Jose Santos Concepcion Jr.^[1] (December 29, 1931 – March 6, 2024), also known as Joecon,^[2] was a Filipino industrialist, activist, and politician. He served as Secretary of Trade and Industry from 1986 to 1991.^[3]

Jose Jr. was born in Pasay on December 29, 1931,^[4] to industrialist Jose N. Concepcion Sr., who founded Concepcion Industries,^[1] and Herminia Santos. He was the eldest of four children^[5] which included a twin, Raul, who was born ten minutes^[4] after him and subsequently led part of the family business.^[6]

In his early years, Concepcion lived at the family residence in Taft Avenue, Manila^[5] and studied at the nearby De La Salle University, from where he received an associate degree in commercial science, and the Araneta Institute of Agriculture, from where he received a Bachelor's Degree majoring in soils and agricultural sciences.^[7][8]

Concepcion served as president and COO of RFM Corporation, which was founded by his father-in-law Salvador Araneta as a flour-milling company, from 1965 to 1986,^[1][9] Under Concepcion's leadership, RFM diversified into the animal feed milling, poultry, and livestock industries and obtained a license from the American meat processing firm Swift to produce processed meats in the Philippines.^[3] Concepcion's family also owned the air-conditioning and refrigerator manufacturer Concepcion-Carrier, as well as the elevator and escalator manufacturer OTIS.^[10]

Concepcion was a trustee of the Makati Business Club from 1984 to 1986.^[3] He was also chairman of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry's ASEAN Committee, and was also the Philippine chair of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and the East Asia Business Council upon their establishment in 2002.^[7]

Concepcion was the first person in the Philippines to use radioisotopes, which he applied as a mechanism to determine how much phosphorus was needed in fertilizers to encourage growth. His efforts led him to publish a paper titled "Radio-isotope Phosphorus in Plants."^[8]

Concepcion was elected to represent Rizal in the Philippine Constitutional Convention of 1971, during which he was an advocate for domestic manufacturers.^[9] Following the declaration of martial law in 1972,^[10] he was briefly imprisoned in the gymnasium of Philippine Constabulary headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City,^[11] during which he was noted for organizing his cell block to do daily tasks.^[8]

After leaving the Aquino cabinet, Concepcion returned to leading RFM and was also elected in 1999 as barangay chairman of Forbes Park.^[13] During his tenure Concepcion, on one occasion, helped to direct traffic during a gridlock despite his advanced age.^[8] He also remained active in the politics of Pasay through the Pasay Citizens League for Good Government, which he founded. He also co-founded several other civil society and business organizations such as the Capitol Jaycees, the Bishop-Businessmen Conference for Human Development, and the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry.^[3] He also engaged in overseas visits to promote NAMFREL's work as the organization continued to help other countries hold credible elections.^[10]

In 2000, he was among several prominent members of the private sector who called for the resignation of President Joseph Estrada amid corruption scandals involving the latter.^[7]

Concepcion was married to Maria Victoria Araneta, whom he first met while studying at the Araneta Institute of Agriculture,^[6] and had eight children and 31 grandchildren.^[9]

One of his children, Jose Maria Concepcion III, succeeded him as head of RFM when he joined the Aquino cabinet, and served as Presidential Advisor for Entrepreneurship to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Rodrigo Duterte,^[1] as well as a trade adviser to President Bongbong Marcos.^[16]

Concepcion died on March 6, 2024, at the age of 92.^[8] He was buried in Taguig.^[17]