ENTREPRENEUR

i. Maria Socorro Cancio Ramos - National Book Store

Socorro Ramos entered the publishing and retail industry by working as a salesgirl at
a bookstore. At the age of 19, she opened National Book Store in Escolta with her
husband with a capital of P200, selling books and school supplies to students. At that
time, Manila was under the control of the Japanese, who imposed censorship on
books and periodicals. To augment their earnings, she and her husband resorted to
selling other items like candles and soaps.

After the post-war boom proved profitable for the company, ushering in bigger
revenues, the Ramoses opened a nine-story building along Avenida. At 95, she still
believes in the time-honored tradition of “hands-on approach” in business. She even
designed the company’s logo herself.

ii. Angeline Tham, Founder & CEO - ANGKAS

Angeline Tham is no stranger to Metro Manila’s heavy traffic. She also knows how
difficult it is to commute to and from work. To help ease the traffic congestion in the
country’s capital, she founded the motorcycle ride-hailing platform Angkas in 2016.
Before this, Tham launched Sold.sg, an online entertainment shopping website in
Singapore, which she then sold. This gave her valuable experience in the tech
industry, which ultimately helped her set Angkas in motion.

iii. Earl Patrick Forlales, Co- founder - Cubo

Inspired by memories of time spent in his grandfather’s traditional bamboo house in
the province, Earl Patrick Forlales came up with the idea of modular tiny house
designs made from renewable, sustainable materials.

Made of engineered bamboo, which grows fast and in abundance, these

prefabricated components allow for speedier construction and assembly, enabling
the Cubo team to put up a house in a matter of hours.

The company, in addition, goes the extra mile by tapping Filipino bamboo craftsmen
with decades of knowledge to build these world-class homes. Not only does it put the
spotlight on Filipino expertise, but it also makes homes affordable. Cubo offers a
housing payment plan with 0% interest for up to a 10-year payment period, backed
by a 50-year lifetime structural warranty.

iv. Asiang Reyes – The Aristocrat

In the 1930s, Asiang Reyes started The Aristocrat as a mobile canteen in Luneta,
serving sandwiches filled with adobo and other Filipino viands. Hotdog trucks were in
vogue at that time. Reyes created her own version of merienda for park-goers.

Reyes was supposed to name the canteen “Andy” after her eldest son, but changed it
to Aristocrat instead. The canteen prospered, and Reyes and her husband decided to
turn it into a full-time restaurant.
v. Araceli and Jun Manas – Hen Lin

Using the recipes they learned from a Chinese chef and a capital of P30,000, Araceli
and Jun Manas started Hen Lin in 1983. Jun worked for an insurance firm while his
wife Araceli worked in a bank. The couple had to learn the intricacies of the business
themselves. At night, they practiced making siomai or dumplings.

The Manas couple opened the first Hen Lin store in SM Makati, which was well
received for its delicious dim sum offerings. 30 years on, Hen Lin is popular in many
malls, offering various products such as hopia, noodles, congee, rice toppings, and
breakfast food.

Their common traits

They enjoy their jobs. Stays modest and attributes their prosperity to their morals.
They think large and are innovative, and they are not afraid to take risks. They make
choices quickly. Sometimes the choices have terrible results. They falter. They drop.
They stand back up. They search for another business if one fails.