RAMON V. DEL ROSARIO, SR. (1918-2008) was considered as one of the founding fathers of Philippine industry.
His remarkable motivation and matchless determination to succeed carried him to great success in the corporate world. After obtaining his Commerce degree (major in accounting) from La Salle College (now De La Salle University), he became the first Filipino General Manager of IBM Philippines in 1946 at the tender of 29. In 1951, he joined Philippine American Life Insurance Company as Executive Vice-President. In 1953, he embarked on his first entrepreneurial venture by helping his siblings set up the Del Rosario Brothers, Inc., a company that manufactured and distributed household appliances to customers on an installment basis.

In 1956, he helped incorporate the Philippine Investment and Management Consultants (PHINMA). From his ventures in PHINMA, Monching del Rosario quickly secured for himself a premier position among young Filipino business entrepreneurs. After securing several affiliate companies that ranged from construction, sugar, food to paper manufacturing, he audaciously went for broke and built the first Filipino-owned oil company, Filoil Refinery Corporation. Until that time, it was the biggest all-Filipino company to come into being. In recent years, PHINMA has focused more on services, and in the last 52 years has grown into a group of 23 companies with interests in the energy, education, roofing, financial services, and property and shelter sectors.

Apart from his illustrious professional career, he was active in a number of civic and professional associations, including the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (where he was serving as National Secretary). He was also elected President of the De La Salle Alumni Association, and thrust to stalwart role in the Rotary Club of Manila and the Knights of Columbus. But it was in Junior Chamber International (formerly Jaycees) which he shone the brightest. He distinguished himself as the charter president of JCI Manila (formerly Manila Jaycees) in 1948, the first national president of JCI Philippines (formerly Philippine Jaycees) in 1949, and the first Asian world President of Junior Chamber International in 1951, a position of great prestige.

Ambassador del Rosario was also one of the seven founders of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP).

In 1954, Ambassador del Rosario brought Harvard Business School professors to the country to teach management courses. The program eventually led to the creation of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), where he was one of the founding trustees.

The AIM honored him with the Ramon V. del Rosario Center for Corporate Responsibility for his efforts at promoting good corporate citizenship. The Center considers as its task the “management of corporate citizenship relative to the competitiveness of firms and its impact on society.”

An alumnus of the De La Salle University, Ambassador del Rosario was also honored by his alma mater in 2006, when it renamed its graduate business school after him, citing his “catalytic role in Philippine industry.”