Republic of the Philippines

EASTERN VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Tacloban City

ISO 9001:2015 Certified

Industrial Engineering Department

In partial fulfillment in

GEN EL 003: THE ENTERPRENUERIAL MIND

SUCCESSFUL ENTERPRENUERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Submitted by:

REAS, CAREN S.

BSIE 2A

Submitted to:

ENGR. ROQUE CONSTINIANO. MBA

 HENRY SY
(Shoe Mart)

Shoe Mart, or SM for short, is one of the country’s retail behemoths, and far more

than just a mall. It is now a well-loved institution of which many Filipino families hold fond

memories. It provides a wide range of services, including shopping, theatres, locations for

date nights, parties and other special occasions, ice skating, and food courts. SM started

modestly and from humble beginnings, despite its now upmarket reputation.

Henry Sy was not born with a golden spoon, in fact he belongs to a poor family in Quanzhou,

China. Sy, migrated in the Philippines when he was twelve and started working for his

father’s small sari-sari store located in Quiapo, Manila. The small store that they owned was

burned down by fire when the second World War took place which led for Henry’s father to

return to China. Instead of coming with his father to China, he insisted to stay with a firm

determination to become successful here in the Philippines.

Left with only 10 cents in his pocket, Sy started to empower himself by studying commerce,

learning English and Filipino language at the same time. He began selling GI boots (surplus).

Sy focused on trading shoes on the onset which lead him to discover local supplier

(Philippine made) and explore in importing shoes to be able to cope up with the supply and

demand chain.

He married a fellow Chinese immigrant lady and blessed with six children in their marriage.

Felicidad, Henry’s wife helped Sy in the business process all the way. Felicidad is a lace

vendor in Manila which also have given Sy an idea to bring in other goods and products

inside his Shoe Mart.

It was not at all an overnight success for Henry Sy, he started selling shoes in the streets of

Manila under the heat of the sun and the cold of the rain. At one point in his past, Sy was shot

by a shrapnel and almost die in excessive bleeding, someone helped him, that someone

became his friend and as an act of gratitude, he became a business partner and now indeed

became successful because of him. There have been so many obstacles in the start-up process

but was able to overcome it one step at a time.

As the success continues, Sy didn’t mind taking the risk to go global. In year 2001, the very

first SM Mall was opened in China. Branches in China continues to expand and now has 6

branches in the following region: Chengdu, Xiamen, Suzhou, Zibo, Chongqing and Jinjiang.

SM primes in China maintains high level of occupancy with a long-term relationship with the

Local and International brand and suppliers.

SMDC also started to venture out in China in 2016. Their China project was named: Silk

Residence in Chengdu China. This global step for SMDC was a strong testament of the

company’s firm commitment on developing world class project that is well-acknowledged by

the international target market.

At the age of 93, Chairman Emeritus, Henry Sy was able to acquire numerous awards and

recognition in the field of business especially in retailing and banking as well as in his

management skills. The second generation of the family has now taken over the business and

continuing the legacy their father has established.

In business, it is not important how much money you have in your pocket, what’s important

is how much dedication and perseverance you will put in it. Your hard work is priceless and

your passion to what your doing is a treasure.

 TONY TAN CAKTIONG
(Jollibee Foods)

The cheerful tagline “langhap sarap” – a Jollibee trademark – is well-known among

Filipinos.

Tony Tan Caktiong, another Chinese immigrant, is the brains behind this popular food chain.

His family maintained a Chinese restaurant in Manila at the time, which enabled him to finish

college.

He bought an ice cream shop in 1975, but owing to low sales, he decided to add other items

such as fried chicken, fries, and burgers. Customers came to the store to buy his products

after word spread in his area.

Caktiong was able to expand across the country after embracing the fast-food business model,

growing his humble restaurant into one of the Philippines’ most successful businesses.

Furthermore, by establishing a franchise, he has been able to break into the international

market. With over 2,500 outlets in the Philippines and locations in the United States, China,

Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei and the UK, Jollibee is a fast-food behemoth.

Jollibee founder Tony Tan Caktiong, is another of those Chinese immigrant family who went

to the Philippines in hope for a better future. Tony is born on January 5, 1953 in Fujian,

province of China.  His father worked for a Chinese temple in binondo as a chef. Due to his

father’s talent in cooking he was able to acquire an offer to manage a restaurant in Davao.

The entire family helped each other in order to make the business progressive. Because of the
family’s hard work, they were able to send Tony to school back in Manila at University of

Santo Tomas. Toni took up chemical engineering course. One day tony and his friend when

to the plant went to the plant of Magnolia Ice Cream for a visit, young tony got interested into

a poster advertising to franchise an ice cream house for only 17,500 pesos per branch. The

family savings to invest their money amounting 350,000 pesos to purchase 2 franchise

branches of the ice cream house.  Their two-ice cream house army named Cubao Ice Cream

House and Quiapo Ice Cream House. The entire family went back to manila to focus on this

new business venture. They started selling just flavors of ice cream. Tony was only 20 when

they opened the ice cream houses which will eventually be the country’s leading fast food

chain in the Philippines. As the business progress the family started hiring skilled people such

as managers supervisors and service crew, to help them cope up with the operational

demand.  Only after 2 years when Tony expanded by serving not only ice cream, they started

serving hamburgers and fried chicken. Not for long, chicken, hamburgers and ice cream are

selling very good, lines start to pile up and success is a continuous matter for them. Tony

decided to rebrand the restaurant and leave the Ice cream house name on it. Tony suggested

“bee” as their icon for a sign of hard work as is bees are known for their hard work to

produce honey. They are also associated “happy” as the Filipino culture portrays happy

costumer.  Tony came up with the word “jolly” in replacement of the word happy so they

come up with the word “Jollibee”.

1978 when the family formally inaugurated Jollibee in the Philippines. The concept of

serving Filipino comfort foods for the consumer is one of the key strengths that they have.

1980 when international brand McDonalds came into the scene as the major competition of

Jollibee. Jollibee was able to ultimately understand the Filipino market by incorporating
Filipino sweet blend in their specialty.  Jollibee continue to prosper over the years, as of now,

Jollibee has a market value of 25 million pesos as a franchise fee. Not only did Jollibee

Taken the number one spot in the fast food chain industry in the Philippines but also started

to domain branches all over the world. As the company expanded number of branches also

able to acquire other fast food chain company such as Chowking, Greenwich, Delifrance, Red

Ribbon and Mang Inasal. Greenwich was one of the first acquisition made by Tony happened

year 1994, Tony kept the original recipe of Greenwich Pizza which retains the taste that suits

the local market’s taste preferences.

Tony and his family took a big step into staking their savings in open up a food chain that

makes them the leading food chain company of today.  There have been many mistakes that

came along the way and not everybody believes in the beauty of Tony’s dream.  During the

times of trial Tony keep an optimistic mind that nothing is impossible and that he can

overcome everything. Tony got the trait of having a positive mindset from her mom.  Tony’s

mom always does her best without worrying much about the outcome as long as she did her

best. When McDonalds came into the picture, most of Tony’s friends are advising them to

sell out Jollibee as he may not be able to make it amidst the globally renowned competition.

Tony keep his mindset positive in staying despite giant competition he’s battling face to face.

If he would have given in during those time and sell out his company, we wouldn’t have

Jollibee today.

“If you dream big and put your dreams into action you will indefinitely make mistakes. But

don’t be scared to make mistakes just be quick to regain recognize them learn from them as

fast as you can.” Tony Tan Caktiong

Mistakes are inevitable in doing business. Every mistake has a random effect. It can make or

break whatever you put up in a snap. Tony believes that making mistake is also an

opportunity in learning for improvement. Recognize your mistake you can learn from it,

recover as fast as you can. Jollibee’s one of the most notable mistake made by Tony is when

they thought roasted chicken will sell more for the Filipino consumer rather than their crispy

fried chicken.  They quickly change chicken grilled chicken to crispy fried chicken to

overcome the challenges. Make your mistakes your building blocks to climb up to the top.

Looking back at his entire journey, Tony is very glad he takes chances, he takes the risk and

work hard for it.  He is very thankful of the support he got from his family who never leave

his side in making big steps throughout his career, for not with them, he may have made bad

decisions in the past.  He dreams big, he works hard and materialize his dream thru actions

that make him the owner of the country’s largest fast food chain in the country.  Believing in

the beauty of your dreams should be incorporated with perseverance and hard work, holding

on to it in times of trials and difficulties and giving whatever, it takes to make your dream

come true.

SOCORRO RAMOS
(National Book Store)

Socorro Ramos began her career in publishing and retail as a salesgirl in a bookshop.

With a capital of PHP200, she and her husband launched National Book Store in Escolta at

the age of 19, selling books and school supplies to children. The Japanese imposed

censorship on books and publications at the time, which included her burgeoning business.

She and her husband supplemented their income by selling other products such as candles

and soaps.
The Ramoses built a nine-story structure along Avenida, after the postwar boom brought

increased revenue for the company. Ramos adopted a hands-on approach to running her

business, even designing the company’s logo herself.

The National Book Store now has around 3,000 employees. At the age of 98, Socorro Ramos

is worth an estimated USD3.1 billion, making her one of the country’s richest people.

Back in 1940, she and Jose Ramos, her husband, established a small stall in Escolta where

they sold supplies. They, however, did not have a steady road towards success. In fact, they

endured many trials together that would have discouraged most entrepreneurs.

During World War II, the Japanese soldiers occupying the country considered many of the

books sold in their store to be objectionable. What the couple did was to hide the books and

then sell candies, slippers, soaps and other goods instead. The books they managed to save

were later sold in their store after the end of the war. Also, they had to relocate to Avenida

because their first building was badly damaged by the war. Three years after that, their

bookstore was struck by a heavy typhoon, blowing the roof and damaging many of their

merchandise. This, however, did not deter Coring. Like the mythical phoenix, she rose from

the ashes and built the business back up once more. In the 1970s, National Book Store

became popular by selling reprinted versions of foreign textbooks for 75% lesser than the

actual price. Parents and students loved the idea of being able to purchase such books for

lower costs.

Coring admitted that it was not easy to start the business from scratch. She struggled hard to

rebuild National Book Store for the third time. She affirms the truth that with determination

and hard work nothing is impossible if we want to achieve our dreams. She truly proved that

Filipinos are very passionate and keen on learning.

Today, the National Book Store chain expanded into an empire that spans a variety of various

businesses, including publishing, a music store, a department store, and several other

convenience and gift stores. What has become the Ramos family business has not stopped

growing since, having opened Powerbooks in 1996, a popular specialty bookstore.

JOHN GOKONGWEI JR.

(J.g. Holdings)

The Filipino tycoon is most known for being the founder and former chairman of JG

Summit, one of the country’s largest conglomerates. Under Big John’s leadership, he

launched Universal Corn Products (now Universal Robina Corporation), Consolidated Food

Corporation (later CFC Corporation), JG Summit Holdings, Cebu Pacific Air, Robinson

Retail Holdings, and more. When he died, Big John was the third-richest person in the

Philippines, according to Forbes. Big John’s life story is no ordinary “rags-to-riches” because

he actually once came from a wealthy clan. His great-grandfather, Pedro Gotiaoco, was one

of the richest men in Cebu in the 19th century. He came from Fujian province in China and

owned a huge trading company, Gotiaoco Hermanos. Life was great for the Gotiaoco family

until the Great Depression came, and their family fell into debt. His father left while his

mother and five siblings returned to China. Banks seized their properties, and they fell into

poverty. Left with no choice but to survive, young John had to start from scratch to build a

better life for himself and his family. At the age of 14, he started selling peanuts in the streets

to send money to his family in China. He soon realized he could do more if he had a bicycle.

So, he saved up and was able to reach nearby towns to sell it. At the age of 17, Big John

rediscovered his family’s love for trading and expanded his business. Using a small boat, he

would trade goods from Cebu to Manila and vice versa. This was very tiring, but he endured
it all to send his siblings to school in China. After the war, Big John took it as a good

opportunity to expand his trading business abroad. He built his first company, Amasia

Trading, which sold and bought goods in the United States, Manila, and the Visayan region.

With the success of his Amasia trading, Big John reunited with his family back in the

Philippines. Together, the siblings worked in their father’s family business, American-Asia

Trading. Big John found an interest in the cornstarch business but didn’t have enough funds.

He tried to ask for a loan from several banks but to no avail. Fortunately, he found the light at

the end of the tunnel when China Bank’s Dr. Albino Sycip gave him a P500,000 loan.

With his money, Big John founded his cornstarch manufacturing company, Universal Corn

Products, in 1954. This, later on, became Universal Robina Corporation (URC) when it

ventured into other finished goods. Since then, Big John was unstoppable as he built one of

the Philippines’ biggest business empires, the JG Summit. URC became one of the leading

food and beverage companies in the country. Aside from their conglomerate, JG Summit also

has interests in PLDT, Manila Electric Company, and other global companies like United

Industrial and more. At the age of 93, Big John died surrounded by his family at the Manila

Doctors Hospital on November 9, 2019. Among the timeless business lessons we can learn

from Big John is to realize the true meaning of being an entrepreneur. He said, “Choose to be

an entrepreneur because then you desire a life of adventure, endless challenge, and the

opportunity to be your best self.”

 EDGAR SIA
(Mang Inasal)

Edgar Sia, the brains behind Mang Inasal, is widely regarded as the Philippines’

pioneer in limitless rice meals.

Sia, who is native to Iloilo City, dropped out of college at the age of 19 to start his own

laundry and photo-developing business. Sia, then 26 years old, decided to launch the fast-

food restaurant Mang Inasal – meaning “Mr. Barbecue” in his native Hiligaynon – in 2003.

In his hometown, the first branch was erected in a mall parking lot. The restaurant was a

huge success. Jolibee’s Tony Caktiong bought Mang Inasal for PHP5 billion after hearing

about Sia’s growing business. Sia invested the proceeds from the sale of Mang Inasal into

banking and healthcare. He is the country’s youngest billionaire, at the age of 42.

It all started with a Vision. Edgar “Injap” Sia, at the age of twenty-six, grabbed the

opportunity to lease a 250 square meter space at the Robinson’s Mall Carpark-Iloilo in

December 2003.

It was there that Mang Inasal, Hiligaynon for Mr. Barbeque, was born.

Early on, he learned the importance of following your instincts, taking risks, strategizing,

negotiating, and motivating yourself and your people. He also knew that the Filipino

barbeque quick service restaurant category still had the potential for growth. He started a

business that had the potential for nationwide expansion. With the support of his family, he

embarked on a journey that changed his life forever.

The primary reason for Mang Inasal’s success is its wide array of Filipino comfort food,

especially Chicken Inasal - with its distinct taste that Pinoys have grown and continue to love.
By 2009, only six years after the first branch opened, Mang Inasal had a store network of one

hundred stores.

Mang Inasal soon drew the attention of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), the Philippines’

largest food service company and one of Asia’s most admired companies. JFC acquired

100% share of Mang Inasal in April 2016.

Today, Mang Inasal is the leading Pinoy branded outlet in the country, with its strong

portfolio of Chicken Inasal, Pork BBQ, Halo Halo, and Palabok. Variations in the menu are

constantly being developed to meet the discriminating demands of its growing customer base.

Mang Inasal has steadily grown ever since its acquisition, making it one of the fastest

growing quick service restaurants in the country. To date, Mang Inasal has over 450 stores

nationwide and counting.

The brand has garnered numerous awards over the years, including the Outstanding Fast

Growing Local Food Company from the 19th Annual National Consumers Awards in 2008,

the Most Outstanding Quick Service Restaurant and Most Outstanding Chicken Inasal

restaurant from the 2010 Dangal ng Bayan Awards, and the Outstanding Filipino Franchise

Award from the 2015 Franchise Excellence Awards.

Mang Inasal now lays the foundation for a new era of prosperity, moving forward to a

horizon of possibilities as the brand continues its winning tradition of excellence.

 Injap admitted that he can’t help but be overwhelmed with the good fortune that came his

way, as it was certainly quite a feat what he has achieved.

From his humble beginnings with Mang Inasal back in 2003 to trying his hand in the real

estate business, the young tycoon is indeed out to build his own empire but without
sacrificing the values he has long carried with him and made him a huge success in his

ventures.

Today, Injap holds a sizeable 37-percent stake in DoubleDragon Properties Corp., of which

the Tan Caktiong family is a partner. Double Dragon’s CityMall Commercial Centers Inc.

(CMCCI) also has as its investor the country’s largest conglomerate, SM Investments Corp.,

which held a 34 percent stake in thsaid subsidiary.

“The key is before you go into business, you have to do your homework. You must see it so

clearly that you know what you are doing. You have to be so convinced of the goal you want

to achieve.” – Edgar Sia.

MARIANO QUE
(Mercury Drug)

Mariano Que discovered a commercial opportunity. Que, who had worked at a local

drugstore before the war, opened his own drugstore when he noticed the demand for sulfa, a

type of antibiotic used to treat bacterial illnesses.

He began selling good-quality sulfa for a low price. As a result, he was able to expand his

clientele. In 1945, he founded the Mercury Drug chain of pharmacies.

Mercury Drug was named after the Roman god Mercury, who was known for his speed as

well as for originating the medical industry’s symbol, the caduceus. He helped the company

grow over time, and it is today one of the best-known drugstores in the country.

Que’s knowledge of pharmaceutical principles propelled him to success.

 CRESIDA TUERES
(Greenwich Pizza)

Greenwich began as a modest over-the-counter pizza shop in Greenhills in 1971,

founded by Cresida Tueres. Tueres had a natural talent for cooking; her friends and family

were so taken with her food that they supported her in developing her humble shop into a

national franchise.

Jollibee Foods Corporation, impressed by Tueres’ commercial acumen and Greenwich’s

expansion, struck an agreement in 1994 to buy 80 percent of Greenwich’s stock.

The new company was renamed Greenwich Pizza Corporation after the successful

commercial agreement, and it launched its first store in the Ever Gotesco Commonwealth

Shopping Mall in 1994.

“If you want to have a business for a long time, you should always think of the long term and

listen to your customers.  It may be difficult to get things right the first time.  So,

commitment, perseverance, and hardwork are needed,” Ms. Navarrete advises new and

aspiring entrepreneurs.
 CECILIO KWOK PEDRO
(Lamoiyan Corporation)

The story of Cecilio Kwok Pedro is a classic example of Filipino entrepreneurial spirit

overcoming the odds.

Pedro was once the president of Aluminum Container Inc., a company that made aluminium

toothpaste tubes for Procter & Gamble, Philippine Refining Company (now Unilever), and

Colgate-Palmolive. His clientele, however, switched to plastic-laminated toothpaste tubes due

to environmental concerns. Aluminum Container Inc. went out of business in 1986.

Unabashed, Pedro founded Lamoiyan Corporation and began producing toothpaste at a 50%

discount to his competitors. Hapee and Kutitap, two still-popular brands, were among them.

Although overseas brands retaliated by decreasing their prices, Pedro responded by launching

a children’s toothpaste featuring Sesame Street characters. Pedro’s brands have spread

throughout Asia, including China, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

Pedro’s ambitions aren’t limited to success in the business world; he’s also known for his

work to help hearing-impaired people find work in the United States. His initiatives include

providing free lodging for more than 30 deaf–mute employees. DEAF, or Deaf Evangelistic

Alliance Foundation, has provided college education for more than 180 hearing-impaired

students to date.
 ALFREDO M YAO
(Zest-O)

Alfredo Yao’s father died when he was 12; his mother supported him and his siblings

by working as a street vendor. Yao was able to attend college at the Mapa Institute of

Technology thanks to the help of a family member, but did not complete.

Yao did a variety of odd jobs, including working at a printing machine. He learned how to

print cellophane wrapping for candy and biscuits during his time there, and was inspired to

create his own printing company as a result of his experiences.

His printing company was thriving, but it was his discovery of the Doy Packaging technique

from Europe that really launched his career. He sought to market the system to juice

companies, but they showed little interest. Yao decided to start his own juice company,

initially concocting recipes in his kitchen.

These juices were not only tasty, but also appealed to parents, who found the lightweight,

vividly coloured packaging convenient to pack in their children’s lunchboxes. The packaging

also helped the juice to stay cold for longer.

Zest-O now owns 80% of the Filipino juice market and has spread to other markets in

Australia, China, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, the United States, and other European

countries. Yao’s commercial success has resurrected the Philippines’ juice industry and

boosted dalandan orange farmers’ businesses. Small-scale entrepreneurs recycle the Doy

packs into handbags for export to other countries.

By acquiring Asian Spirit Airlines and renaming it Zest Air, Yao has expanded his business

interests into the airline industry. Yao, used technology to turn his burgeoning juice business

into a global success.

GREGORIO G SANCHEZ JR
(LactoPAFI)

While working as a provincial board member in Cebu, Gregorio Sanchez noticed that

pigs sold to market were visibly underweight.

He dedicated his spare time to finding the cause for this anomaly, and did various tests and

trials on how to ease Cebu’s cattle malnutrition, using only the pots and pans in his home.

Despite several setbacks, his perseverance paid off: he found out that the pigs were infected

with dangerous bacteria. His solution was probiotic bacteria that would boost the body’s

healthy bacteria count.

Sanchez eventually developed his discovery into LactoPAFI Probiotic Bacteria, which would

go on to become a global probiotics leader with buyers in Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong,

Norway, Australia, France, and the United States. Sanchez found success by identifying a gap

in the market and innovating.