Pedro Pablo Roxas

Pedro "Perico" Roxas was a financier, industrialist, civic worker and the first capitalist and manager of San Miguel Corporation. He was considered one of the richest men of the Philippines in late 19th century. More here: http://bit.ly/e8W4tc.

Sources:

• Pedro de Castro's Copy of Baptismal Certificate: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSMD-KQ7C-4
• Pedro Roxas and Carmen Roxas de Ayala's Copy of Marriage Certificate: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSM6-S4LF

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His "parents". Jose Ubaldo Rojas and Doña Juana de Castro viuda de Joaquin Fernandez married on October 25, 1861 --- 20 years after his birth

He has a stepsister Casimira who became an abess of the Sta Clara Monastery

”Pedro Pablo Roxas y de Castro was a financier, industrialist, civic worker and the first capitalist and manager of San Miguel Corporation.

He was considered, along with Don Jacobo Zobel y Zangroniz and Don Gonzalo Tuason, one of the richest men of the Philippines in late 19th century. He was affectionately called Perico.”

“Don Pedro was born on June 28, 1847. His father was Don Jose Bonifacio Roxas and his mother was Doña Juana de Castro. His father was the pioneer businessman Domingo Roxas and his aunt was equally famous Doña Margarita Roxas de Ayala.”

“He studied in Intramuros, Manila. Don Perico showed unusual maturity for his age. At the age of 17, he was allowed by his father to exercise his family’s interest during elections for he gobernadorcillo and local officials at Hacienda Calauang[1] On February 7, 1870 he married his first cousin Carmen de Ayala y Roxas, the daughter of his aunt Margarita and Antonio de Ayala. They had five children:

• Jose Roxas y Ayala
• Margarita Roxas y Ayala de Soriano (mother of Andres Soriano)
• Pedro Roxas y Ayala
• Consuelo Roxas y Ayala de Zobel (first wife of Don Enrique Zobel de Ayala
• Antonio Roxas y Ayala

“Don Pedro became his father’s assistant in the nipa palm distillery and was made responsible for the production of rice and sugar in the family hacienda in Nasugbu, Batangas, which was bought by his father Don Jose Bonifacio in the 1830s from its previous landowner Isabela Isaac. Don Pedro managed the estate until the outbreak of the Philippine Revolution.”

“During the Spanish colonial period, Don Pedro was active in many institutions. He served on the boards of Monte de Piedad, Junta Central de Agricultural, Industria y Comercio, Real Hospicio de San Jose, auditor for Hospital de San Juan de Dios. He was also appointed to prestigious posts such as director by royal appointment of Gobierno General de Filipinas and regidor of the city of Manila in 1884, and even mayor in 1885.”

“When his father died he inherited extensive real estate in Nasugbu, Calatagan, Calauang and Hacienda San Pedro de Macati.”

“In 1876 he was made a capitalist-partner in his wife’s company Ayala y Compañia. Upon the death of his father, he managed Destileria Ayala. He also established his own company Pedro P. Roxas y Cia. In 1890 he became, together with Don Gonzalo Tuason, the first capitalist of what would be San Miguel Corporation. He was its first manager until July 1896, when he was forced to leave for Europe because of his suspected complicity in the Philippine Revolution.”

“Ayala y Cia explained his sudden departure as follows: “During the insurrection of 1896 a number of rich and influential nationals were suspected of using their fortunes, and their political and social positions to further the separatist cause… Pedro Pablo Roxas was among these men, and suspicion against him was heightened by his departure from the islands… Although his departure was duly sanctioned on the grounds of ill health, with Spain as his destination, he abandoned the ship Ysla de Panay, on which he was traveling, together with Dr. Jose Rizal, upon reaching Singapore and later proceeded to Paris…”

“He was formally charged with treason and rebellion as the secret leader of the Katipunan and all his properties were confiscated in 1897. His case was brought before the Spanish Cortes. He was cleared from all charges by then Governor-General Primo de Rivera. His accusers Deodato Arellano and Pedro Serrano Laktaw withdrew their testimonies as to his connection to La Liga Filipina. The embargo on his assets was lifted on March 16,1898.”

“Don Pedro never returned to the Philippines. While in Paris he worked hard to advance Philippine interests, by attending the secret negotiations prior to the Treaty of Paris. In fact the Philippine Revolutionary Committee in Hong Kong named him along with Juan Luna and Ramon Abarca as members of the Paris group which would advocate the cause of Philippine independence.”

“After the American government purchase of the country on December 10, 1898, Don Pedro decided to stay in Europe and pursued his hobby of horse-breeding and several of his horses won races in France. He died on February 14, 1912 in the French capital.”

“Upon his death his widow Doña Carmen and son Don Antonio Roxas y Ayala continued the family enterprises, which was named in his honor as Central Azucarera Don Pedro (CADP) which has become the Philippines’ largest manufacturer of refined sugar. Two years after, in 1914 the Roxases divested their interests in Ayala y Compañia to Doña Trinidad Zobel de Ayala. Hacienda San Pedro de Macati was also transferred to the children of Don Enrique Zobel de Ayala.”

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Don Pedro Pablo Róxas Castro was a Spanish-Filipino businessman, capitalist, industrialist, financier, and patriot. Don Pedro, or Perico as he was called by his friends and family, was born on June 28, 1847 in Manila. His parents were Don José Bonifacio Róxas Ubaldo and Doña Juana Castro. Don José Bonifacio Róxas Ubaldo was the son of Don Domingo Róxas Ureta, one of the founders of today's Ayala Corporation. He was also the younger brother of philanthropist-industrialist Doña Margarita Róxas Ubaldo de Ayala. All are members of the influential and illustrious Róxas family which include siblings Jacobo, Alfonso, and Mercedes Zóbel de Ayala Róxas, brothers Antonio and Eduardo Róxas Gargollo, Don Andrés Soriano Róxas, and Róxas and Company chairman Pedro E. Róxas Olgado. Other members of the Róxas family include Don Enrique Brias Róxas, former Manila mayor Don Félix María Róxas Fernandez, architect Félix Róxas Arroyo, the late president Manuel Róxas Acuña, and now-DILG secretary Manuel Róxas Araneta.

Don Perico was educated in Manila at the Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the walled city of Intramuros. Showing interest in Philippine affairs, he earned his father's trust by letting him vote during an election in their town in Calauan, Laguna, where their vast hacienda is located. Don Perico had shown interest in the family business his forbears had been working hard for. So, at a young age, Don Perico helped his father in the business by assisting in their palm distillery, sugar and rice estates in Nasugbu, Batangas.

Don Perico, already an established figure in Manila society, married his first cousin Doña Carmen de Ayala Róxas, daughter of Doña Margarita Róxas Ubaldo de Ayala and Don Antonio de Ayala Urbina. Their union secured the wealth of the Róxas-de Ayala family for generations. After he had married his cousin, Don Perico worked for his wife's company at Ayala y Compañía. After the death of his father, Don Perico had inherited all Róxas family interests, which included the vast estates in Calatagan, Nasugbu, Calauan, and San Pedro de Macati. Don Perico did not keep the inheritance for himself, he distributed many of the Róxas lands to other family members such as the Hacienda de San Pedro de Macati to the Zóbel-Róxas, and the Hacienda de Calauan to the Soriano-Róxas family.

Already one of the country's richest men, Don Perico made his wealth even larger by becoming San Miguel's financier and manager. Established in 1890 through a royal grant by Don Enrique María Barreto Ycaza, San Miguel needed financiers and capitalists for it to grow. So, Don Perico financed its operation and became one of its major shareholders, along with Don Gonzalo Tuáson Patiño, and Don Benito Legarda Tuáson. Because of this, the Róxas family had the majority number of seats in the board, appointing his cousins, nephews, and even grandchildren. Don Perico's tenure at San Miguel was cut short when he was forced to leave the islands in exile to France in 1896.

Don Perico, a mestizo with criollo parents, supported the Filipino cause of independence, in which he inherited through his father and grandfather's liberal views. The Róxas family is known to have liberal views, in which cost one of their relatives' life. Don Francisco L. Róxas Reyes, Don Perico's second cousin, was executed along with twelve other patriots for supporting the Katipunan movement. As a result of his cousin's death, all persons bearing the Róxas family name were ridiculed and insulted by the Spanish colonial authorities. Don Perico, being the wealthiest Róxas family member, was suspected of financing the Katipunan and the independence movements. So, he was forced into exile in Paris, France. While in exile, the Spanish colonial government charged him with treason and had all of his properties confiscated. Don Perico was not the only exile in Paris, his friend Don Gonzalo Tuáson also left the islands for Europe. According to Félix María Róxas Fernandez's book, The World of Félix Róxas, it is said that Don Perico managed to survive in Paris while in exile through the help of Don Gonzalo Tuáson, in which he wrote to Tuáson's family to send funds immediately.

While in exile, Don Perico had already developed an illness even before he left the Philippines. Don Perico never again returned to the Philippines as he passed away on February 14, 1912. In Manila, news of his death was relayed throughout the family. According to The World of Félix Róxas, Mayor Félix Róxas recalled his nephew, Antonio Róxas de Ayala, calling him to come to their house for an important matter.

"Felix Roxas y Fernandez — that patrician raconteur of Spanish Manila — recalled how, in 1912, his nephew Antonio Roxas de Ayala [son of the first cousins Pedro Pablo Roxas y de Castro and Carmen de Ayala y Roxas] had urged him to come to their house quickly by telephone. Felix rushed to the Roxas-de Ayala residence [designed by his father, Felix Roxas y Arroyo] along Calle General Solano in the posh San Miguel District, was met by the Spanish maid named Marcelina, and proceeded directly to the masters’ bedroom where the grieving Roxas family was gathered. There, he was informed that his dear second cousin, Pedro Pablo Roxas, had already passed away in Paris and that his remains would have to be brought back to Manila. His nephew Antonio Roxas declared that he and his uncle Felix would leave for Paris immediately." (excerpt from Remembrance of things Awry)

http://arquitecturamanila.blogspot.com/2014/04/historia-filipinas-d...