The Innovators - Planters Development Bank

company, their maximum potential
will be unleashed. Know that an
employee treated well has his own
way of reciprocating the kind of care
his employer gives him.
Every now and then, Angelo Balili
would go out of his way to spend
time with his employees. From those
who work in administration, to the
rank and file, Balili makes an effort
to connect with all of them. Deep
in immersion, he would take public
transport of various sorts, eat in side
streets, and even visit his employees’
sick relatives. It is very refreshing to
see, since most employers merely
appear as a figure of authority to
their employees. He does these
things not only to empathize with the
people, but also to humbly remind
him of how it is to live that life, to be
in their position like he once was.
For him, at the end of the day, it’s all about
the number of lives he has touched.
Man of virtue
Balili was shaped by unfortunate
circumstances growing up. His
father passed when he was just in
fourth grade and his family’s only
source of livelihood was their farm
in Mindanao. Life wasn’t easy, to
say the least. There came a point
where he had to stop schooling for a
whole year, after high school,
due to a lack of funds. This
was incredibly heartbreaking,
especially for a young man
who consistently did well in
school. Despite everything,
Balili claims that given the
chance, he wouldn’t change
that point in his life. Looking at
the facts, he was just a young
country boy who finished
high school and seemed well
poised for a humble life in the
farm. He felt so disappointed
at not being able to push
through with college; but even
when the odds seemed to
be against him, his spirit was
never broken. Instead, he used
these hardships to ignite a fire
within him. He was not going
to let his shortcomings define
him, or get the best of him. He
used all the negativity to fuel
his desire to pursue his aspirations.
He was “dreaming his dreams”,
motivating himself while working
on the farm. Driven by his passion
for learning and his unrelenting will,
he beat the odds and was able to
go to college. Earning a scholarship
grant, he graduated with a degree
in accounting, cum laude, from the
Manuel L. Quezon University. Balili
is a CPA and once worked for the
most prestigious accounting firm in
the country (SGV&Co.). He believes
that your school or the situation
you’re pushed into doesn’t determine
success. Success is determined
by how you live out a culture of
personal excellence.
In instances where two applicants
are applying for the same job, Balili
has instructed his human resources
to prioritize the applicant who lives
in a less upscale community. This is
because he understands the plight of
those in need and believes that giving
these people a job can change their
family’s fortune forever. This perfectly
captures the essence of his core
principle, “Not the amount of money
I bring into the company, but the
number of lives I’ve changed.”
Beyond helping those in need
For Angelo Balili, deserving the future
entails doing things right. Nothing
beats a principled way of doing
business. Blame it on the system
or the broken culture most people
embrace, but Balili’s challenge is to
take a stand with your head held
up high. According to him, nothing
feels better than being able to look
anybody straight in the eye and telling
him that you did the right thing and
that nothing was compromised along
the way. Cutting against the grain
may sometimes be painful, but it has
to be done. At some point in your
life, he said, you will be rewarded for
doing the right thing. It only takes
courage to take that first step.
Nuggets of wisdom
“Work hard, set your goals very
high. Instill in people the culture
of personal excellence. At the end
of the day it’s your commitment to
excellence that will carry you through.
It will not only benefit the company
but more importantly, you. If you
make them feel that they are part and
parcel of the organization, [and]that
you feel for them, [then] you get the
best out of them.”
Questronix Corporation is located at 178
Yakal St., Brgy. San Antonio, Makati City.
They can be reached at (632) 822-7700,
marketing@questronix.com.ph. Visit their
website at www.questronix.com.ph.
Gaile Balili handles finance and brings in the youthful spunk and wisdom in the company.
Photos by Heidi Pascual-Aquende | Hair and make-up by Ruel Papa
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