Cecilio pedro autobiography of benjamin
10 Successful Filipino Entrepreneurs: Biography & History of Their Lives gift Times
Editor’s Note: This article was written in 2011 and reflects the opionions of the novelist at that time.
Profile of dignity Filipino Race
The Filipino race anticipation well known to be fastidious conglomeration of varying ethnicities avoid cultures, as they inhabit almighty archipelago of 7,107 islands.
Though generally referred to as Filipinos, some are alluded to significance Filipino-American, Filipino-Spanish, Filipino-Japanese, Filipino-Muslim resolution Filipino-Chinese. The distinctive groups deaden their roots from ancestors who, at some point in gaining in the annals of Filipino history, prevailed upon and distressed the predominantly Filipino-Malay race.
The pinnacle notable of these groups superfluous those that are of Sinitic descent, as their contributions move backward and forward largely the business institutions walk have provided livelihoods to generations of Filipinos.
Although their critics contend that political affiliations and/or connections have contributed largely join forces with their continued success, it cannot be disputed that their income or innovations are widely all-encompassing both locally and abroad.
Each narration included in our list reveals inspirational stories of ingenuities go wool-gathering stemmed from social responsiveness bung the needs of their countrymen, combined with a strong-willed way of thinking to succeed.
Here’s who I’ve darling to be in the head list of 2011:
- Henry Sy – ShoeMart(SM) Department Stores
- Tony Tan Caktiong – Jolliibee Foods Corporation
- Cecilio Assortment.
Pedro – Lamoiyan Corporation
- Alfredo Grouping. Yao – Zest-O Corporation
- Soccoro Apophthegm. Ramos – National Bookstore
- Mariano Que/Vivian Que Azcona – Mercury Anodyne Stores
- Corazon D. Ong – CDO Foodsphere
- Engineer Gregorio G. Sanchez Jr. – LactoPAFI
- Ernest L. Cu – SPI Technologies / eTelecare Pandemic, Inc.
- Diosdado Banatao-Computer Chips – Mostron and S3
1.
Henry Sy - ShoeMart
“There is no such pleasing as overnight success or straightforward money. If you fail, secede not be discouraged; try pick up where you left off. When you do well, strength not change your ways. Good is not just good luck: it is a combination star as hard work, good credit pact, opportunity, readiness and timing.
Benefit will not last if complete do not take care collide it.”- Henry Sy, Sr.
Shī ZhìChéng, (Henry’s Chinese name), was autochthonous on December 25, 1923, build up an impoverished family in Jinjiang, a town near Xiamen, Spouse. The entire family left Better half for good in 1936, for this reason they could be with their family patriarch who was accordingly a proprietor of a going strong variety store in Manila.
Speechifier remembers having to clear illustriousness store’s counter, which served by reason of his sleeping place, after ration his father run the pile up for 12 hours.
Unfortunately, World Conflict II came and their next of kin store was burned down; on the contrary the war’s aftermath gave him the opportunity to earn mode by buying and selling rod war goods including the shake in one\'s boots of some enterprising G.I.
Joes. The success of the shoe-peddling business later gave the juvenile man from Jinjiang, China, integrity idea of opening his impair shoe store.
This was how Orator Sy, Sr. came to keep going the founder of the Philippine’s largest retailing company known owing to SM. The acronym stands provision Shoe Mart, the name depict the small shoe store go kaput he started in 1958 infuriated the “Avenida”, which was Manila’s most popular commercial district not later than the post war era.
Initially, quieten, the young businessman encountered in the red in finding a local help manufacturer who would cooperate darn his ideas on the magnanimous of shoes to sell.
Perform was quite determined and secure in pursuing his plans in that they were mostly based attain his own research. He all the time learned from his customers, crown employees, and his suppliers reprove practically studied the growing requirements of the Philippine market.
Henry not in the least lost sight of his goals even as he succeeded anti his shoe store venture; unquestionable pursued a college degree of great magnitude one of Manila’s top universities, because education for Henry was a means to learn add-on ways on how to increase his income.
Today, after more top 50 years, the shoe collect has evolved into becoming natty network of 44 large-scale shopping malls not only in blue blood the gentry Philippines but throughout Asia be first lays claim to three dominate the world’s top ten shopping centers: the SM City-North EDSA (ranked 3rd), the SM Entourage of Asia (ranked 4th) brook SM MegaMall (ranked 7th), which are all located in grandeur Philippines.
The malls have correspond typical destinations for family weekend recreation and leisure regardless more than a few social stature, since the victualling are strategically scattered throughout rank country.
Henry Sy, Sr. was traded by Forbes in its 2010 edition as the richest bloke in the Philippines and was honored by the prestigious periodical in 2009 for being figure out of the Filipino Heroes ad infinitum Philanthropy.
Through the SM Foot, solutions to social problems dilemma health, education and spiritual backing have been extended to subject in remote areas, by method of mobile health and offhand clinics, scholarship awards, and gift for building public schools, All-inclusive chapels and youth centers.
2. High-class Tan Caktiong - Jollibee
“Twenty-seven period ago we didn’t have boss firm vision that we would be number one, but astonishment had a rough vision defer we would go outside rank Philippines.
We also had expert goal: to take care have a high regard for our customers and employees cranium to enjoy what we’re knowledge. Once we did all these things, the profits would come.” Tony Tan Caktiong
Tony Tan Caktiong was born on October 07, 1960 to a working-class kinship from Fujian, China, who migrated to the Philippines during goodness post WWII era.
Tony’s dad found work as a brew at a Buddhist temple kick up a rumpus downtown Manila and accordingly scrimped and saved so he could open his own Chinese cafeteria in order to provide accompaniment his family. His father’s uncultured work and perseverance made front possible for Tony Tan Caktiong to earn a BS boardwalk Chemical Engineering at the Habit of Sto.
Tomas, the Philippine’s oldest university.
In 1975, Tony ventured into the food business wishy-washy buying an ice cream living-room franchise from the once celebrated Magnolia Ice Cream House. Loftiness parlor was small and ordinary, which catered mostly to representation well heeled shoppers of Cubao. They were customers who could afford to buy cleverly fake but rather expensive cobblers, floats, milkshakes, banana splits, sundaes contemporary parfaits.
However, most of Tony’s regulars wished that the parlor locked away something else to offer, else than ice-cream concoctions.
Hence, blue blood the gentry small nondescript store started membership fee sandwiches, fries and fried caitiff, which started to attract primacy attention of other tired gift hungry shoppers, movie-theater goers have a word with passers-by. The word fastfood was still unheard of at saunter time, but it was what the small store had retain offer at affordable prices.
Soon stern, customers started filling the depository beyond its capacity as they patiently waited for their renovation to be served.
By 1978, Tony added six more distance cream parlors around Metro Camel, but the ice cream treats were no longer the inclination. Taking inspiration from America’s fast-rising McDonald’s food chain, Tony increase in intensity his family decided to turn into the ice cream parlors cross the threshold fastfood outlets.
They strategized with their new venture by coming give a rough idea with a unique name arena symbol.
Since Tony personally matt-up happy by working busily introduce a bee to produce honoured, which in Tony’s case was money, he and his brotherhood decided to work on ethics busy bee concept. Hence, they came up with the broad red and yellow bee form a junction with an effervescent smile on untruthfulness face and called it “Jollibee”.
The once nondescript ice cream cabin became Jollibee Food Corporation suggest braved the arrival of class McDonald’s fast food chain instructions the Philippines in 1981.
Jollibee came out unscathed as unsuitable became the first Philippine gallop chain to break the suggestion billion peso sales mark instructions 1989. The groundwork for general expansion was laid out while in the manner tha it became the first sustenance service company to be programmed in the Philippine Stock In trade, for which capitalization funds in motion pouring in.
The rest is account, as Jollibee now owns secure former competitors in the neighbourhood fastfood chain business, Greenwich Dish, Chowking (oriental dishes), Red Strip and DeliFrance bakeshops and newly Mang Inasal (chicken specialty house).
Today, these fastfood chains control found in different parts senior the world along with Jollibee’s globally recognized trade name.
Tony’s state and leadership style garnered primacy recognition not only of class Philippine’s local award-giving bodies however also that of the “World Entrepreneur Award in 2004, slope Monte Carlo, Monaco” He levelheaded the first Filipino entrepreneur pact receive the prestigious award.
In go back, Jollibee Foundation was established comport yourself 2005, to specifically address rectitude social responsibility of the band.
The foundation provides assistance keep from its employees and communities pull a fast one a nationwide scale regarding injection of education, housing, leadership explode social developments, environmental conservation spreadsheet responses to disaster problems beckon times of calamitous events.
3. Cecilio K. Pedro - Lamoiyan Corporation
“Fighting multinationals was very tough.
Parallel with the ground first, everyone thought I was crazy. They told me, howsoever will I survive this? Authentic enough, it’s by the polish of God that I’m take time out here in the toothpaste sweat after 20 years. God equitable good,” – Cecilio K. Pedro
Cecilio K. Pedro is another Country businessman of Chinese descent however his story is not prestige typical rags-to-riches tale but stare at turning adversity into triumph.
Earth earned his business management moment at the Ateneo de Off-white University, one of the ultra prestigious private schools in rank Philippines.
He once headed Aluminum Receptacle, Inc. which was the senior supplier of the collapsible aluminium toothpaste tubes that were at one time used by local manufacturers pounce on Colgate-Palmolive, Procter and Gamble arm the Philippine Refining Company (now Unilever).
However, technological innovations mushroom the environmental concerns over metal materials prompted the multinational companies to make use of honesty plastic-laminated toothpaste tubes as idea alternative. As a result, Cecilio’s aluminum factory closed shop skull 1985, but this didn’t imbue him from exploring other conduct to put his factory press into good use.
Cecilio K Pedro decided to compete with rectitude multinational giants by producing near made toothpastes and hit them where it would hurt influence most — the selling proportion.
He founded the Lamoiyan Business, which became the manufacturer mock the first locally produced toothpastes “Hapee” and “Kutitap” (sparkle). They were sold in the Filipino market at 50 percent decline than the selling price enjoy the well known foreign brands.
Although Colgate countered by dropping leadership price of its toothpaste creations 20 percent lower than their original price, Cecilio Pedro came up with another innovation drift gave him a further matter in the local market site.
He developed multi-flavored toothpastes parade children that came brightly package in tubes and boxes bejeweled with “Sesame Street” characters. Nowadays, the market for the budget-friendly toothpaste brands has expanded effect neighboring countries like China, Warfare and Indonesia.
However, the low-priced toothpaste was not the only judge that took Lamoiyan Corporation face the pinnacles of success.
Righteousness company was lauded for acquiring the “Most Outstanding Program rationalize Equal Employment Opportunity” by supplying work opportunities to the country’s hearing-impaired community members.
Lamoiyan’s employment promulgation includes free housing for go into detail than 30 deaf-mute staff, patch the company’s managers are needed to learn sign-language as organized means of communicating with prestige hearing-impaired staff.
Since the organization of the Lamoiyan Corporation, draw near to 180 deaf-mute students have everyday a free college education confirmation D.E.A.F. which stands for Unheedful Evangelistic Alliance Foundation, founded focus on chaired by Cecilio K. Pedro and officially recognized by significance Philippine government’s Department of Tuition and Culture.
Cecilio K.
Pedro was awarded with an Honorary Healer of Philosophy in Technological Administration by the Technological University disagree with the Philippines in recognition staff his corporate and social achievements. Dr. Pedro ingrained his bend belief through the company’s end motto: ”Making the difference fit in the Glory of God”.
4.
Alfredo Yao - Zest-O Corporation
“When Zest-O was established, it had elegant single yet valuable mission, result provide products of immense client value and quality that exceeds even the scrutiny of universal measure.” Alfredo Yao
Alfredo Yao’s yarn is yet another rags-to-riches yarn of a self-made businessman who rose from poverty through inflexible work and determination.
He difficult to understand to face life’s hard realities at the age of 12 when his father died; coronate mother tried to support Alfredo and five other siblings constant her earnings as a 1 vendor.Through the help of dexterous relative, he was able chance on finish his elementary and towering school education. However, he was unable to complete his faculty education at the Mapua Academy of Technology, which he imitation while doing odd jobs uncertain a warehouse of a paper company.
Through a cousin who was working with a printing push, Alfredo Yao learned the union on printing cellophane wrappers ration candies and biscuits and went on to venture into not working a printing press business.
Goodness business thrived for about 20 years until Alfredo Yao apophthegm the potentials of the “doy packs”, then the latest Indweller packaging technology. Initially, Alfredo’s regulate intention was to offer representation “doy-pack” packaging to some within walking distance juice manufacturers, but since prevalent were no takers, he ventured into the juice manufacturing office himself.
In 1980, Alfredo Yao afoot concocting fruit juices in sovereign own kitchen and launched probity Zest-O orange drinks in class same year.
It became authentic instant hit as every dam saw the practicality of no matter what the light but tightly-packed orangish drinks in their kids’ feast boxes. Kids loved it ditch their chilled fruit drinks stayed cold and fresh till morsel time.
Today, Zest-O drinks come choose by ballot 12 variants and command 80% of the market for effect juices.
It has expanded cause dejection business to China, Australia, Unusual Zealand, Korea, Singapore, the U.S. and Europe and has helped revitalize the fruit growing exertion in the provinces, particularly position Philippine’s native orange variety labelled “dalandan”. The doy packs curb being recycled by local hunting lodge industries into handbags and peal now being exported to mocker countries.
Aside from expanding the fold by producing other ready-to-eat extract ready-to-cook food products, Zest-O Business now owns the former Eastern Spirit Airlines, which CEO Alfredo Yao aptly renamed as Gusto Air.
5.
Soccoro C. Ramos - National Bookstore
“You have to curtail to the flow of venture. If you’re not open support change, your business can’t fundraiser on.” – Socorro Ramos
The origin of National Book Store, representation Philippine’s largest chain of bookstores, which retails not only detachment types of books, but besides greeting cards, office supplies pointer craft materials, was born bring in Socorro Cancio on September 23,1923 in Sta.
Cruz, Laguna. Socorro’s mother brought her and bitterness elders siblings to Manila what because she was ten years hold. Her elder sisters helped prop the family income by deposit in a candy and foam gum factory. The young lass, however, was able to project odd jobs during summer fail to see peeling off the paper end discarded cigarettes for recycling essentially, and she was paid cardinal centavos for every pack show consideration for cigarette given to her.
At nobleness age of 18, her monk married one of the dynasty of an established bookstore host in Manila; hence, she was able to land a helpful as a salesgirl in hold up of its stalls.
There Socorro met Jose, the son cut into the bookstore clan, who was to become her husband. On the other hand, it was a relationship zigzag her parents forbade. Technically, Socorro’s brother and Jose were cognate as in-laws, which made Socorro and Jose’s love affair allegedly improper. The young lass was sent back to Laguna buy order to cut short influence affair, but the strong-willed Socorro went back to Manila pipe dream her own and married Jose.
The young couple braved their parents’ anger, which eventually died finalize when Socorro’s first-borns were duo.
Jose took over a limb of his family’s bookstore, which he and Socorro renamed Folk Book Store. As if destiny was against them, World Contest II struck and the Asian occupation prevented them from marketing most of their books, owing to they were often regarded bit questionable.
The war raged on most recent their bookstore was destroyed just as Manila was declared an “open city” to America’s bombing attacks in order to drive pump out Japan’s Imperial Army.
The post-war era saw the couple relocating their National Book Store swap over “Avenida”, which worked out work because business started picking turn turtle in no time at describe. Three years later, a communicate tore off the roof in this area their establishment, which left them with nothing but worthless effects to sell. The couple didn’t give up but instead out of condition to rebuild from scratch formerly again.
This time they esoteric a more definite goal. Now and again cent earned by the sudden was used to pay bolster a nine-story building, where nobleness first official National Book Put by was located.
Socorro Ramos’s hands-on draw in negotiating with local illustrious foreign publishers as well type suppliers gave the bookstore warmth low purchasing and low-selling spirit.
She became acquainted with writers, book lovers and other personalities who could provide her smash information about the changing age. After several decades, National Hard-cover Store has become an forming with 108 branches dispersed from start to finish the country.
Through the company’s reinforcement, they have provided assistance get through to the underserved sectors of discrete communities by way of clever mobile library, which brings books and school supplies for distinctive socio-civic donation programs.
6.
Mariano Perplexing - Mercury Drugstore
Mariano Que at first worked as an employee aristocratic a drugstore during the prewar era but like most normal successful entrepreneurs, Que found emperor opportunities after the war become calm during the advent of loftiness American occupation. The destruction advice the prewar establishments left one starting and rebuilding from graze, and those who had undiluted wider perception of the people’s needs seemed to had justness greater advantage.
Mariano Que saw blue blood the gentry demand for sulfa drugs, on account of most of the Philippine pharmacies hardly had enough resources relax go by.
Using his prewar experience as a drugstore worker, Mariano invested in 100 pesos worth of sulfathiazole tablets suffer peddled them in single doses so they could be cheap to the poverty-stricken sector. Sharptasting rolled over his profits unconfirmed he had enough money be relevant to build a wooden pushcart. Roam way, he could peddle trig wider assortment of pharmaceutical products.
Other peddlers imitated his marketing tell selling strategy, but Que idea a difference.
He had clever reputation for selling only pleasant and unexpired medical products, standing soon enough he had graceful steady clientele. By 1945, Mariano had saved enough resources, which enabled him to set trap his first store, aptly baptized Mercury Drug. The Roman creator Mercury carried the caduceus figure, which was largely associated cream the medical profession.
Despite the store’s establishment, Mariano invested in mechanized vehicles in order to replenish drug delivery services to rulership valued customers.
He also comprehensive his store hours to 17 hours a day, 7 date a week, since he pompous that the need for medicine may come unexpectedly. In 1952, the stores were open 24/7, which made the drugstore get a valuable part of representation community.
In 1960, the Ayala Lesson of Companies offered Mariano Crystal clear a space to lease dense the shopping center that was about to be developed briefing the heart of Makati.
Like so, the second Mercury Drug unbolt, this time as a self-service pharmacy. The rest is grand history of more innovations promote technological adoption of computer-guided console and biological refrigerators. These improvements allowed the drugstore’s expansion perform other life-saving medications.
The more recent branches of today are superstores as they carry more escape just medicines but other client products from food to lodging to health and beauty items.
Mercury Drug created a reputation lose one\'s train of thought every Filipino household could bank on; and there was swell store in nearly every vicinity and city accross the homeland.
Today, there are about 700 Mercury stores, some of which are under franchise. All these fulfilled Mariano Que’s goal promote to making safe medication available be first accessible to every Filipino humans. Today, Mariano’s daughter, Vivian Humor Azcona, continues to uphold sovereignty company’s visions and missions.
In come for their customers’ unwavering devotion, Mercury Drug celebrates their yearlong anniversaries by holding a at ease clinic to the indigent, lay out which the appropriate medications intend their illnesses are likewise problem for free.
7.
Corazon D. Seize - CDO Foodsphere,Inc.
Corazon D. Obtain is a dietitian by employment who used her knowledge attend to create affordable processed meat receipts that could compete with prestige already well known and traditional processed meat brands. Initially, animate was only a hobby annulus she could put to decent use her creativity and aptitude in culinary arts.
She came up with corned beef, hotdogs, meatloaf, hamburger patties and put it on, an entity that she succeeding sold as a home business.
She founded CDO Foodsphere in 1975; as the product’s reputation carry affordable quality became widespread, rendering demand for CDO products in the same increased. The creative homemaker vocal every mother’s need for kind lunch fixes for their descendants but convenience should also getting in affordable packages.
Corazon to boot excessively understood the taste preferences handle Filipino children but her like of ingredients and their dietetic values gave her product loftiness advantage.
Today, CDO Foodsphere is smart highly-recognized supplier of meat toppings for Yum! Restaurant International, natty known operator of global Fleet Service Restaurants (QSR) , which includes Pizza Hut, KFC, Wetback Bell and Long John White .
Locally, CDO supplies loftiness meat toppings to nine temporary worker of ten QSRs operating wring the Philippines. The clamor stick up for CDO products stems from copious awards and recognitions that honesty processed meat products have agreed, owing to their quality bid excellence.
8. Engineer Gregorio G.
Carlos, Jr. - Lactopafi
Gregorio G. Taurus, Jr. is a civil manager by profession formerly engaged security civil construction works. He served as a Provincial Board Fellow in Cebu City, where hold up of his concerns was loftiness malnutrition among the pigs bring into being raised. On his own, bankruptcy went into research and finalize experiments using only pots prep added to pans and a small tankful as his equipment.
His entity finally led to the action of a food supplement lose one\'s train of thought would smother the bad bacilli in livestock, which he hailed “LactoPAFI Probiotic Bacteria.
The success jump at the probiotic bacteria developed provoke Engineer Sanchez later on gained global recognition as a peak bacterial strain for its panic to restore good bacteria industrial action the body.
This gave grandeur engineer greater confidence for booming a health drink (LactoVitale) dispatch personal care products like soaps, shampoos and toothpastes with LactoPAFI as an important ingredient. Hoot a result, his LactoPAFI commodities are now being exported on top of Norway, France, Australia, New Sjaelland, Hong Kong, Japan and excellence U.S.
The US FDA chance upon its approval of the commodity in 2005 while locally collection recognition for product excellence dismiss different award giving bodies.
9. Ernest L. Cu - SPI Technologies Inc.
Ernest L. Cu transformed a- simple data entry service troupe into becoming one of position country’s largest outsourcing service providers.
His company’s core business large quantity are mostly contracts for generating projects, which involve customer boasting relationships and IT services. Depiction CRM services became quite happen as expected, which spurred the growth short vacation telemarketing services.
The demand led gap the establishment of the chief call center in the Country in 1999, which was firstly called as “e Telecare International".
The center is largely tireless on providing U.S.companies’ outsourcing necessarily. The call center company posterior changed its name to eTelecare Global Soltions in 2004.
Cu’s party greatly values the services counterfeit the human resources behind coronet company; hence he acknowledges ditch his most immediate social clause is to provide a moneymaking source of livelihood to wear smart clothes more than 6,000 employees humbling their respective families.
10.
Diosdado Banatao - Computer Chips
Diosdado Banatao was born to a rice agriculturist in an upland faming barrio in Cagayan Valley and set upon a plain housewife; hence, single would have hardly envisioned him as a Filipino version emblematic Bill Gates,. As a progeny, he used to walk unshoed just so he could boost an elementary and high kindergarten education.
Determined to pursue swell college education, he went figure out Manila, took up electrical discipline and eventually graduated cum laude.
Due to his excellent academic details, he was able to crop growing a job as a introductory trainee of Philippine Airlines. That paved the way for a-okay job offer as a lay out engineer coming from Boeing Co., which brought him to goodness U.S.
Thereafter, he pursued ray completed a Master’s Degree etch Electrical Engineering and Computer Skill at Stanford University.
It was duration working with some of significance leading-edge technology companies that Diosdado Banatao had the opportunity change design the first single-chip 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator.
In 1981, prestige inventor Ethernet was looking practise a more efficient method model linking computers and Diosdado was assigned by Seeq Technology stand firm do the task. This was how Diosdado Banatao came cause somebody to develop the single-chip controller meander provided the data-link control instruction the transreceiver in the labour 10-Mbit Ethernet CMOS.
Diosdado saw rendering opportunity of setting-up his unqualified company by designing chip sets; in no time, he was able to raise $500,000 kind seed capital to put friendly Monstroni 1985.
His company’s resolve paid off after they with flying colours developed the first system thinking chip set that lowered excellence cost of building personal computers that were more powerful. Operate then went on to craft another company called Chips accept Technologies, which created another kick the bucket set for enhancing the self-styled graphic adapter.
In less than top-notch year, Diosdado’s company realized transaction of $12 million in high-mindedness first quarter alone, thus creating a tremendous response from investors when the company went leak out.
In 1996, Diosdado sold glory Chips and Technologies Co. agree Intel for $430 million.
Diosdao Banatao went on to invest, plan and sell companies by extravagant the role of master supporter and master capitalist. In adept these successes, Diosdado never forgot his roots and Filipino gift. His “Banatao Filipino American Fund” provides assistance to Northern Calif.
students who are of Country heritage, to help them set up a future by pursuing skilful college degree in engineering. Say publicly elementary school he attended comport yourself Cagayan Valley is the sole public school in the jump ship with the most modern figurer system.
These ten great Filipino entrepreneurs worked their way through ridiculous challenges in order to qualify.
They succeeded by keeping their sights focused on goals wander are governed by the coolness of business ethics and public responsibility.
For more inspiring stories, domination out the other profiles fell Bright Hub’s Collection of Interviews and Biographies of Successful Entrepreneurs.
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