Tan Caktiong

He was born to Chinese immigrant parents from Fujian.

His father worked in a restaurant in China and as a cook
in a Buddhist monastery in Manila before setting up his
own restaurant in Davao City.
Tan had initially planned an ice cream parlor when he
founded Jollibee, then added dishes such
as hamburgers, french fries, and fried chicken.

Edgar Sia
Sia was born in Iloilo City in 1977 and grew up
in Roxas City, the eldest of three siblings having
parents from both Capiz and Iloilo.
Sia had planned to become an architect, but
dropped out of the University of San Agustin to start
a business.

Sia co-founded the barbecue chain Mang

Inasal in Iloilo City in 2003. In seven years, Mang
Inasal grew to 338 branches nationwide, before
being acquired by Jollibee in 2010.

Mariano Que
Born in 1921, Que worked as an employee at
Farmacia Central, a major pharmacy owned by
Jose Tee Han Kee along Calle Rosario (now
Quintin Paredes Street) in Manila, prior to the
onset of World War II. He was orphaned during
the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
He established Mercury Drug in Bambang on
March 1, 1945.
Henry Sy
Henry Sy grew up in Jinjang, Xiamen, China, in a low-
income household. Due to the challenges in their home
country, they moved to the Philippines in 1936 and
opened a tiny convenience shop in Manila.

Shortly after, World War II broke out and ruined the family
business. Sy, on the other hand, continued to pursue his
entrepreneurial interests by selling worn military combat
boots and other items to American soldiers. This is where
the name “Shoe Mart” originates: it was Manila’s first
shoe store at the time. Despite being unable to find
vendors that could make the shoes he wanted, Sy
persisted.

Socorro Ramos
She 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.

Lamoiyan
Corporation
Cresida Tueres

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.
 Cecilio Kwok Pedro
Pedro was once the president of Aluminum Container
Inc., a company that made aluminium toothpaste tubes
for Procter & Gamble, the 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.

Alfredo Yao
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.

Jollibee Mang Inasal

Mercury Drug SM
 Goldilocks
Potato
Corner
Milagros, Clarita, and Doris Leelin

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.

Joe Magsaysay
Potato Corner is a well-known food cart
company in the United States. It was founded
in 1990 by Joe Magsaysay, who dropped out
of school to work at a fast-food restaurant.

He was then offered the opportunity to become a manager; his store management
abilities came in handy when he and a friend decided to open Potato Corner. He
went on to become one of the Philippines’ most successful businesspeople.

Potato Corner’s food cart business grew rapidly in 1992 and is now a global
franchise.

National Bookstore
Greenwich Zest-O