SUCCESSFUL

ENTREPRENEURS
MARY JANILLE T. DELA CRUZ
HENRY SY
HENRY SY
• Founder/Chairman Emeritus of SM Investments.
• Started out with a sari-sari store owned by his father which
unfortunately burned down during World War II.
• Business-minded Henry saw an opportunity to sell used
military combat boots and other postwar goods.
• His success led to the opening of his first business with a
footwear shop called ShoeMart in 1958.
• Opened SM Department Store in 1972.
• Expanded into property development in 1974.
• Bought Acme Savings Bank in 1976, renamed it to Banco de Oro
Savings and Mortgage Bank.
• Banco de Oro Savings and Mortgage Bank became a universal bank in
1996 and the name was changed to the current Banco de Oro
Universal Bank (BDO Unibank).
• Topped the Philippine Rich List for eleven years in a row. His net
worth was estimated $19B at the time of his passing, making him the
53rd wealthiest person in the world.
• In 2017, he stepped down as chairman of his holding firm, assuming
the title “chairman emeritus” and leaving his children and trusted
executive leadership team in charge.
• The values of hard work instilled in him by his parents, Sy passed on
to his six children.
ALFREDO YAO
ALFREDO YAO
• Founder of Zest-O.
• Thirdy-seventh richest person in the Philippines with a net
worth of $235M.
• Brought a type of packaging to the Philippines called “doypack”
from Europe, but manufacturers declined to buy it. Yao called it a
blessing in disguise. He produced his own juice and used the
packaging, and the rest is history – it’s Zest-O.
• Zest-O Corporation also went on to diversify its product range,
offering canned drinks, noodles, condiments, toothpaste, and
detergent.
• Alfredo Yao proves that sometimes school can’t teach you business
awareness and understanding – life experiences will.
CORAZON D. ONG
CORAZON D. ONG
• Vice Chairman and Founder, CDO Foodsphere, Inc.
• Originally a Dietitian, Corazon started her business out of
boredom. She took cooking lessons where she learned to make
skinless longganiza and siopao- a hit among her friends and
neighbors. With this first unique product, Corazon launched a
successful career in the food business.
• Always thinking of more innovations to offer, she was able to apply
her knowledge on nutrition, experimental cooking, and food
technology to develop new products.
• The company gives back further to the community through their
foundation that addresses the nutritional needs of impoverished
children.
• “Love your work”, Ong says, revealing the secret to her success.
“Enjoy what you are doing. Focus on your project and be involved – be
hands on. Have perseverance and dedication.”
RISSA MANANQUIL-TRILLO
RISSA MANANQUIL-TRILLO
• Co-founder of Happy Skin, a local beauty brand.
• Established in 2013 at a time when imported brands ruled the
Philippine cosmetic industry, Happy Skin became on its way to
become a global Filipino brand- proudly homegrown with
Filipino minds behind it and committed to offering world-class
quality.
• Rissa was awarded by Ernst & Young as Woman Entrepreneur of the
Year 2017. She was also recognized as one of Go Negosyo’s Inspiring
Filipina Entrepreneurs for 2018.
• In 2018, she obtained her Executive MBA degree from Asian Institute
of Management.
• It was Rissa’s dream “to create my own make-up line that would take good
care of skin and wonderfully celebrate Filipina beauty.”
JOHN GOKONGWEI, JR.
JOHN GOKONGWEI, JR.
• Founder of JG Summit which has interests in airlines, telecom,
banking, food, power, and property.
• Third-richest person in the Philippines with a net worth of
$5.8B.
• The cornstarch plant he started in 1957 has grown into
Universal Robina Corporation.
• At the age of 13, he sold roasted peanuts in their backyard when his
father died as he did not leave a succession plan.
• Opened a small stall in a market in Cebu and started selling basic
necessities at the age of 15.
• In 1943, he expanded and began trading goods between Cebu and
Manila.
• Built Amasia Trading with his brother at the age of 20, which imported
onions, flour, secondhand goods, old newspapers, and fruits from the U.S.
• Started a cornstarch manufacturing in 1957 at the age of 31.
• By 1976, at the age of 50, he built businesses in food products anchored by
Blend 45 under the Robina Farms brand –one of his biggest challenges
and loss.
• Started Cebu Pacific in 1996.
• Launched C2 in 2004.
• He taught his children the values of hard work he learned from his father.
• He believes that be a truly great nation, we must also excel as
entrepreneurs before the world. We must create Filipino brands for the
global market place.