Daven Tamayo

BOARDROOM TEA: The Rebisco Family Succession Playbook

Article (news)

Salve Ibaňez

ABS-CBN News

<div><strong>Three Sons, Three Strategies</strong></div><p>When a $595-million empire successfully changes hands, you should pay attention.</p><p>The second generation of the Ng dynasty—the family behind the $595-million Rebisco biscuit empire—is proving its prowess, armed with disruptive strategies that would make their patriarch proud.</p><p>But here’s the Boardroom Tea insider scoop: Jacinto Ng Sr., the 82-year-old founder who ranks 26th on Forbes’ Philippines 50 Richest and who retired as chairman in 2017, isn’t exactly rushing to his rocking chair just yet. Family dinners still sound like very interesting boardroom discussions.</p><p>What started as a humble biscuit operation in 1963 has morphed into a diversified powerhouse spanning banking, real estate, sports, and beyond. The succession strategy? Pure Filipino brilliance—each son commanding a different front in the family’s empire expansion.</p><p>Jonathan Ng, 52, the strategic mastermind, has been steering Asia United Bank as chairman since July 2023. This isn’t nepotism at work—Jonathan brings serious credentials as vice chairman of Rebisco and president of multiple food subsidiaries including Suncrest Foods, Multirich Foods, and RBC Retail Stores.</p><p>The man isn’t just preserving the biscuit legacy. He’s baking it for financial dominance.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>The Housing Revolutionary</strong></div><p>But it’s Jacinto “Jack” Ng Jr. who’s stealing headlines—fresh off his EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 Philippines victory and headed to Monaco in June 2025 to represent the country at the World Entrepreneur finals. His battlefield? Affordable housing that’s rewriting the Philippine property playbook.</p><p>Through Raemulan Lands, Jack has delivered an unprecedented 57,000 housing units since 2016, with 50,000 designated for social housing—an achievement that towers over four decades of Philippine housing initiatives.</p><p>His secret weapon? Houses priced at P750,000 with zero equity requirement—making homeownership accessible to minimum-wage earners while maintaining profitability.</p><p>The innovation doesn’t stop there. Jack’s Solaris NING*NING rooftop solar initiative has installed 5 megawatts across 2,000 rooftops, creating the world’s first utility-grade socialized housing solar installation.</p><p>Sustainability meets affordability—exactly the kind of forward-thinking that catches international attention.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>The Digital Banking Transformer</strong></div><p>Jacob Ng, the youngest brother, is quietly building his own empire within the empire. In March 2024, he dramatically increased his AUB shareholding to 15.41%—that’s 112.156 million shares worth P4.4 billion.</p><p>As executive vice president and chief transformation officer, Jacob is spearheading AUB’s digital evolution and branch banking expansion.</p><p>Here’s where it gets interesting: Jacob (and his brothers) has zero trace of that insufferable billionaire heir syndrome plaguing most second-generation businessmen.</p><p>Boardroom Tea witnessed this firsthand when he addressed the Rebisco-sponsored elite volleyball teams’ three-hour financial education training—advising athletes to live within their means and build their futures beyond the court.</p><p>AUB’s partnership with parent company Rebisco extends beyond banking into financial inclusion through the Creamline Cool Smashers volleyball team—proving that sports sponsorship can drive serious financial literacy.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>The Empire’s Next Chapter</strong></div><p>With 32,000 completed homes under their belt and ambitious expansion plans targeting different provinces, the Ng empire is positioned for exponential growth. Jack’s team is building an 8-storey condominium called Pasinaya Heights in Cabuyao, Laguna, while their energy division constructs a 65-MW solar farm in Iloilo.</p><p>The succession isn’t just about preserving wealth—it’s about multiplying impact. While the patriarch built a biscuit empire by teaching his children grit and hard work during their early years.</p><p>Jacob once talked about how their fingers were sore packing Rebisco biscuits after school. Now, the three brothers are constructing a diversified dynasty that touches every aspect of Filipino life: from the snacks in sari-sari stores to the homes families call their own, from the banks that fund dreams to the sports teams that inspire nations.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SONNY ANGARA’S TITO POSTS</strong></div><p>The Instaverse has discovered Education Secretary Sonny Angara’s endearingly “tito” Instagram stories.</p><p>From his basketball fanboying to posts celebrating wife Tootsy’s education initiatives, those oversized fonts and heartfelt captions are surprisingly winning over millennials and Gen Z alike.</p><p>The content strategy? Pure authenticity—anniversary tributes with multiple heart emojis, family surfing trips, and Senate Defenders basketball updates that feel refreshingly unpolished.</p><p>Boardroom Tea can confirm the secretary himself is behind those posts, and his younger followers couldn’t be happier. In an era of curated political personas, Angara’s genuine “luckiest guy in the world” energy is accidentally revolutionary.</p><div><em>Boardroom Tea comes out every Wednesday</em></div>

<p>The second generation of the Ng dynasty—the family behind the $595-million Rebisco biscuit empire—is proving its prowess, armed with disruptive strategies that would make their patriarch proud.</p>

The second generation of the Ng dynasty—the family behind the $595-million Rebisco biscuit empire—is proving its prowess, armed with disruptive strategies that would make their patriarch proud.