Arturo Raphael P.

Dela Guerra

Successful Filipino Entrepreneurs

1. Socorro Ramos
Socorro Ramos once became a salesgirl at a bookstore before
opening her own Bookstore in Escolta when she was 19 years old
with only a capital of 200 pesos. Her store offers books and school
supplies for students. Today, she has expanded the National Book
Store chain 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. With all her awards
and wealth, Socorro Ramos stays humble and credits her success to
values. She constantly monitors the business landscape. She says
there’s always something new to learn; successful business people
must remember this and keep their minds open.

2. Tony Tan Caktiong

Tony Tan Caktiong, the third of seven siblings, came from a poor
Chinese family who immigrated to the Philippines in the hope of a
better life. His family came together to aid one another, opening a
restaurant in Davao that allowed young Tony to study Civil
Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas. Caktiong chose to
invest P350,000 in an ice cream parlor business when he was 22
years old. He opened two ice cream shops, one in Cubao and the
other in Quiapo. They began to hire more personnel to assist them
in managing their firm as it grew more successful. People began to inform him that they didn't want
to eat ice cream all the time, so he decided to provide hamburgers, fried chicken, and spaghetti two
years later. They chose to rebrand and alter their name to “Jollibee” to better represent themselves
as a company and the people they serve - industrious and cheerful. The Jollibee corporation expanded
in size over time. Caktiong worked with other companies to launch Chowking, Red Ribbon, Greenwich,
and Delifrance, among others. Apart from bringing Jollibee, Chowking, and Red Ribbon to new
nations, they've also opened new cuisine franchises in China and Taiwan that cater to local tastes.
Tony Tan Caktiong was named 6th in Forbes' Philippines' 50 Richest in 2016. In 2004, he was named
Entrepreneur of the Year as well as Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

3. Henry Sy, Shoe Mart

SM is more than just a shopping mall. It is a beloved institution.
Many of my favorite memories happened in SM. From
shopping, watching blockbuster movies, date night, ice skating
to food tripping, SM has it all. However, this gigantic chain of
more than 44 large-scale shopping centers in the Philippines
and throughout Asia has very humble beginnings. Henry Sy
came from an impoverished family in Jinjiang, a town near
Xiamen, China. The entire family left China in 1936 to help the
family patriarch manage a thriving convenience store in Manila.
Unfortunately for the family, their store was burned down during World War II. However, business-
minded Henry saw an opportunity selling used military combat boots and other postwar goods from
supportive American soldiers! His success led to the opening of his first shoe store, the SM in Avenida,
Manila. Henry had problems finding shoe manufacturers who could design shoes according to what he
had in mind, but he persisted. He spoke to customers and built his own network of suppliers and
manufacturers. That never-say-die attitude got Henry Sy to where he is now: one of the richest men in
the world and a world-class commercial center developer who provides opportunities to both
entrepreneurs and the working class!
4. Corazon D. Ong
Corazon represented the value of having passion in what you do as a
motivating factor in finding success as an entrepreneur. Corazon was a
dietitian by profession. She used her knowledge to create processed meats
that were affordable enough to compete with the popular foreign brands. She
developed corned beef, hamburger patties, meat loaf, and hotdogs, which
were sold purely as a home business. By 1975, Corazon decided to scale her
newfound business and established CDO Foodsphere. The company’s
reputation to develop high-quality but low-priced processed meats quickly
spread and made CDO a regular staple in every shopping cart. As a mother
herself Corazon understood the value of having meals that can be prepared easily, taste good, and
fit the family budget. In time, CDO expanded to industrial markets. Today, CDO supplies processed
meats to 90% of quick service restaurants or QSRs in the country.

5. Alfredo M. Yao, Zest-O

Alfredo lost his dad at age 12, his mother was left to support him and his siblings
by becoming a sidewalk vendor. A relative was able to give financial aid, which
allowed Alfredo to reach, but not complete, college at the Mapúa Institute of
Technology. Alfredo took several odd jobs, which included time at a printing
press. During his stay there, Alfredo learned how to print cellophane wrappers
for candies and biscuits. His experience prompted him to start his own printing
business. His printing business was doing well. However, his discovery of the
Doy Packaging system from Europe was the turning point of his entrepreneurial
career. He tried to sell the system to juice manufacturers, but no one was interested. Thus, Alfredo
ventured into the juice business by concocting flavors in his kitchen. These juices were not only
delicious but also appealing to parents as they found the light and brightly colored packs easy to
include in their children’s lunch boxes. Best of all, the packaging allowed the juice to stay chilled
longer. Zest-O was born! Today, Zest-O controls 80% of the juice market, and it has expanded to
markets in Australia, China, New Zealand, Korea, Singapore, US, and several countries in Europe.
Alfredo’s entrepreneurial success has revitalized the juice region in the Philippines particularly farmers
growing dalandan. The Doy packs are also recycled by local cottage industries into handbags for
export to other countries! The boy who once faced the harsh realities of life now become a successful
juice manufacturer. Alfredo has diversified his business interests into airlines by acquiring Asian Spirit
Airlines and renaming it as Zest Air.