Nicole M. Evangelista S.
W #1: MARKETING
11- ABM Dollar January. 25, 2023
10 Entrepreneurs that Became Successful in the Marketing Industry
HENRY SY (Shoe Mart/SM Mall) ➣ He grew up in Jinjang, Xiamen, China, in a low-
income family, and after World War II destroyed their family business, instead of
returning with his father, he stayed in the Philippines determined to succeed. Instead of
weeping over the 10 cents he has left, he spends his time studying commerce and learning
Filipino and English. Sy 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. Sy’s legacy lives on
today in his many SM malls and other acquired businesses. As a result, he was one of the
world’s wealthiest men.
TONY TAN CAKTIONG (Jollibee Foods) ➣ The brains behind this popular food chain is
a Chinese immigrant. At the time, his family ran a Chinese restaurant in Manila, which
allowed him to finish college. He purchased an ice cream shop in 1975, but due to low
sales, it was only after two years that Tony expanded by serving hamburgers and fried
chicken. Not for long, chicken, hamburgers, and ice cream are selling very well, and lines
begin to form, indicating that success is a continuous matter for them. Tony made the
decision to rebrand the restaurant while keeping the Ice Cream House name. Customers
flocked to his store to purchase his wares after word spread in his neighborhood.
Following the success of Caktiong, the company was able to expand across the country
embracing the fast-food business model, growing his humble restaurant into one of the
Philippines’ most successful businesses.
SOCORRO RAMOS (National Book Store) ➣ As a salesgirl in a bookstore, she began her
career in publishing and retail. At the age of 19, she and her husband opened the National
Book Store in Escolta with a capital of PHP200, selling children's books and school
supplies. Many of the books sold in their store were deemed objectionable by the
Japanese soldiers who occupied the country during World War II. The couple hid away
the books and instead sold candies, slippers, soaps, and other products. After the war, the
books they were able to save were sold in their store. Following the postwar boom that
increased revenue for the company, the Ramoses constructed a nine-story structure along
Avenida. Ramos took a hands-on approach to running her business. The National Book
Store rose to prominence in the 1970s by selling reprinted versions of foreign textbooks
at 75% off the original price. Parents and students supported the idea of being able to
purchase such books at a lower cost. She even created her own logo for the company.
EDGAR SIA (Mang Inasal) ➣ Who is from Iloilo City, dropped out of college at the age
of 19 to start his own laundry and photo-developing business, however he was assured
that his provincial background, as well as the grassroots knowledge he obtained on the
ground, could work to his advantage. Sia, then 26, decided to open the fast-food
restaurant Mang Inasal - which is interpreted as "Mr. Barbecue" in his native Hiligaynon
in 2003. In his hometown, the first branch was built in a mall parking lot. The restaurant
was a huge success. Tony Caktiong of Jolibee paid PHP5 billion for Mang Inasal after
learning about Sia's expanding business. Sia put the proceeds from the sale of Mang
Inasal into banking and healthcare. At the age of 42, he is the country's youngest
billionaire.
MARIANO QUE (Mercury Drug) ➣ Mariano Que discovered a market opportunity. Que,
who had previously worked at a local drugstore, decided to open his own after noticing a
high demand for sulfa, a type of antibiotic used to treat bacterial illnesses. He started
selling good-quality sulfa for a low price with P100 and a bottle of Sulfathiazole. As a
result, he was able to grow his customer base. He established the Mercury Drug
pharmacy chain in 1945.
CRESIDA TUERES (Greenwich Pizza) ➣ Cresida Tueres founded Greenwich in 1971 as
a modest over-the-counter pizza shop in Greenhills. Tueres had a natural talent for
cooking, and her friends and family were so impressed with her food that they
encouraged her to turn her small shop into a national franchise. Jollibee Foods
Corporation, impressed by Tueres' commercial acumen and Greenwich's growth, agreed
to buy 80 percent of Greenwich's stock in 1994. Following the successful commercial
agreement, the new company was renamed Greenwich Pizza Corporation, and it opened
its first store in the Ever Gotesco Commonwealth Shopping Mall in 1994.
CECILIO KWOK PEDRO (Lamoiyan Corporation) ➣ Pedro was the former president of
Aluminum Container Inc., which produced aluminum toothpaste tubes for Procter &
Gamble, Philippine Refining Company (now Unilever), and Colgate-Palmolive.
However, due to environmental concerns, his customers switched to plastic-laminated
toothpaste tubes. Aluminum Container Inc. closed its doors in 1986. Pedro, ready and
willing, founded Lamoiyan Corporation and began manufacturing toothpaste at a 50%
discount to his competitors. Although overseas brands retaliated by lowering their prices,
Pedro responded by launching Sesame Street-themed children's toothpaste. Pedro's
brands are now available in China, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Pedro's ambitions aren't
limited to business success; he's also known for his work assisting hearing-impaired
people in finding employment in the United States. Among his initiatives is free housing
for more than 30 deaf-mute employees. DEAF, or the Deaf Evangelistic Alliance
Foundation, has helped more than 180 hearing-impaired students attend college.
ALFREDO M. YAO (Zest-O) ➣ Yao was able to attend college at the Mapa Institute of
Technology with the assistance of a family member, but he did not complete his studies.
Yao worked at a printing machine among other odd jobs. During his time there, he
learned how to print cellophane wrapping for candy and biscuits, and his experiences
inspired him to start his own printing company. His printing business was thriving, but it
was his discovery of the Doy Packaging technique from Europe that pushed him to
prominence. He tried to sell the system to juice companies, but they weren't interested.
Yao decided to launch his own juice company, first developing recipes in his kitchen.
These juices were not only tasty, but they also drew the attention of parents, who found
the lightweight, brightly colored packaging easy to pack in their children's lunchboxes.
The packaging also contributed to the juice staying cold for a longer period. Zest-O now
controls 80% of the Filipino juice market and has expanded into Australia, China, New Zealand,
Korea, Singapore, the United States, and other European countries. Yao's commercial success
has revitalized the Philippines' juice industry and boosted the businesses of dalandan orange
farmers. Yao has expanded his business interests into the airline industry by acquiring Asian
Spirit Airlines and renaming it Zest Air.
GREGORIO G. SANCHEZ JR (LactoPAFI) ➣ Gregorio Sanchez noticed that pigs sold to
market were visibly underweight while working as a provincial board member in Cebu.
He devoted his spare time to determining the cause of this anomaly, conducting tests and
trials on how to relieve Cebu's cattle malnutrition using only pots and pans from his own
kitchen. He discovered that the pigs were infected with harmful bacteria, and his solution
was probiotic bacteria that increased the body's healthy bacteria count.
JOE MAGSAYSAY (Potato Corner) ➣ In the United States, Potato Corner is a well-
known food cart company. Joe Magsaysay, who dropped out of school to work at a fast-
food restaurant, founded it in 1990. He was then approached about becoming a manager
as his store management skills came in handy when he and a friend decided to open
Potato Corner. He went on to become one of the most successful businesspeople in the
Philippines. Potato Corner's food cart business exploded in 1992 and has since become a
global franchise.
