Yvsen R.

De Leoz
Grade IV

10 Famous Filipina Entrepreneurs

1. Socorro Ramos (National Book Store)

Socorro Ramos began her career in publishing and retail as a salesgirl in a bookshop.
With a capital of P200, 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.

2. 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.

3. Milagros, Clarita, and Doris Leelin (Goldilocks)

When Milagros, Clarita, and Doris Leelin founded Goldilocks, it was a 70-square-metre
Makati store with only two cake displays and ten employees. Sisters Milagros and Clarita Leelin
had a passion for baking, and opened their first branch with the help of their sister-in-law, Doris.
Goldilocks debuted its franchising programme in 1991. The bakeshop franchise now has around
420 stores, with additional locations in the United States, Canada, and Southeast Asia.
Goldilocks has grown from a PHP 66,000 start-up to a multi-million-dollar food company with
over 4,000 workers.
4. Angeline Tham

Founded in 2016, Angkas has been one of the most in-demand transportation modes in
the country.
Before launching Angkas, Tham worked as a banker for JP Morgan for five years. During
these years, she witnessed the traffic problem in the country and understood its downsides.

Years after, Angkas was launched. Since then, it has had over 1.5 million downloads and
boasts a high percentage of safety records. This is despite the national controversies concerned
with authorizing two-wheeled vehicles as an official transportation mode in the country.
However, Angeline and her team have surpassed the problems and prove that their solution is
safe and effective.

5. Mica Tan

Maria Francesca Tan or Mica started her dream by trading at the Philippine Stock
Exchange. Within two years, she learned foreign exchange, and then at 19 years old, she started a
business.

She is now the co-founder and CEO of MFT Group of Companies, a private equity firm
operating in nine countries and 18 cities around the globe with an asset worth more than $61
million.

She won the Influential Filipina in the Filipino Women’s Network Award last 2019.

6. Anne Arcenas Gonzales

Anne is the managing president of Terry SA, a known lifestyle and fashion retail company in
the Philippines. This company is also the only company distributing Havaianas in the country.
Aside from this, she owned the Common Thread, a Filipino store with a mix of international
brands, while Thread 365 sells basic tee shirts designed by her.

7. Abba Napa

Abba is the co-founder of The Moment Group, a food and beverage operator and
developer.
They offer various brands in the country, such as the Manam Comfort Filipino, 8Cuts Burgers,
and Ooma Bold New Japanese.

TMG recently partnered with the Michelin-rated Din Tai Fung to bring the restaurant’s
famous xiao long bao to the country.

She is also an active part of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ Next
Generation Council and a supporter of the Sustainability Solutions Expo 2020.
8. Angely Dub

Angely is the CEO-Founder of Access Travel and Tours, a travel agency with the most
recommended celebrities and a whopping 225,000 followers.

Her agency becomes the most favorite of local artists, travel bloggers, and influencers through
the years. She has perfected the art of maximizing your time through useful itineraries.

9. Rissa Mananquil Trillo

Rissa is the co-founder of Happy Skin, a popular cosmetics and beauty product brand.
Her cosmetic brand is known for its dynamic makeup lines that make the skin young and
refreshing. Over the years, her brand garnered 30 beauty awards, such as the Most Promising
New Cosmetic Brand from Watsons Philippines.

10. Teresita Sy-Coson

Teresita serves as the co-chair of the SM Investments Corporation, one of the country’s
biggest conglomerates that focuses on banking, property, and retail. She is the daughter of Henry
Sy that also takes care of BDO Unibank and its subsidiaries. Moreover, in 2003, she became one
of the delegates of the Philippines to the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and has received
several prestigious awards for her work in the retail and banking industry.