1.

Shoe Mart (SM)

Henry Sy opened the first Shoemart in 1958 after he had saved enough from selling surplus G.I.
boots. Little did he know that 60 years later his small store would become the behemoth that it is
today. From a small shoe store to one of the largest holding companies in the Philippines, take a look
back at the story of the SM founder and the growth of his enterprises. Born in Xiamen, Sy and his
family moved to the Philippines in hopes of a better life. Sy’s father owned a simple sari-sari store
on Echague Street in Quiapo which was ravaged when the Second World War came along. With
nothing left, Sy's father moved back to China while Sy stayed in Manila determined to become
successful—even with only 10 centavos to his name. Sy worked hard all night and day to survive, this
while learning English and Tagalog, attending school, and hurdling other obstacles. After earning a
degree in commercial studies from Far Eastern University, the young entrepreneur entered the shoe
business and sold surplus G.I. boots. which led to him opening his first Shoemart. After some time, Sy
found that shoes were hard to come by locally. He then looked to other countries for broken sizes—a
move that would cement Shoemart’s status as an efficient shoe store. When Sy married Felicidad Tan,
a lace vendor, he thought of venturing into other products such as childrenswear. Around the same
time, Shoemart officially changed its name to SM Department Store. Never one to settle, Sy bought
Acme Savings Bank (Banco de Oro) in 1967. This would separate him from his competitors—Isetann,
Rempson, C.O.D.—allowing him to build a portfolio of companies. In 2006, SM acquired and merged
Equitable PCI Bank with BDO. After opening SM North EDSA in 1985, SM almost consecutively
opened malls in the following years: SM City Sta. Mesa in 1990, SM Megamall in 1991, and SM City
Cebu in 1993. In 1994, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. was incorporated and became public. This increased
SM Prime’s funding capabilities and in turn, fueled further development of SM malls and shopping
centers. Only a decade after SM began its expansion in the Philippines, it entered the Chinese industry
through shopping malls. Today, SM Prime has six malls in Xiamen, Jinjiang, Chengdu, Suzhou,
Chongqing, and Zibo. China’s SM malls continue to thrive “with high occupancy levels and forging
long-term tenant relationships with leading local and international brands.”

2. CDO Foodsphere

Corazon D. Ong is a dietitian by profession who used her knowledge to create affordable processed
meat products that could compete with the already well known and established processed meat
brands. Initially, it was only a hobby where she could put to good use her creativity and skill in
culinary arts. She came up with corned beef, hotdogs, meatloaf, hamburger patties and ham, an entity
that she later sold as a home business. She founded CDO Foodsphere in 1975; as the product’s
reputation for affordable quality became widespread, the demand for CDO products likewise
increased. The creative homemaker understood every mother’s need for quick lunch fixes for their
children but convenience should also come in affordable packages. Corazon likewise understood the
taste preferences of Filipino children but her knowledge of ingredients and their nutritional values
gave her product the advantage. Today, CDO Foodsphere is a highly-recognized supplier of meat
toppings for Yum! Restaurant International, a known operator of global Quick Service
Restaurants (QSR) , which includes Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell and Long John Silver . Locally, CDO
supplies the meat toppings to nine out of ten QSRs operating in the Philippines. The clamor for CDO
products stems from numerous awards and recognitions that the processed meat products have
received, owing to their quality and excellence.

3. LactoPAFI
Engr. Gregorio G. Sanchez just had to find a way to keep alive the hundreds of piglets in his
livelihood program. A kitchen experiment resulted in a food supplement formula that fattened the
piglets and eventually, became the foundation of a full-blown business.
Engr. Sanchez is a civil engineer whose early career was in the construction business. After returning
from the US in 1983 following the assassination of Ninoy Aquino, he became a street parliamentarian.
Engr. Sanchez was subsequently appointed as Board Member of the Province of Cebu in 1986,
reappointed in 2003, and became Vice Governor in 2004. It was between his appointments to the
Provincial Board when Engr. Sanchez developed Lactopafi Probiotic Bacteria. He was led to do
research on lacto bacillus after his pig dispersal program failed because of the piglets’ malnutrition.
He performed countless experiments with only pots, pans and a small tank for equipment. His
persistence yielded a food supplement that would suppress bad bacteria in livestock.

Those who witnessed the positive effect on livestock urged Sanchez to produce a health drink for
human consumption. He developed Lacto Pafi Probiotic Bacteria, currently among the superior
probiotic bacillus strains in the world (probiotics are dietary supplements containing live bacteria
taken orally to restore beneficial bacteria to the body). Those who took the concoction claim to have
been healed from various ailments.

Lacto Pafi’s reputation spread by word of mouth and through testimonies broadcast in local radio. The
product was registered with the Bureau of Food and Drugs and Sanchez decided to manufacture it
commercially. Engr. Sanchez also developed new products with the lactobacillus component such as
soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and other personal care products. Lacto Pafi products have reached
Norway, France, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Japan, and the US. Engr. Sanchez is also
breaking into the rest of the Southeast Asian region and China.

For his contributions to business and the community, he was awarded Most Outstanding Alumni of
the University San Jose-Recoletos in 2003. In 2005, his product was cited as Most Outstanding
Lactobacillus Health Drink and Best Pro-Biotic Supplement by the Philippine Marketing Excellence
Award Group and the National Product Quality Excellence Awards Group, respectively. The product
was approved in 2005 by the US Food and Drug Administration.