Successful Filipino Entrepreneurs

SUCCESSFUL FILIPINO ENTREPRENEURS

Socorro C. Ramos National Book Store

Socorro C. Ramos Nanay Coring, as she known to the National Book Store family, won the prestigious award Ernst and Young Entrepreneur in 2004. She is the matriarch of National Book Store, the Philippines’ leading retailer of books, office supplies and greeting cards and at 94 years old, the founder is still active and sharp. She was only 19 years old when she and her husband Jose Ramos opened a small sari-sari store along Avenida, Rizal in Manila. This was the beginning of the National Book Store (1942).

Socorro C. Ramos Credits to: Paul John Cana, October 22, 2017

Question: 75 years na po ang National Book Store this year. Ano pong sikreto ninyo? Answer: Hard work. Kailangan practical hard work, patience and perseverance. We started doon sa Avenida, Rizal tapos nagbukas ako sa Recto, siguro two years after. Pagkatapos okay pala ‘no? so nagbukas na naan ako sa Cubao tapos dumami na.

Socorro C. Ramos Credits to: Paul John Cana, October 22, 2017

Question: Saan niyo po ginastos yung kita niyo noon? Answer: Wala. Ipon lang ako nang ipon tapos bibili ako ng lup tapos magbubukas ako ng branch. Malaki din ang puhunan. Papagawa mo yung pwesto mo. Bibili ka ng lamesa panglagay ng mga display.

Socorro C. Ramos Credits to: Paul John Cana, October 22, 2017

Question: Magkano puhunan niyo nung unang branch? Answer: Konti lang. Maliit lang. Siguro mga Php 200.00. Nung panahon na yun, Php 2 is to $1.

Lucio Tan Fortune Tobacco Corp., Asia Brewery, Inc., and Philippine Airlines, Inc.

Lucio Tan A Chinese-born Filipino entrepreneur who headed such companies as Fortune Tobacco Corp., Asia Brewery, inc., and Philippine Airlines, Inc. He studied chemical engineering and now known as the fourth richest man in the Philippines according to Forbes magazine.

Lucio Tan One of his early jobs, he worked as a janitor in a cigarette factory before his promotion to tobacco “cook”, regulating the product mix. Through this experience,in 1966, Tan started his own tobacco company which became successful, and it introduced its own brand called, “Hope” in 1975.

Lucio Tan From that, Tan, behan conquering success in other industries such as acquiring General Bank 9now Allied Bank), opening Asia Brewery Inc., securing control of coutry’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and more companies under the industries of “liquor, tobacco, aviation, banking and real estate.”

Lucio Tan Tan personifies grit – a person’s ability to persevere in accomplishing a goal despite difficul obstacles and crises over an extended period. He has overcome poverty, hardships and the bankruptcy of the first factory he ran as industrial partner. As a tycoon, he overcome very public conflicts with presidents Cory, Fidel, Joseph and now Rodrigo Duterte. He never, ever gives up.

Tony Tan Caktiong Jollibee

Tony Tan Caktiong He was from a poor family in China who migrated to the Philippines in hope that they may have a better life. His family helped each other out in establishing a restaurant in Davao which enabled him to study Civil Engineering. When he was 22, Caktiong decided to shell out Php 350, 000 in an ice cream parlor franchse. He opened Cubao Ice Cream House and Quiapo Ice Cream House. As their business went successful, they started to hire more people to help them.

Tony Tan Caktiong After 2 years, he decided to serve hamburgers, fried chicken, and spaghetti as people began to tell him that they don’t want to eat ice cream all the time. It was then that they decided to rebrand and change their name to “Jollibee” as it represents them as a company, and the people that they cater to – hardworking and happy.

Henry Sy Sr. Supermalls (SM)

Henry Sy Sr. Henry Sy was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Wanting to escape poverty, Henry followed his father to the Philippines only to experience a miserable youth in a foreign country. He struggled living in a foreign country as an immigrant and had to learn the local language. Determined to become successful, he worked hard day and night to provide for his needs.

Henry Sy Sr. Sy started out with a small sari-sari store business that helped them in their day-to-day life. Sy and his father lived in a small space until the fruits of their labor made them successful in the following years. However, when the Philippine economy collapsed in World War II, their store burned down that forced his father to go back to China. Henry Sy stayed in the Philippines and built his own shoe business in Marikina.

Henry Sy Sr. Sy did not have an overnight success. He changed legal names, sold rejected and overrun shoes, plus many other setbacks that he had to face early in life. After a series of failures in his business, he established a small shoe store in Quiapo, Manila in 1958 named “Shoe Mart” that eventually marked the establishment of SM Prime Holdings.

Henry Sy Sr. Now with three of the most valuable companies in the Philippines: SM Investments Corp. and SM Prime Holdings Inc., valued at over Php 1 trillion each, and BDO Unibank, valued at around Php 635 million, he has become the richest man in the country for 11 consecutive years since 2005 and ranked 52nd in Forbes World Billionaires List of 2018.

Alfredo M. Yao Zest-O

Alfredo M. Yao When Alfredo lost his dad at age 12, his mother was left to support him and his siblings by becoming a sidewalk vendor. A relative was able to give financial aid, which allowed Alfredo to reach, but not complete, college at the Mapúa Institute of Technology.

Alfredo M. Yao Alfredo took several odd jobs, which included time at a printing press. During his stay there, Alfredo learned how to print cellophane wrappers for candies and biscuits. His experience prompted him to start his own printing business. His printing business was doing well.

Alfredo M. Yao However, his discovery of the Doy Packaging system from Europe was the turning point of his entrepreneurial career. He tried to sell the system to juice manufacturers, but no one was interested. Thus, Alfredo ventured into the juice business by concocting flavors in his kitchen.

Alfredo M. Yao These juices were not only delicious but also appealing to parents as they found the light and brightly colored packs easy to include in their children’s lunch boxes. Best of all, the packaging allowed the juice to stay chilled longer. ZestO was born!

Alfredo M. Yao The boy who once faced the harsh realities of life now become a successful juice manufacturer. Alfredo has diversified his business interests into airlines by acquiring Asian Spirit Airlines and renaming it as Zest Air.