Carlos Palanca Sr. 陳迎來 | |
Birth Name: | 陳迎來 Tan Guin Lay / Tan Guing-lay |
Birth Date: | 1869 |
Birth Place: | Amoy, Fukien, Qing China |
Death Date: | (aged 81) |
Other Names: | Carlos Palanca Tan Guin Lay / Tan Guing-lay Tan Quin Lay |
Occupation: | Businessman |
Known For: | Founder of La Tondeña Incorporada (now Ginebra San Miguel), namesake of the Palanca Awards |
Carlos Palanca Sr. (1869–1950), also known as Tan Guin Lay / Tan Guing-lay or Tan Quin Lay, was a Chinese Filipino businessman and philanthropist in the Philippines during the late Spanish colonial era, American colonial era, and early post-independence period.
Palanca was born named with Hokkien [1] (later romanized as "Tan Guin Lay" or "Tan Guing-lay" in Spanish Philippines) in 1869 in Amoy (now Xiamen), Fukien, Qing China.[2]
Tan Guin Lay migrated to the Philippines in 1884.[2] Tan adopted the name Carlos Palanca, after his godfather of the same name whose Chinese name was Tan Quien-sien. The name "Carlos Palanca" adopted by both men came from a Spanish colonel.[1] He worked as an apprentice in a hardware store ran by a relative before setting up his own store in 1890, and became involved in textile trading.[2]
He established the La Tondeña Incorporada in Tondo, Manila a distillery which grew to be a major player in the Philippine alcoholic beverage industry.[3]
Palanca died on September 2, 1950. He was 81 years old.[2]
Palanca was one of the most prominent Chinese Filipino businessman during the American colonial era in the Philippines.[2]
In 1987, the heirs of Palanca entered La Tondeña in a joint venture with San Miguel Corporation (SMC). La Tondeña was eventually absorbed by the SMC, and was renamed as Ginebra San Miguel in 2003.[3] [4] Palanca's heirs were able to establish the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature in his honor.[3]
His former residence built in 1940 along Taft Avenue in Pasay is a protected heritage site.[5]