When we hear “successful businessman,” we imagined big houses in Valle Verde, the latest Maserati, or one-month vacation in Europe.
Can you imagine Henry Sy running errands? Or Tony Tan of Jollibee taking your order? Sounds ridiculous. Yet, that’s how they started.
TNP compiled a list of entrepreneurs who overcame poverty and built successful businesses here and abroad.
1) Henry Sy, SM
Previous job: helper in sari-sari’s store
One of the most famous businessmen in the Philippines is the founder of SM Holdings Incorporated, Henry Sy, Sr. Ask anyone, “Who’s the richest person in the Philippines?” and his name would come first—most of the time. But before he built his P731-billion ($ 15.6B) empire, he was a helper of his father’s humble sari-sari store.
Henry Sy grew up in Jinjiang City (formerly county) and, to escape poverty, his family immigrated in the Philippines when he was 12. His father set up a sari-sari store in Quiapo.
When World War II broke out, their store was looted. Everything was gone.
His father lost hope and went back to China, but Sy stayed here. He set up businesses after another until he entered the Forbes’ billionaires club for the first time in 2003.
From a small sari-sari store, Sy’s SM became a huge conglomerate of banks, real estate, and many more ventures.
2) Tony Tan Caktiong, Jollibee
Previous job: service crew in father’s restaurant
As the story goes, McDonald’s is the most popular fast food chain in every country, except one: Philippines. The reason? Jollibee.
Like Henry Sy, Tony Tan’s family migrated from Fujian, China to escape poverty. His father worked as a chef and, later on, built a restaurant in Davao. The young Tony Tan, along with his six other siblings, helped out, until he decided to have a business of his own—an ice cream parlor in Cubao.
The ice cream shop started serving hamburgers and chicken with “Pinoy flavor.” It steadily evolved into the Jollibee Foods Corporation we know today.
3) John Gokongwei, Robinsons Malls, Cebu Pacific, and more
Previous job: peddler (naglalako)
Although John Gokongwei was born rich, his family lost their fortune after his father’s death. At 13, Gokongwei’s fate changed from a señorito into a tindero.
He peddled different items on a bicycle in the streets of Cebu. In his teens, he started trading goods from Manila using a small wooden boat. As his trading business expanded, he also started Universal Robina Corporation and expanded into other industries, such as flights, malls, etc.
He is now the 2nd richest man in the Philippines, after Sy.
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4) Socorro Ramos, National Bookstore
Previous job: sales clerk
Socorro Ramos’ family moved to Manila when she was young. They were so poor; her sisters had to work in a bubblegum factory to help cover the family’s expenses. For her part, Nanay Coring worked odd jobs during her summer break.
After graduation, Nanay Coring became a store clerk at Goodwill Book Store, where she met her husband Jose Ramos. The two took over the business, called it National Bookstore, but lost everything during World War II.
The couple rebuilt it three times until National Bookstore became the leading bookstore in the country.
5) Mariano Que, Mercury Drug
Previous job: drugstore clerk
Mariano Que was a regular employee of a drugstore in Manila. After World War II, he saw the demand for “sulfathiazole tablets.” Instead of selling them in bulk, he sold the tablets in “tingi” so poor people can buy them.
His business prospered and, soon, he set up his own store and named it “Mercury Drug” after the Roman god, the bearer of “caduceus” or the medical symbol—the one with two snakes. He also increased his store hours from the regular 8 to 17 hours.
He worked with the Ayalas to set up branches all over Metro Manila, and his pharmaceutical business expanded into fast food and convenient stores,
6) Alfredo Yao, Zest-O
Previous job: errand boy
When Alfredo Yao’s father died, he and his mother could barely survive. His mother was a sidewalk vendor and, to help her, Yao volunteered as an errand boy in his uncle’s Mahjong sessions.
He enrolled in Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) in college but dropped out because they had no money to pay for his tuition.
With some savings and borrowed money, he and his mother built a packaging business. He offered packaging services to juice companies but they turned him down. He figured, since he already had the packaging equipment, he could create his own juice drink and sell them. That juice drink was called Zest-O.
Now, Zest-O has become a staple drink in recess, birthday parties, and other events.
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7) Diosdado Banatao, Mostron (Micro-electronics)
Previous job: pilot trainee (OFW)
Before Diosdado “Dado” walked the streets of Silicon Valley, he walked the dirt roads in Cagayan Valley to get to school. His father was a poor farmer and his mom was a housewife. They couldn’t afford to enroll him in a good school. The young Dado worked hard, became a scholar, and graduated cum laude in Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT).
After finishing college, he worked in a company as a pilot trainee, where he was offered a scholarship to the prestigious Standford University. He became an engineer in the tech industry.
From there, he built his own company, Mostron, and developed chips with “BUS” concept. Tech insiders dubbed him as the “Bill Gates of the Philippines.”
8) Julia Gandionco, Julie’s Bakeshop
Previous job: student librarian
Julie Gandionco was the breadwinner of the family at age 10. His brother died and his mother was too sick to take care of her and her younger sister.
She worked as a student librarian while studying at the University of San Carlos in Cebu, but dropped out due to lack of money.
After getting married, Gandionco started different types of businesses: fruit stand, sewing shop, sugar farm, and canteen. At 50, she used her entire life savings and started a ‘bakery’ with no previous experience in baking.
But Gandionco, or Nanay Julie, persevered, and “Julie’s Bakeshop” multiplied into 600 branches all over the Philippines.
9) Celestino ‘Les’ Reyes, Reyes Haircutters
Previous job: peddler, ‘takatak’ boy
Celestino Reyes, or Les, was the youngest of 10 children. His brother, Ricky Reyes, worked odd jobs to help the family. Les, on the other hand, would sell cigarettes, newspaper, candies, and vegetables. He was also a “boy” in flea markets, helping vendors and traders carry heavy sacks for five to ten centavos.
Soon, hard work paid off for the two Reyeses and his brother Ricky opened a successful salon.
While his brother catered to artistas and celebrities, Les wanted to provide affordable haircuts to Filipinos from lower-income families. His first salon was near a market. After a few years, Reyes Haircutters blossomed into a 200-branch network nationwide
He opened Reyes haircutters for franchise, and it was recognized as the “Best Franchise” in 2009.
10) Manny Villar, Vistaland
Previous job: seafood vendor
Last on the list is Mister Sipag at Tiyaga, Manny Villar.
Manuel Bamba Villar, Jr. grew up in Tondo, Manila. His father was a government employee while his mother was a fish vendor. The family struggled to feed nine children, including Villar.
Manny Villar helped his mother and even stopped schooling at one point. Through “sipag at tiyaga,” he earned a degree in Business Administration at the University of the Philippines-Diliman.
He quit his first job and started his own business, selling and delivering seafood in bulk. It failed. Years later, he created a gravel and sand business and transformed into Camella and VistaLand.
Manny Villar became the first 100% “dugong Pinoy” on Forbes’ billionaire’s list with a net worth P72-billion ($ 1.54-billion).
Truly, sipag at tiyaga work wonders. Not just for Villar and the entrepreneurs listed here, but for many others who dare to overcome problems life throw at them.
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