Robinsons Retail Holdings President and Chief Executive Officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe agreed to sit on the board of her alma mater’s scholarship foundation almost 20 years ago just because a nun indulged her unusual request.
The bilyonaryo lady boss shared that it was Sr. Teresita Canivel, MIC, who invited her to join the Immaculate Conception Academy Greenhills Scholarship Foundation.
Gokongwei was willing to give back since she obtained her primary and secondary education from the all-girls school.
Recalling her conversation with Canivel, Gokongwei said: “She said that in exchange, I’d enjoy a free dinner at every meeting. I figured that a free dinner for this sinner would not be bad as I attended ICA from Kinder to High School and I owe this school a lot. But I also told her that I will join only if they would serve wine.”
Almost two decades after the conversation with Canivel, Gokongwei remains a driven board member.
“I did not know that before she died in 2012, Sr. Tere left a message to her fellow nuns not to forget my wine whenever we would meet,” she added. “I asked my fellow trustee nuns who wanted to share the bottle with me and Sr. Lily said, ‘Nun of the above!'”
