Nature and Nurture

Are entrepreneurs and artists born and not made? Is it a case of Nature or Nurture? Judging from this edition of Philippine Business, it seems it may be a bit of both.

I’ve never had the opportunity to interview the famous taipan John Gokongwei, but we have been fairly keen observers of his business empire, JG Summit, as well his forays into new areas of business, such as Cebu Pacific, Sun Cellular, and even Mini-Stop convenience stores. Well, his genes and training have probably somehow rubbed off on daughter Lisa, who has built an empire of her own in the magazine publishing industry.

But our cover story is simply more than an article on genetics and entrepreneurship. It’s mainly about Lisa and her vision and determination to build up her magazine business. Prior to her entry into this business, there were few high-quality fashion and consumer magazines in newsstands and certainly no foreign-licensed magazines being locally published. Lisa changed all that with her Summit Media and her introduction of Cosmopolitan magazine with a Philippine touch. Starting from a single title just 10 years ago, today she now runs a stable of 21 magazines—some of them, like FHM, leading in their categories and spinning off new business opportunities like calendars and websites. Refreshingly, she has built up the business on her own with dedicated friends and staff, showing how you can turn a passion for reading into a successful business.

(L-R) Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng, Harvey Tapan, George Tapan

Another example of nature and nurture is not something you will read in this edition, but rather what you will see. I am referring here to the work of photographer Harvey Tapan, whom we commissioned to shoot the blooming business of The Flower Farm in Tagaytay, which appears on pages 20–22. Harvey is a talented photographer with a keen eye for aesthetics and a great, easygoing personality that puts his subjects at ease. This he probably inherited from his father, George Tapan, the noted photographer who has also shot for Philippine Business. In our early days, George photographed geothermal steam fields in Tiwi, Albay, as well as tourism destinations for the magazine. The appearance of Harvey’s work to go along with George’s earlier work marks the first time we have had a father-son combination appear on the pages of the magazine. We assure you, it won’t be the last.

So, in business as in art, nature and nurture have a role to play.

Guillermo M. Luz
Publisher & Editor-in-chief