mrs. Ongpin described as “an accurate, nuanced, and heartfelt description of my husband’s persona and the world he lived in and had to navigate.”