Submitted by; Fuselero, Rosemarie C.

BTVTEd FSM 3-J

Submitted to: Ma’am Charry Jane R. Ventura
Assignment 2

1. Henry Sy (Shoe Mart)

There have been several malls in the country today, but SM is the first thing people
think about when it comes to malls.

Shoe Mart, popularly known as SM, is one of the country’s retail giants. Through
the years, SM has managed to capture Filipinos’ hearts and minds, making it more
than just a mall.

Nowadays, it is a beloved institution that serves as the home of many Filipino

families’ memories. It offers various services from shopping, cinemas, venues for a
date night and other occasions, ice skating, or food trips.

Contrary to its glamorous recognition in the market, SM has started small and from
very humble beginnings. Despite having several shopping centers in the
Philippines, Sy does not forget to look back on the old days.

Sy came from a low-income family in Jinjang, Xiamen in China. Due to their

country’s hardships, they left it in 1936 and moved to the Philippines, where they
started a small convenience store in Manila.

Not long after the relocation, World War II broke and damaged the family’s business.
However Sy did not stop and used his business-minded passion by selling used military
combat boots and other goods to American soldiers.
If you wonder why this business’s name is Shoe Mart, then the answer is obvious – it
was the first shoe store in Manila at that time.

Despite the lack of suppliers that could manufacture the shoe designs he had in mind,
Sy persisted. The rest was history.

In 2019, the 94-year old Sy died and was survived by his clan. Today, Sy’s legacy
has lived on as represented by SM and his other acquired businesses. It is no wonder
that he has been one of the richest men in the world.

2. John Gokongwei Jr. (J.G. Holdings)

Unlike the usual rags to riches stories, John’s life story has a twist. It is more known as a
“rich-to-rags-to riches” story. He was born in China to an heir of one of Cebu’s
wealthiest families.

However, when his dad died, everything just went downhill, so he supported his family by
selling Cebu items. Then, he tried trading items in by boat and truck until he started importing
items from the US.

Then, Gokongwei realized that there were smaller margins in this field, so he borrowed PHP
500,000 from Chinabank to start a corn milling business known today as Universal Corn
Products.

This venture was a success, but he did not stop there. He started to add other
products such as Blend 45 and then soon renamed his business as Universal Robina
Corporation.

Today, his family is one of the most successful Filipino entrepreneurs that also owned the
Robinsons Supermarkets and Department Stores under the Robina Land Corporation and the
commercial airline Cebu Pacific.
3. Cecilio Kwok Pedro (Lamoiyan Corporation)

Back in the old days, Cecilio used to head Aluminum Container Inc., the
company manufacturing the aluminum toothpaste tubes for Procter and Gamble
(P&G), Unilever, and Colgate-Palmolive.

After the company closed its doors in 1986 due to some environmental issues,
Cecilio decided it was the right time to start his company. He named it
Lamoiyan and focused on manufacturing toothpaste that was 50% lower in price
than the competitors. Some of these known brands are Hapee and Kutitap. Years
after, his enterprise boomed, and he was able to expand across Asia.

4. Mariano Que (Mercury Drug)

Mariano Que found a business opportunity after World War II. As someone who
had worked in a local drugstore before the war broke out, Que was dedicated to
starting his drugstore business, especially when he saw the need to supply sulfa
drugs, a medication used to treat bacterial infections.

He started selling sulfa at a lower price, but he did not settle for low-quality ones.
Because of this, he was able to build his clientele. His strong network, hard work,
and dedication paved the way to open up his first drugstore in 1945.

He named it Mercury Drug, named after the Roman god Mercury known for
speed, together with the medical industry’s symbol caduceus. Over time, he made
the company grow more significant and is now one of the country’s trusted
drugstores.

5. Ben Chan (Founder of Bench)

Ben Chan is a Chinese-Filipino entrepreneur. He is the founder of Bench, the

Philippines’s largest clothing chain, under the trademark Suyen Corporation.

With his world-class fashion style and work ethic, Chan has expanded the Philippine
clothing chain into international markets including China, the land of his forefathers. He is
the brother of Liwayway Marketing Corporation founder Carlos Chan.
Chan’s first job was working as a guard to the ticket box office of a drive-in movie house in San
Francisco. He stayed there for four years and realized the value of life and money. He decided to
move back to Manila after considering his mother’s advice in making a fortune back home. Chan
learned the ropes of business through his brother Carlos.

He first started designing accessories for Chan C Brothers before he moved to designing furnitur
Soon, Chan’s first business venture, Dimensione, was born. Not long after, his sister, Nenita Lim
prodded him to venture into apparel. His sister first opened a children’s boutique named Suyen a
the designer’s display area in Harrison Plaza. Becoming quite a success, Lim got the opportunity
to tie up with SM Group and soon opened a concession at SM Makati’s department store. This
gave him the idea to design a line of men’s t-shirts and jeans, which eventually became Bench in
1987.