The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) and De La Salle University (DLSU) Laguna Campus further solidify their partnership with the launch of the John Gokongwei, Jr. Innovation Center (JGIC).
Named after GBF founder and DLSU alumnus John Gokongwei, Jr., the JGIC is part of GBF’s continuing support for the university in the spirit of collaborating with leading academic institutions to further quality education in the Philippines.
“After his father died, Gokongwei, at age 15 stepped up to support his mother and siblings by peddling soap, thread, and candles along the streets of Cebu on his bicycle,” reads the unveiled marker celebrating the GBF founder’s grit and perseverance.
“Understanding the importance of education in nation-building, Gokongwei, through the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, strongly advocates the advancement of the education sector, particularly in the fields of science and engineering,” the marker also mentions.
The JGIC works toward becoming a major hub for multimedia gaming revolution and interactive entertainment in the ASEAN region.
The four-storey facility currently houses the Philippine studio of international gaming giant Ubisoft.
DLSU currently offers two programs – Bachelor of Science in Interactive Entertainment major in Game Development and Bachelor of Science in Interactive Entertainment major in Game Art and Design.
GBF General Manager Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng expresses unwavering trust in the goals of JGIC.
“We are confident that [future-ready Filipino leaders] will be provided with the best technical training and education in interactive media and game development, a continuously emerging industry in the digital economy,” she said.
“We are positive that this quality education will equip them with important 21st century skills: critical thinking, problem solving, design thinking, and collaboration,” she also said.
Back in 2011, the DLSU College of Engineering was renamed “Gokongwei College of Engineering”. This was a recognition of GBF’s endowment to the university
Considered as a premiere engineering school in the country, DLSU boasts of numerous achievements under its belt. Most recently, it has placed in the 501-600 bracket of the 2019 Times Higher Education Engineering (THE) and Technology Subject Rankings, thereby making it the top-ranked Philippine university in this area following THE’s research-intensive criteria.