HISTORY
Started at the young age of 15, our Chairman, RJ Jacinto, became an entrepreneur founding the first multi-track recording company in Asia. Upon returning from exile from Martial Law , Jacinto came back with a string of businesses and helped establish the RJ Group of Companies. Here's our story:
1960
RJ set up his first enterprise called RJ ENTERPRISES, which produced and released numerous record hits of his school band, "RJ and The Riots."
RJ ENTERPRISES also pioneered multi-track recording in the country, having purchased the first Amper 300-3 track machine in the country. It eventually became the studio of choice for many artists and advertising agencies at the time.RJ and the Riots at the family house, back in the early '60s
1962
Jacinto and his friends established his radio station in his parent's backyard. The establishment of the radio station with the call letters DZRJ, would eventually become the legendary and at the same time, influential rock and roll station in the country.
1964
RJ worked at the country's largest Steel Mill (IISMI) as VP Purchasing then as SVP Operations.
1972
Martial Law was declared. During the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, the Jacinto family's assets were forcibly seized and placed under military control and executives of the company were jailed with no charges filed.
At that time, Jacinto was in the United States and opted to stay there in exile for 14 years to save himself from being jailed.
1986
Juan Ponce Enrile, who was then the Defense Minister, returned the radio stations and some of their family's steel mills to the Jacintos.
DZRJ was finally transferred from military administration on June 1986 and Jacinto began to make DZRJ, the leader in retro wave by playing music from the '50s, '60s and '70s.
Jacinto set up Bistro RJ, a rock and roll music lounge and restaurant which became famous for those who were into singing and dancing.
At the time, live bands traveled abroad to make a living and the night circuit in Manila depended on piano bars and discos. Jacinto decided to hire live bands to provide financial opportunities as well as to revive the night life in the Philippines through live music.
Upon returning from exile from Martial Law, Jacinto came back with a string of businesses and helped establish the following:
1. UHF Television
2. Home TV Shopping
3. Non-collateral Consumer Finance
4. American Style Bargain Stores like Price Club, Save-A-Lot & Cotsco
He also owned Ventures Bank, which he sold and is now known as AMA Bank,
Through his show “RJ Sunday Jam”, he is claimed to be the first to establish Teleradyo - a simulcast of radio on TV which was the model for ABS-CBN's DZMM TeleRadyo, the No.1 AM radio station in the country.
1990
RJ met Joe Yui, owner of L.A. Guitar Works in Reseda, California and former President of Schecter Guitars Japan. Yui went to Manila and signed a deal with RJ. Yui and Discipulo set up shop and started building world-class RJ Guitars.
1994
The RJ Academy of Music was started in 1994 as RJ Guitar Center became the licensee of the Music Institute of Los Angeles, California.
Jacinto was awarded Presidential Citation in recognition of the distinguished and exemplary service he rendered to the Philippines as Presidential Consultant of President Fidel V. Ramos from March 22, 1995 to March 1, 1998.
1998
2016
On July 14, 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Jacinto as the Presidential Adviser on Economic Affairs and Information Technology Communications with the rank of Undersecretary. During the 2016 presidential campaign of Duterte, Jacinto was among the celebrities who were actively supporting him. He created a jingle for Duterte during the campaign period.