Addressing the students of the family-owned Global Reciprocal Colleges in Caloocan City“If something bad happens, they may not be prepared. What then?”Thomas, Ongtenco’s oldest son, now heads Motortrade as Director/President while the rest of his eight children, four boys and four girls, are involved in various family enterprises such as the Motortrade Life and Livelihood Assistance Foundation, Global Reciprocal School in Caloocan, which boasts a student population of anywhere between 3,500 and 4,000 while students on scholarship account for 30 percent of the population, as well as the Bank of Makati. As Chairman Emeritus, Ongtenco pere left the daily concerns to others, but for many years, he continued to keep a supervisory eye on the company until lately.Once very active in the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he had to scale down participation until he eventually resigned.Life-saving disciplineOngtenco has always been very conscientious about activity and diet, having experienced many life-threatening conditions. “But I survived and gained strength again thanks to the discipline of exercise and diet.” At 40, a heart ailment threatened to make him an invalid the rest of his life. The warning only steeled a revolve in him that this would never happen. He enrolled in yoga, and later qigong (tai-chi), becoming the Vice-Chairman of the World Academic Society of Medical Qigong and Honorary President of the Canada Qigong Research Society. But he also had to step down from these groups. “They say the meetings are quieter without me. I used to do 90 percent of motions during those times,” he says, eyes twinkling.Until his back gave out, Ongtenco would join the regular exercise sessions in his subdivision’s park, surprising everyone with his stamina. With that having to be foregone for now, he walks 30 minutes in the morning and another 30 minutes in the afternoon. There is a beautiful lap pool in his shady garden, but he built that only for “when I cannot walk anymore.” May that day be a long time in arriving.“Observe the natural law, receive abundant blessings.”This counsel, from Lao Tzu, Ongtenco’s favorite sage, is enshrined in a huge scroll dominating his peaceful sitting room.Experiencing this nonagenarian, whose personality simply defies the passage of time, it is obvious he is happy with his world and has gratefully accepted its manifold gifts.
