South Florida-based entrepreneur Philip Wong has made a landmark donation of US$1 million to his alma mater, St George’s College, cementing his legacy as one of the most generous alumni in the school’s history.
Wong, who graduated in 1959 alongside prominent Jamaicans such as Dr. Trevor Munroe, the late Ronnie Thwaites, and media executive Stephen Hill, has long been a consistent supporter of the North Street institution. His latest gift marks the largest single donation ever made by a Jamaican to their former high school.
In addition to this historic contribution, Wong funds ten annual scholarships for promising students and in 2022 donated two school buses to aid in the safe and comfortable transportation of the school’s sports teams and clubs. His other notable gifts include the transformation of the school’s main entrance in 2018, now famously emblazoned with the words “The Entry to Excellence.” That same year, Wong was inducted into the St George’s College Hall of Fame.
Wong, founder and head of Deltana—a Florida-based supplier of architectural hardware—attributes much of his success to the education and discipline he received at St George’s. Born into a humble family in Mavis Bank, he has often spoken about how the Jesuit-run institution laid the groundwork for his future.
At the 2022 ceremony for the bus donation, Wong reflected on the school’s role in shaping his path: “St George’s really impacted my life in many ways. I am from a poor Mavis Bank family and I went to college because the examples here prompted me to really do it. St George’s was the base for all that I did in the future. Hopefully, this will set an example for others to give back also. I do it because I want to, and the more I give is the more I get.”
A former classmate described Wong as “a very generous and accomplished man” who has never forgotten the values instilled in him at school. “He is very appreciative of what St George’s College bestowed upon him. The more he gives, the more prosperous he becomes. The late Pope Francis once said, ‘Leave a legacy of good, not goods’ — that’s Phillip Wong.”
Founded in 1850 by 21 Spanish Jesuits exiled from Colombia, St George’s College remains a cornerstone of Catholic education in Jamaica. With roughly 1,470 students, 78 teachers, and 30 support staff, the school boasts an impressive list of alumni, including Bruce Golding, Ziggy Marley, John Barnes, Don Wehby, and Byron Lee.
Wong’s donation not only supports the school’s immediate needs but also sets a new bar for alumni engagement in Jamaica’s education system.
