Joe Rellosa is 88 years old. He lives with eight members of his extended family in a small village by the sea called Siniloan, in Laguna Province. By car, from downtown Manila, it is a three-hour drive. In November 2002, when I went to see Joe, his son Pepe accompanied me. Pepe was my navigator.

Joe Rellosa joined Standard Chartered Bank in 1938. (At the time, it was still known as The Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China.) Joe's first job at the Bank was as a messenger. He was paid 20 pesos a month. Enough to get by. Breakfast cost three centavos. A cup of coffee one centavo and a piece of bread and butter one centavo. And every year, the Bank increased his wage by at least five pesos per month.

During the week, Joe lived in a room in St. Paulo, about 30 minutes from the Bank offices in downtown Manila. On weekends, he returned to his family in Siniloan. In 1938, the bank manager was a Mr. Stewart—an Englishman. Joe's direct boss was another Englishman, John Hamilton.

By 1940, Joe was working in current accounts. The manager was Mr. Whatey. Joe's direct boss now was Mr. Richardson. Joe was earning 57 pesos a month. And then the Japanese invaded. In 1940, when the Japanese occupied the Philippines, Joe left the Bank in Manila and headed for the mountains near his home. Mr. Whatey and Mr. Richardson were imprisoned in a Japanese concentration camp outside Manila. During the occupation, Joe fought with the guerilla forces against the Japanese.

On the evening of February 22, 1945, Joe and four platoons of guerilla fighters—almost 30 men—left the mountains near Siniloan and travelled through the night by foot to the Japanese concentration camp outside Manila. During the march through the rice paddies, Joe lost his shoes.

In the morning, when they arrived at the concentration camp, they divided into separate platoons and surrounded the Japanese camp.

Joe took charge of one platoon. He moved them to the left flank, near the front gate of the camp. Once dug in, the guerillas opened fire on the Japanese guards. At that moment, American planes passed overhead, dropping paratroopers. Joe and his men launched a fierce offensive in order to distract the Japanese from shooting at the paratroopers dropping from the sky above. The Japanese soon lost heart and surrendered.

Once the camp was secure, Joe went looking for his former boss, John Richardson, and the Bank's manager, Mr. Whatey. Joe entered one of the barracks and came upon an American lying on the floor. Joe asked the American if he knew Mr. Richardson from the Chartered Bank. The American hadn't heard of Mr. Richardson, but he did know someone else from the Chartered Bank, the manager, Mr. Whatey. The American directed Joe to Mr. Whatey's barrack. Mr. Whatey was emaciated and ill. When they were reunited, Mr. Whatey looked up at Joe and said, “Joseph?” Joe snapped to attention and answered, “Yes, Sir!” Mr. Whatey continued, “Remember my words. I am going back to London to recover my health. In one year, or perhaps less than a year, I will be back in the Philippines. When I return, I will want to see you in the office.”

Mr. Hale was acting manager in Mr. Whatey's absence. Business was slow immediately after the war. The Bank operated with a skeleton crew of only seven staff. Joe went to see Mr. Hale and told him of Mr. Whatey's promise. Mr. Hale invited Joe to return to the Bank as soon as he was released from the army. Joe soon took up his duties as a clerk at the Bank. He says he was paid ‘about' 50 pesos a month. Within a year—as promised—Mr. Whatey returned from London, his health restored. Every February 23, Mr. Whatey would summon Joe to his office. Mr. Whatey would tell Joe yet again how grateful he was that Joe had liberated him from the concentration camp. Mr. Whatey would then give Joe a cheque for 100 pesos. This ritual continued until Mr. Whatey retired in 1965.

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Mr. Whatey would tell Joe yet again how
grateful he was that Joe had liberated him
from the concentration camp.
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In 1960, Joe's former commanding officer in the guerilla forces approached him about a job at the Bank. Joe asked Mr. Whatey if there were any positions available. When Mr. Whatey heard that Joe's former commanding officer was looking for a job, he said, “Rellosa.” “Yes, Sir?” answered Joe. “Get me the salary man.”

Joe summoned the salary man to Mr. Whatey's office. Mr. Whatey looked up at the salary man and said, “As of this day I want you to include Joe's friend as a salaried employee. He will begin work immediately.” “Yes, Sir,” replied the salary man.

Joe was earning 700 pesos a month in 1960. But it was barely enough to keep his family fed and clothed. Again, Joe approached Mr. Whatey. “Mr. Whatey?” asked Joe. “Yes, Joe?” answered Mr. Whatey. “Sir, I am going to resign.” Mr. Whatey was astonished. “Resign? Why are you going to resign?” “Well, Sir, I am not making enough money to keep my family. I will have to find a better job.”

Mr. Whatey asked Joe how much he was making. He also reminded Joe that, “This bank is one of the best banks in the world. You won't find a better bank than this!…Now, get me the salary man.”

Again, Joe summoned the salary man to Mr. Whatey's office. Mr. Whatey looked up from his desk and asked, “How much are we paying Rellosa?” “700 pesos a month, Sir.”

Mr. Whatey thought for a moment and said, “I want you to increase Joe's salary to 900 pesos a month. Effective immediately. Now, Joe, is that enough?”Joe answered quickly, “Yes, Mr. Whatey. Thank you, Sir.” When Mr. Whatey retired in 1965, he summoned Joe to one last meeting in his office. He told Joe that he was retiring to London and would not be returning to the Philippines. They shook hands. Mr. Whatey said, “Be good, Joe, and the Bank will take care of you…And remember, this is one of the best banks in the world…”

Joe was asked to retire from the Bank in 1970, after 32 years of service. He didn't want to retire—arguing that his health was good and that he could easily work another ten years. He was reminded of a former Bank employee who had continued to work well into old age. That particular employee had died one year after his ‘late' retirement. Joe was encouraged to retire while he was still young enough to pursue other interests. The Bank offered him the choice of a monthly pension or a lump sum payment equivalent to one month per year of service. Joe thought about it overnight. The next morning he returned to the Bank and requested the lump-sum payment. The salary man advised Joe to be careful with his windfall. Sadly, Joe's new interests included politics and other such ‘foolishness' and the money was soon gone.

Fortunately, in 1971, Joe's son Pepe followed his father's footsteps into the Bank. When Pepe retired after twenty-four years of service, he, too, took the lump-sum payment. However, Pepe had learned from his father's ‘foolishness' and now supports the family with a thriving trucking and construction business.