Teodoro R. Yangco

Teodoro Rafael "Theo" Yangco (November 9, 1861 – April 20, 1939) was a Filipino businessman who served in a variety of public and civic offices and was considered to be the foremost Filipino philanthropist of his time.[1] He served as the Resident Commissioner of the Philippines from 1917 to 1920. He was the longest-serving president of the YMCA in the Philippines (1911–1925) and was called the "Father of the YMCA of the Philippines".[2]

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Arguelles and the surname or paternal family name is Yangco.
The Honourable
Teodoro R. Yangco
Resident Commissioner to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Philippine Islands
In office
March 4, 1917 – March 3, 1920
Serving with Jaime C. de Veyra (1917-1920)
Preceded byManuel L. Quezon
Succeeded byIsauro Gabaldon
Personal details
Born
Teodoro Rafael Yañgco y Argüelles

(1861-11-09)November 9, 1861
San Antonio, Zambales, Captaincy General of the Philippines
DiedApril 20, 1939(1939-04-20) (aged 77)
Resting placeManila North Cemetery
CitizenshipPhilippine
NationalityUnited States
Parent(s)Luis R. Yangco
Ramona Arguelles Corpus
Alma materAteneo Municipal de Manila
University of Santo Tomas
NicknameTheo

Biography

Yangco was born on November 9, 1861 in San Antonio, Zambales. He was the only child of shipping magnate Luis R. Yangco and Ramona Arguelles Corpus, widow of Tomas Corpus, and is of Chinese descent through his father.[3] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila in 1880 and graduated from the University of Santo Tomas in 1881.[4] He pursued a commercial course at Ealing Commercial College in London from 1882 to 1886.[5]

Yangco established a shipping company, organized a bus company called TRY TRAN, set up a shipyard, and founded a big department store named Bazar Siglo XX and a huge dry-goods market in Divisoria called Yangco Market.[6] He also became president of Insular Life.[7] He followed his father's practice of investing his surplus earnings in properties suitable for commercial purposes.[8]

A member of the Nacionalista Party, Yangco succeeded Manuel L. Quezon, who later became President of the Philippines, as Resident Commissioner of the Philippines to the U.S. Congress, and he served from March 4, 1917 to March 3, 1920. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1920 and resumed his business activities in Manila.[9]

Teodoro R. Yangco Monument (San Antonio, Zambales Town Plaza)

Yangco was one of the founders of the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines and was its president for several years. In 1923, he represented it in the first Pan Pacific Commercial Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii where he eloquently defended the cause for Philippine independence.[10]

He died on April 20, 1939.[11] He is buried in the Manila North Cemetery.

Legacy

Yangco donated large sums of money to various charitable, religious and civic organizations.[12] Aside from his cash donation, he also donated various parcels of land in Metro Manila and Zambales.[13] One of the biggest properties he donated was the 31,031 square meter lot in a commercial area in Manila that became the site of YMCA of the Philippines.[14]

References
  1. Eminent Filipinos. Manila: National Historical Commission. 1970.
  2. Turner, Dr. E.S. (1965). Nation Building. Capitol Publishing House, Inc.
  3. Robb, Walter (July 1921). "The "Chino" in the Philippine Islands". Asia, the American Magazine on the Orient. 21 (7): 913. ISSN 0891-3536 – via Google Books.
  4. Zalde, Gregorio F. (1970). Great Filipinos in History. Verde Bookstore.
  5. Stagg, Samuel (1934). Teodoro R. Yangco. Manila: University of The Philippines Press.
  6. Stagg, Samuel (1934). Teodoro R. Yangco. Manila: University of The Philippines Press.
  7. 1910/2010 The Century Past, A Century Forward. House Printers, Inc. Press. 2010. ISBN 978-971-94790-3-1.
  8. Stagg, Samuel (1934). Teodoro R. Yangco. Manila: University of The Philippines Press.
  9. United States congressional delegations from Philippines
  10. Eminent Filipinos. Manila: National Historical Commission. 1970.
  11. Zalde, Gregorio F. (1970). Great Filipinos in History. Verde Bookstore.
  12. Quirino, Carlos (1995). Who's Who in the Philippine History. Manila: Tahanan Books.
  13. Stagg, Samuel (1934). Teodoro R. Yangco. Manila: University of The Philippines Press.
  14. Documents related to OCT #2611 in the name of Teodoro R. Yangco dated 1913 and TCT #7253 dated 3/19/17 (re: donation of the 31,031 square meters property to the International Committee of YMCA of NYC)
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