George
Ty As a banker, Ty was focused on giving the people the best banking services that they deserve by protecting the money they put in his bank thereby earning their trust. “Trust” and “protect” are precisely the values that Ty embraced as he steered Metrobank to its current position as the Philippines’ number one bank. Ty was born in Fujian, China. His family moved to the Philippines when he was six years old. His father, who owned a flour-milling company, was also a tycoon himself. A frustrated architecture, Ty made a P500 down payment on a piece of property in Araneta Heights in Sta. Mesa when he was still a student. This transaction eventually became the foundation of Ty’s successful real estate venture, Federal Land, established in 1972. At first, it was meant to provide the Filipino-Chinese businessmen in Binondo with modern offices and homey residences. Its flagship project, the GT Tower International in Makati City has been rated as one of the world’s most beautiful skyscapers. In January 1979, the Metrobank Foundation came into being. Ty put this up to become an avenue for him to give back to the community. Metrobank Foundation bought the controlling interest of the Manila Doctors’ Hospital to make it one of the country’s premier hospitals that can deliver quality health care. Exemplary teachers and policemen are also being honored by the Foundation. In 1988, Dr. Shoichiro Toyoda, president of Toyota Japan convinced the hesitant Sy to become their partner in the Philippines. Thus, Toyota Motor Philippines became the only Toyota subsidiary that is locally-owned and the number 1 car brand in the Philippines. Ty also took over the renovation of the Marco Polo Hotel, formerly the Cebu Plaza Hotel. He spent more than 1 billion to make this Cebu’s best hotel. Still in the Visayas, Ty has committed to increase electricity to residents in the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid by 2010. His Global Business Power Corporation, the largest independent power producer in the Visayas, is currently completing a new clean-coal power plant in Toledo, Cebu. Ty also has stakes in the Bank of the Philippine Islands and Philippine Savings Bank. One of his non-business related activities is his penchant for traditional Chinese paintings. His collection is said to be the largest private collection in the world outside China. Sources: http://www.metrobankny.com/mbny/20060926_pr_005.html  |
When the 29-year old George Ty founded the Metropolitan Bank and
Trust Company or Metrobank in 1962 in Binondo, he already knew that
he would someday make it big in the banking industry.