Proudly Pinoy - Planters Development Bank

A Plantersbank publication 

sme 

.COMmunity .PHilippines 

v 0 l 3 i s s u e 4 2 0 0 8 

proudly 

pinoy• MILMAR’S LAMBANOG 

Laguna’s Fiery Secret 

• BUSINESS a la CART! 

• Boost Your Sales Power

C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK / 

STAFFBOX 

THESE DAYS, there are many things Filipinos here and abroad can be proud 

about. For example, world-class goods and services have ceased to be 

a pipe-dream for the quality-conscious Filipino consumer, and the label 

“made in the Philippines” is becoming a brand synonymous with uncompromising 

quality. So it is apt that we dedicate this issue of SME Community Philippines to 

businesses that are “Proudly Pinoy”. 

On our cover, we feature young entrepreneur Rommel Juan, the leading 

light behind the Binalot Fiesta Foods chain whose campaign to promote Filipino 

culture and values through delicious home-style cooking is also helping enhance 

the quality of life of compatriots in the countryside. 

We also discover the rite and rituals associated with lambanog—the fiery 

traditional drink popular in Southern Luzon which, thanks to the efforts of the 

Zabat family and the Milmar Distillery in San Pablo City, gained national stature 

and has since found its way into the international market. 

In this issue, we learn from marketing specialist Herbert Sancianco how 

companies can get their sales force back in fighting form—at all times. And 

sales trainer Adrian Miller serves up tough questions for entrepreneurs to ask 

themselves, before simply blaming their stroke of bad luck on a touch economy. 

Franchising guru Armando ‘Butz’ Bartolome invites us for a trip to the mall 

for a quick study of the opportunities in the cart and kiosk business, as personal 

finance advisor Francisco Colayco provides a useful guide for creating personal 

wealth by investing in the right business. 

From our more than 35 years of experience in development finance, we 

can confidently state that Filipino small and medium-scale entrepreneurs are the 

drivers to growth and national success. 

By sharing the experiences of successful entrepreneurs like Rommel Juan 

and Myrone Zabat, Planters Development Bank aims to enrich and inform your 

business outlook and inspire readers to pursue personal independence and 

wealth through entrepreneurship and self-mastery. 

1 

VOL. NO. 03 / ISSUE NO. 04

CONTENTS 

10 COV E R 

S TORY 

BINALOT FIESTA FOODS: 

PROUDLY PINOY 

D E PART M ENTS 

4 

18 

22 

HOTLINE 

INSURANCE 

TOOLK IT 

ENTREPRENEUR TIPS 

FEATUR E S 

16 

23 

S M E FOCUS 

MILMAR DISTILLERY: 

INNOVATING ON THE 

LAMBANOG TRADITION 

TECHNOLOGY 

HOME BASE 

(FOR THE PINOY ENTREP) 

COLUM N S 

7 

8 

14 

20 

SALES TRAINING 

“WHAT’S GOING ON?” 

by Adrian Miller 

M ARK ETING 

KEEP YOUR SALES TEAM SHARP 

by Herbert Sancianco 

F RANCHISING 

GETTING INTO CART AND KIOSK 

BUSINESS 

by Armando Bartolome 

M ONEY M ATTERS 

HOW TO CHOOSE A BUSINESS 

by Francisco Colayco 

24 

B OOK REV IEW 

INTRODUCTION TO 

ENTREPRENEURSHIP: 

SUCCESS STORIES OF 

FILIPINO ENTREPRENEURS 

3VOL. NO. 03 / ISSUE NO. 04

HOTLINE 

Reaching the Stars 

with the Galileo Galactic Force 

4 

SME.COMmunity.PHilippines 

The Galileo Enrichment Learning Program 

recently celebrated its grand launch 

entitled Galileo Galactic Force at the SM 

Mall of Asia music hall. In keeping with 

the Galileo philosophy of putting fun in 

education, the event offered astronomically 

delightful activities, freebies and 

learning experiences for children and 

parents alike. 

Sandy Prieto-Romualdez—the president 

of Philippine Daily Inquirer—along 

with her children Luca and Ben; Queena 

Lee-Chua—multi-awarded academician 

and professor of Psychology and Mathematics 

at the Ateneo De Manila University, 

her husband Smith, and their son Scott; 

SM Mall of Asia marketing manager Perkin 

So; Sister Gertrude Borres, president 

of Assumption College; Maria Rosario T. 

Juan, founder of Sacred Heart School; 

Galileo chief executive officer Rowena 

Matti and Galileo president Ann Pato led 

the ribbon cutting to formally open the 

event celebrating the rapid expansion of 

the Galileo Enrichment Program and its 

partnerships with schools, companies 

and educators. 

The Galileo Enrichment Learning 

Program came about as an advocacy to 

promote world-class education in the 

country, especially among preschool 

and elementary school students. The 

program involves a pool of academic 

advisers and focuses at improving academic 

aptitude by cultivating mastery of 

Math and English skills and developing a 

genuine love for learning. 

From Explorers to Discoverers 

The Galileo Enrichment Learning Program 

employs a telescopic approach in order 

to discover “the star in every child”. To 

illustrate this approach, various activity 

centers were set up around the venue 

allowing children and parents to explore 

and enjoy the facilities found on a much 

bigger scale in Galileo Centers. These 

activities gave visitors the opportunity 

to test their personal strengths, conquer 

challenges and compete in quests, like 

Cosmic Chess, a game of strategy played 

the Galileo way, with the Galileo All Star 

Team used as chess pieces laid out on a 

giant chess board on the floor. 

Wesley So, the youngest chess 

grandmaster in the whole world was 

delighted to play a game of Cosmic 

Chess with life-sized Galileo pieces. 

“It’s my first time to play chess with the 

Galileo mascots as the chess pieces,” he 

told the Galileo community as he battled 

against a Galileo student from Wizchild 

Kindergarten, Aldwin Castillo and his 

father Goldwin. People crowded around 

the Cosmic Chess area to watch the 

grandmaster strut his strategy and talent 

in this mind game. 

Scott Chua, a student achiever, 

writer, mathlete, and artist also enjoyed 

a game against Rommel Juan, president 

of Binalot Foods and AFFI together and 

daughter Francine, also a Galileo student 

from Sacred Heart School in Sun Valley. 

The game was not 

just choosing the 

best strategy, but 

also beating a time 

limit of three minutes. 

The Cosmic 

Chess was officiated 

by grandmaster 

and international 

arbiter Rolly Yutuc. 

Wall climbing is 

a sport that breeds 

determination and 

discipline. It is an 

advocacy shared by 

both the program 

and members of 

Mrs. Maria Rosario T. 

Juan (center), founder 

of Sacred Heart 

School; Sr. Gertrude 

Borres (third from 

right), president of 

Assumption College; 

and Philippine Daily 

Inquirer president 

Sandy Prieto- 

Romualdez (second 

from right) join young 

guests and Galileo 

Enrichment Learning 

Program executives at 

the grand launch in SM 

Mall of Asia. 

the Philippine Everest team, who were 

present to unveil the Galactic Climbing 

Wall. Mountaineers Carina Dayondon, 

Janet Belarmino and Fred Jamili shared 

their experiences of scaling the world’s 

highest peak. Janet and Carina, members 

of the first ASEAN female team that 

climbed Mt. Everest on May 2007, even 

brought the suits they wore during the ascent. 

The 20-foot wall was no match for

Cebu-Mango 

Branch opens 

for business 

the mountaineers 

and the guests who 

lined up to test their 

Janet Belarmino of the 

skills. Everyone was 

first all woman ASEAN 

up to the challenge Everest Team wows 

with eyes fixed on young guests with 

her mountaineering 

the goal: A Galileo 

technique on the 20 

Flag for those who foot Galactic Climbing 

completed the Wall. 

climb. 

The Orbital Trivia Quest was a venue 

where technology was injected into 

learning. The children decoded trivia 

questions which upon completion, allowed 

them to advance to the next level 

as Galileo galactic astronauts. Street 

performers scattered across the venue 

mesmerized kids and adults alike with a 

host of magic tricks. Sleights of hand and 

illusions require concentration, skill, and 

lots of practice and offer more than pure 

entertainment. In each performance, 

children are challenged to think outside 

the box and break the codes to these 

illusions. 

Parents as Guiding Stars 

It is with the parents’ constant support 

that the young generation is inspired 

to become the future leaders. Galileo 

opened its doors to parents who were 

interested in the program and what the 

event had to offer. Celebrity parents 

such as television personality Christine 

Bersola-Babao and her husband, broadcaster 

Julius Babao, as well as columnist 

Tessa Prieto-Valdez together with their 

children were present to show their 

support for Galileo. 

At the forum hosted by program 

consultant Dr. Ophel Veniegas, celebrity 

parents Christine Jacob-Sandejas, 

Gilbert Remulla and Dimples Romana—whose 

children are enrolled in the 

Galileo program, shared their involvement 

in their children’s education and 

well-being, while managing their time as 

parents and public personalities. They 

cheered in agreement that education 

henceforth shall 

now be spelled as 

Grandmaster Wesley GALILEO! 

So (in white shirt) 

For enrollment 

inquiries on 

and visitors try their 

hand at a three-minute 

game of Cosmic Chess the Math and English 

program as 

using life-sized Galileo 

pieces. 

well as franchise 

partnerships, please call 890.2509 and 

895.8095 or log on to www.galileoenrichment.com 

or visit any Galileo center 

near you. 

CEBU CITY—Plantersbank upholds its 

commitment to provide better facilities 

and make services more accessible to 

the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) 

Community with the opening of its 

Cebu-Mango Branch located in the heart 

of this city’s commercial district. 

Plantersbank chairman Ambassador 

Jesus P. Tambunting cut the ceremonial 

ribbon with Cebu hotelier Anton Ho, 

owner of the Diplomat Hotel, and 

Department of Trade and Industry 

regional director Nelia Navarro. Other 

members of the official party include 

Plantersbank executive vice president 

Roberto A. Buhain and senior vice 

president Remigio Tito Tirones. 

Plantersbank is confident about 

the state of SMEs in the region-reason 

for the Bank to continue to evolve and 

meet the varied demands of Filipino 

SMEs. To fulfill its role as enabler of 

entrepreneurs, Plantersbank is further 

enhancing its products and services and 

delivery systems nationwide. 

Cebu-Mango Branch is located 

at the JSP Mango Plaza on the corner 

of Gen. Maxilom Avenue and Echavez 

Street, with telephone numbers (032) 

231-4304 and (032) 231-4736. 

The new branch complements 

Plantersbank branches located in Basak, 

Mandaue City and along P. del Rosario 

Street in Cebu City. 

5 


HOTLINE 

The Small Business Corporation 

honored its outstanding bank partners 

during the recently held 2008 Bank 

Excellence Awards that capped the 

17th year anniversary of the state-run 

agency for small enterprise development. 

Plantersbank is SB Corporation’s 

Kabalikat ng MSMEs awardee for 2008 

for consistently supporting the Micro 

and Small and Medium Enterprise sector 

under the lending and guarantee programs 

of the SB Corporation. The award 

was presented to Plantersbank chairman 

Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting (holding 

trophy) and Bank president Maria 

Flordelis F. Arguenza (center) by SBCorp 

chairman Virgilio R. Angelo (left), SB- 

Corp president Benel P. Lagua (far right) 

and DTI Assistant Secretary Lourdes 

Baua (fourth from left). 

2008 BANK EXCELLENCE AWARDS 

SBCorp confers Kabalikat ng MSMEs 

Pampanga SME Speakers Series on Leadership 

ANGELES CITY—Plantersbank SME clients 

in Pampanga were offered the rare 

opportunity to join renowned entrepreneur 

guru and author Francis J. Kong 

for an afternoon of self-discovery and 

empowerment on June 18. 

Mr. Kong was the resource speaker 

on the topic “Leading through Difficult 

Times” for the Plantersbank SME 

Speakers Series, the “by-invitation-only” 

event held at Batis Asul Resort. 

Mr. Kong’s lecture focused on qualities, 

strategies and skills to succeed at 

identifying opportunity, avoiding pitfalls 

and negotiating today’s challenging business 

landscape. Plantersbank chairman 

Ambassador Jesus P. Tambunting said 

the SME Speakers Series aims to provide 

Filipino entrepreneurs with a venue to personally 

meet the gurus and visionaries of 

business and learn novel ideas in wealth 

management, entrepreneurship and selfmastery. 

The SME Speakers Series is the 

latest addition to Plantersbank’s program 

for Enabling Entrepreneurs. The lectures 

series, a joint project of Globe Business 

and Plantersbank, will run in different 

cities until the end of the year. The 

Plantersbank SME Speaker Series got its 

head start in Cebu in April and adds a 

new dimension to Plantersbank’s portfolio 

of innovations for enabling entrepreneurs. 

These innovations include the 

SME Toolkit, the online learning module 

for improving business productivity and 

competitiveness; Bizster.com.ph businessto-business 

network site; and the 

Plantersbank SME Industrial Park, the 

country’s first industrial development 

solely focused on SMEs. 

6 

SME.COMmunity.PHilippines

SALES TRAINING 

“What’s Going 

On?” 

In this less than ideal economic climate, many salespeople are having a tough time earning 

business. You can be extremely diligent and think that you’re doing everything correctly and still 

be finding it difficult to make a sale. No doubt, it’s frustrating! 

The unfortunate reality is that the power to say yes or no completely rests in the hands 

of your prospects. Your job is simply to present value and benefits, overcome hesitancies, and guide 

them to want your solution to improve their situation. So, what if you’re doing all of these important 

things, and your prospects are still not budging? 

Photo: Business team 

- Dreamstime 

Before you simply blame your bad luck on the economy, you need to ask yourself the following: 

Are you 100 percent certain that you have 

addressed all of your prospect’s hesitancies 

and concerns? 

You won’t be able to overcome a hesitancy that 

is unspoken or hidden. Take the time to probe 

thoroughly for what’s on their mind and help them 

reveal the true situation. 

Have you made certain that the competition 

hasn’t wormed into the deal and caused 

your prospect to have second thoughts? 

In many industries, competition is fiercer than ever 

before. It’s very likely that prospects are also talking to 

your competition. Be prepared for this, and take the 

necessary steps to shine above others trying to hone 

in on your prospects. 

Are you 100 percent certain that you 

presented to the correct person 

who has buying and influencing authority? 

You can make the most compelling sales presentation 

known to mankind, but if you’re pitching to the wrong 

person, you’re not making the sale. Qualifying your 

prospects is essential! 

Are you aware of any “big” change 

that might be happening in your prospect’s 

company such as mergers, acquisitions, 

or changes in management? 

These transitions can significantly delay decisions 

or require you to modify your sales approach. Don’t 

forget to ask prospects about any current or upcoming 

changes that could potentially impact a sale. 

Are you confident about your touch point 

management program so that you can stay 

on the grid throughout an elongated sales process? 

Evaluate how you go about staying with prospects 

through extended periods of time. If you don’t have 

a good system to keep in touch, you could be losing 

out on valuable sales. 

Finally, if you’ve answered yes to all of these questions, 

don’t be afraid to ask, “What’s going on? ” Sometimes asking 

a question as simply and directly as this can give you all the 

information you need to make the sale or cut your losses 

and move on. 

Based in New York, Adrian Miller is the president of Adrian 

Miller Direct Marketing, a sales training and consulting 

company that provides customized, results-driven training 

programs to companies worldwide. AMDM’s programs 

focus on the techniques and skills needed for building 

new business and retaining existing business, resulting in 

increased ‘ROA’ (Return on attention). She can be reached 

at amiller@adrianmiller.com. 

7 


8 


Keep Your 

Sales Team Sharp 

 

Next to the product line, the underlying factor for business success is the 

ability to penetrate the market with a well-trained and aggressive sales team. 

Unfortunately, only a few manufacturing companies have such teams already 

in place. These crack teams are usually found among the multinationals and the larger 

well-established, all-Filipino firms. 

The chief frustration of many company owners concerns the ability of their 

sales force to meet the annual targets. Another serious issue is distress in 

sales areas because of the high turnover rate among sales personnel. 

Others owners are troubled by situations where the company is held 

hostage by the sales team. In these instances, it is the sales people who dictate the 

business targets of the company. And oftentimes, the sales team understates their 

targets, leading to large opportunity losses for the firm. Growing the potential of the 

sales areas through a business development program usually gets paid lip service in 

these companies and the sales people, being familiar with the buying habits of their 

accounts, are actually on the job only 15 days in the month. 

Here are some pointers that can help you overcome internal obstacles, sharpen 

your selling edge and get your company in fighting form. 

Map Out the Operating Area 

You need to do the basic work of counting 

the retail outlets where your products 

can be sold by channel type. You have to 

map out an area by street, by barangay or 

district in a micro condition. This allows 

you to see the big picture by region. The 

resulting business value of the area can 

thus be better estimated through a sales 

matrix which tells you where your supply 

gaps are in each channel and how large 

these gaps are. 

You now can slowly develop the 

game plan to cover all the outlets for a 

prescribed period of time, through sales 

blitzes done directly or through the local 

area wholesalers and distributors. The 

business value of the area can thus be 

better estimated from the sales matrix. 

The micro mapping effort then 

generates a national snapshot of the 

product’s true market potential. This is 

a tedious process, but once done, the 

database will be a valuable planning tool

MARKETING 

Photo: Team success 

- Dreamstime 

for the company in forecasting its growth 

in the medium and long term. This also 

enables the company to better estimate 

its distribution service costs and explore 

how a more cost effective and efficient 

supply chain program can be in place. 

Set Reasonable Targets 

for your Channels and Products 

This will enable the sales person to 

appreciate and convincingly commit to 

the sales quota the firm sets because 

the numbers can be achieved or even 

exceeded. 

Mapping outlets enables management 

to set the sales goals based on the 

fertility of the areas where the brand is 

visible or not. The marketing department 

shall play a key role in setting those targets 

with the applicable marketing strategies 

that would build product demand. 

Cut Down on the Reports 

Your sales force should be devoting 

more time to selling than to filing performance 

reports. One solution is to 

acquire or design a portable IT system 

so your sales force can provide real time 

feedback from the field. 

The company should also invest 

in a credible backroom support system 

that can collate, tabulate and translate 

field data into the business numbers. 

Allowing members of the sales force to 

track their business achievements will 

help motivate them to exceed targets or 

to correct shortfalls. 

TRAIN AND RE-TRAIN THEM 

There is no perfect sales professional in 

the world. Even if the sales person started 

his career with your company, and you 

may have had a hand in molding him to 

your corporate standards, the need to revisit 

and sharpen his skill levels and those 

of his supervisors is constant. 

Drawing from personal experience, 

I strongly recommend managers to 

evaluate the performance of their 

individual sales professionals on a 

quarterly rather than on an annual 

basis. In addition, companies should 

have a set of training modules that can 

be implemented periodically for sales 

personnel who need skills upgrade. If 

you do not have one in the HR library, 

engage the services of professional 

consultants to do the training and 

develop the training fact books. Another 

major issue that needs close and 

constant monitoring is the quality of the 

customer service side effort exerted by 

the salesman in building, keeping and 

growing relationships with the customer. 

The immediate supervisor can work 

with his salesman through an executive 

coaching approach. 

Put an Attractive Sales Incentive 

Package in Place 

Many companies, sad to say, are 

wantonly lacking in this aspect. They 

drive their sales team to achieve high 

sales numbers yet fail in the process to 

tangibly motivate them. 

You cannot tell your sales team 

that the company is not making money 

despite the team’s ability to achieve its 

targets and where the company owner, 

for example, is able to buy a new SUV. 

The employee turn over rate is high in 

companies that burn out its sales team 

too quickly, particularly when the team 

sees that it is not receiving a fair share 

of the profits. 

Keep the Team Spirit Alive 

(Always) 

Hold periodic sales meetings or rallies 

where team members can have fun at 

the same time bond with supervisors, 

peers and key contacts in other departments 

like the marketing, warehousing 

and accounting groups. 

You have to remember that when 

things go wrong, the salesman can always 

blame others for his shortcomings. He 

can always claim that he is not receiving 

the right support from the company’s 

key operating departments. 

Sales rallies are the events where the 

salesman is roasted or toasted. It is also 

the venue when management and the 

salesman can talk to each other to thresh 

out problems or renew commitments. 

Developing, running and motivating 

a sales team should be seen as a 

continuous management concern if 

the company wants to truly succeed in 

the marketplace after the right brand 

marketing strategies are in place. The 

marketing function never sleeps. 

MABUHAY ANG NEGOSYANTE! 

Herbert M. Sancianco has over 20 

years of experience in advertising, 

marketing and sales operations. 

He owns and manages Market 

Bridges, Phils. Inc., a full 

marketing services company, 

with offices at 11-0 Burgundy 

Corporate Plaza, 252 Sen. Gil 

Puyat Avenue, Makati City. 

The author can be reached at 

mbpidmbc@i-manila.com.ph or 

at Tel: (63-2) 886-4122 to 23. 

9VOL. NO. 03 / ISSUE NO. 04

COVER 

STORY 

proudly 

pinoy 

BY VERONICA VELARDE PULUMBARIT 

10 

A Filipino company 

is setting the bar 

not only for the local 

food industry but the 

international market 

as well. 

SME.COMmunity.PHilippines

BINALOT FIESTA FOODS, INC. has 

been gaining the respect of its peers 

in the food business mainly for two 

valuable reasons: the consistently 

good performance of the company and more 

importantly, its dedication to promote Filipino 

values and culture. 

Business experts have been encouraging 

companies around the world to have a definite 

identity, to have a concrete notion of the corporate 

values, culture, mission, and vision. 

Binalot is one company that truly knows its 

identity: it is a Filipino company dedicated to promoting 

Filipino values and culture and committed 

to uplifting the lives of marginalized Filipinos. 

Rommel Juan, president of Binalot, says 

“I think it’s all encapsulated by the vision of 

the company, which is to be the number one 

truly Filipino fastfood in the Philippines which 

promotes Filipino culture, Filipino values and 

Filipino humor.” 

Binalot is a chain of around 40 fastfood 

restaurants across the country. The company 

began in 1996 as a food delivery business in 

Makati City with a capital of P50,000. More than 

a decade later, it has grown into a company with 

an estimated value of P60 million. 

Binalot calls itself the “Pambansang Tsibugan” 

(National Eatery) of the Philippines. Each Binalot 

outlet expresses its Filipino identity right from its 

themed restaurant design down to its menu and 

even its promotional materials. 

The “banig” (woven mat) design is used as 

a wall accent in Binalot restaurants. The banig 

(sawali) design is an element of the “bahay kubo,” 

the traditional Filipino house. “It has to be modern, 

iconic, fastfoody, but still has to be traditional 

Pinoy,” Juan says. 

The murals inside the restaurants feature 

traditional Filipino imagery such as “bayanihan” 

(mutual aid) or “salu-salo” (a family sharing a 

meal together). 

Its menu features classic Filipino cuisine such 

as adobo, tapa, sisig, bistek, and others. However, 

Binalot added a little Filipino humor in the naming 

of their culinary offerings: Fiesta Adobo, Tapa 

Rap Sarap, Sisig na Makisig, Bistek Walastik, and 

so on. 

One of Binalot’s promotional flyers says, “Ang 

Saya, Ang Sarap Maging Pinoy!” (How fun, how 

great it is to be a Filipino!) 

It adds: “Walang kasing saya ang Pistang Pinoy. 

At wala nang mas sasarap pang ihanda kundi 

ang lutong Pinoy.” (Nothing beats the fun of a 

Filipino feast. There’s nothing better to offer than 

Filipino cuisine). 

Juan says they want to give their customers a 

glimpse of the Philippine values and culture when 

they dine at Binalot. 

He says they even have a marketing effort to 

promote traditional Filipino games such as piko or 

tumbang preso. 

He says, for Binalot, “it’s more than just a 

business, it’s an advocacy” to promote Philippine 

culture and values, especially to the younger generation 

of Filipinos. 

THE BANANA LEAF 

Binalot is a Filipino word that means “wrapped”. 

Each Binalot meal is wrapped in banana leaf. In 

the traditional Philippine culture, the banana leaf 

played an important role in food preparation. Filipinos 

believe that food wrapped in banana leaf 

tastes better and stays fresh longer. 

Even in large feasts, Filipinos used to serve 

food in containers or bowls lined with banana 

leaves. It was a Filipino custom to place whole 

banana leaves on the table. Those leaves would 

serve like a communal plate or dish for eating. 

This practice, however, has declined because 

of the dwindling supply of banana leaves, especially 

in the urban areas. 

The problem with the steady supply of banana 

leaves has inspired the owners of Binalot to 

All time Pinoy favorites 

Left: Sisig na Makisig 

Below: Tapa Rap Sarap 

11 

VOL. NO. 03 / ISSUE NO. 03 04

FOR BINALOT, THE BOTTOMLINE IS TO ALWAYS 

‘KEEP IT FUN’ AND STAY LOYAL TO FILIPINO 

VALUES AND TRADITIONS. 

This is how 

I prepare 

your food! 

12 


come up with the DAHON program: “Dangal At 

Hanapbuhay para sa Nayon” (DAHON). Under 

this program, Binalot buys banana leaves directly 

from the farmers. 

Binalot trains farmers to cut the banana 

leaves according to their specifications and 

sanitize them to ensure that the leaves comply 

with their specifications. This way, the farmers 

earn more instead of just selling the banana leaves 

in bundles. 

By linking directly with the farmers, Binalot 

now gets a steady supply of freshly-cut and costefficient 

banana leaves. The farmers, on the other 

hand, are assured of a reliable market for their 

produce. 

The DAHON program also helped Binalot 

reduce its garbage because the banana leaves 

supplied to them have already been cut. The 

farmers use the trimmings as compost materials. 

Rommel says the company has been toying 

around with the idea of having the DAHON 

program for years. However, it wasn’t until a 

national tragedy struck that Binalot eventually 

pushed through with the program. 

In 2006, typhoon Milenyo (with storm signal 

number 4) hit the country. It was the worst storm 

to hit the Philippines in 20 years. Binalot could not 

get any supply of banana leaves. 

They had to use plastic containers for their 

food. Rommel says this was very unacceptable

to him. Binalot has always prided itself in being 

the most environment-friendly fastfood restaurant 

in the country because it uses banana leaves for 

packaging its products. 

Thus, the DAHON program was born. Since 

then, it has benefited 30 families in Nagcarlan, 

Laguna in Southern Luzon. Rommel hopes Binalot 

will be able to duplicate this program in Northern 

Luzon. 

Rommel says Binalot’s DAHON project has 

also caught international attention. In 2007, 

Binalot received a special award from the United 

Parcel Service (UPS), a global logistics company. 

To celebrate its centennial anniversary last 

year, UPS launched a search for the best “end to 

end” service. This award was granted to Binalot 

for its DAHON program. 

Rommel flew to Atlanta, Georgia, USA last 

year to receive the award along with a $10,000 

cash prize. Binalot used this prize as seed money 

to establish the “Binalot Foundation.” 

Rommel says the DAHON is just one of the 

programs of the Binalot Foundation. Now, they 

are seeking to train the farmers on how to produce 

other banana-based products such as banana 

chips and catsup. 

They are also considering how to source 

their other supplies such as fish, directly from the 

fishermen. 

HOW THE COMPANY BEGAN… 

Binalot is the brainchild of brothers Rommel and 

Raffy Juan and chef Aileen Anastacio, a longtime 

family friend. 

Rommel says they thought of offering food 

wrapped in banana leaves because that was the 

way their mother used to pack food for them 

whenever they went on outings at their family’s 

farm in the province. 

The company started with five employees in 

1996, delivering rice meals wrapped in banana 

leaves, in the residential and office districts of 

Makati City. 

Later on, Binalot extended its operations by 

opening a delivery outlet-cum-commissary in 

Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City to cater to the 

Mandaluyong and Ortigas business districts. 

By 2003, the company had six outlets, mainly 

located in the mall food courts. That year, Binalot 

started growing exponentially when it began 

franchising. 

As of 2008, the company has 42 outlets, eight 

of which are company-owned while the rest are 

franchisee-owned. From five employees, Binalot 

now has around 300 employees. 

Rommel Juan, who also happens to be the 

current president of the Association of Filipino 

Franchisors (AFFI), declares that one of the best 

moves of the company is to open Binalot’s door to 

franchising. 

He added that partnering with Plantersbank 

has also been a big turning point for Binalot. He 

says Plantersbank is the only bank with a good 

support strategy for small and medium enterprises 

(SMEs). 

The bank not only helps in financing but it 

also offers other valuable services such as setting 

up accounting systems for their clients. 

Rommel says Binalot’s plans for the future 

include further upgrading the kitchen systems, 

enhancing its franchise operations, reinforcing its 

delivery services, and developing the bulk order 

market, among others. 

However, the bottomline is Binalot will always 

“keep it fun” and it will always be loyal to Filipino 

values and traditions. 

Binalot Fiesta Foods, Inc. 

3686 BUJ Building, Sun Valley Drive, 

Sun Valley Subdivision, Parañaque, Philippines 

Tel No.: (02) 821-0509 

Email: bdd@binalot.com 

website: www.binalot.com 

For bulk orders and deliveries please call 467-8888. 

Rommel Juan with 

service crew of Binalot 

Dela Rosa Branch in 

Makati. 

13 

VOL. NO. 03 / ISSUE NO. 03 04

Getting Into Cart and Kiosk Business 

Retail carts and kiosks have been 

around for ages. Remember 

the colourful carts selling ice 

cream, pink cotton candy or 

gulaman and sago? How about the popular 

hamburger joint which served a famous 

roast beef sandwich from kiosks painted 

with caricatures of hard-working dwarfs? 

A visit to the mall these days will lead to 

multiple encounters with small businesses 

catering to customers from carts and kiosks. 

These businesses are found on almost 

every floor, usually occupying the middle 

aisles to form an island. The design of the 

carts and kiosks has become so creative 

and almost everything is compact. 

14 


Convenience 

Many small-scale entrepreneurs now see 

the convenience of setting up in malls 

using retail carts and kiosk concept. Given 

the large number of potential customers, 

rental rates are relatively less expensive 

than regular commercial spaces, commonly 

referred as in line stores. Because of its 

modular structure, an entire kiosk can be 

assembled in the mall and operational in 

just a short time. Kiosks and carts also do 

not need many people to operate. One 

employee can manage a cart and up to 

three can serve at a kiosk. 

When setting up in a mall, a small 

business owner must be prepared to abide 

by its strict operating hours and policies. 

Mall administrators are very particular when 

it comes to the dimensions of the outlets 

and the size and type of store signage. 

Merchants, no matter what size, are subject 

to policies to ensure their businesses 

conform to the image, location and theme 

of the mall or commercial area.

FRANCHISING 

Profitable business. From humble street carts to modular kiosks in upscale malls. 

One major mall has a policy requiring 

employees of any kiosk and cart to remain 

standing during store hours. To discourage 

sitting, the storage box behind the cart is 

set to a specific height with the cover rising 

to an apex. So, as an operator of a mallbased 

retailer, you must inform prospective 

employees of this work situation. 

Another alternative to getting into a 

cart and kiosk business is via franchising. 

The growth for food businesses has been 

on an increasing rate from a handful in 

the early 70’s to over 300 franchisors. The 

concept runs from dimsum, rice topping, 

pao, ice cream, peanuts, etc. There are also 

non-food carts and kiosks selling beauty 

products, perfume, key duplication, picture 

frames, etc. 

Challenges 

Those operating food kiosks and carts face 

more challenges. Take for example my client 

who had difficulties getting his popcorn 

business into the malls. His applications 

were being turned down because his 

operations required open flame, which 

mall administrators consider a hazard. Of 

secondary concern were limited storage 

facilities, which required restocking the kiosk 

with fresh supplies on a regular basis. 

Thinking outside the box, my advice was 

for my client to pick a central location that 

could serve as the company kitchen. There, 

freshly-popped corn could be packed and 

delivered to the surrounding malls. Bingo! 

Using this scheme, his brand of popcorn is 

now everywhere in the metropolis and is 

even sold in gasoline stations. 

Franchising has its advantages. 

Foremost is saving yourself the costly trialand-error 

route by adopting the model that 

your franchisor built from experience and 

experiments. Another advantage is brand 

equity. A franchise business has easy recall, 

especially when the franchise already has 

an extensive branch network. A consumer 

is more likely expected to patronize a brand 

than an independent local business. The 

primary reason for this buying behavior is 

a perceived consistency in the product and 

service, which is the hallmark of responsible 

franchising. A responsible franchisor will 

provide franchisees with continuous support 

in the form of research and development, 

training and promotions. 

Investment 

The investment in a franchise carts and 

kiosk is quite affordable, ranging from 

P150,000 to around 500,000. This includes 

the equipment, build out cost and franchise 

fee. The typical franchise term averages 5 

years and is renewable. 

To sustain support for the franchise, 

service fees are also collected, for example, 

as a percentage of gross sales. The 

average nowadays is 5%, which is paid to 

the franchisor. Under the terms of some 

franchise agreements, certain items are 

proprietary and can only be supplied by the 

franchisor. 

My studies indicate that payback, which 

is the return of the investment for carts and 

kiosks averages 18 months to two years. 

This means that with a 5 year franchise 

term, the franchisee gets the investment 

back in less than half the period and the 

rest is profit. 

Getting the right franchise business 

spells having a healthy business relationship 

between the franchisor and franchisee. 

Watch out for franchisors that make verbal 

promises and not found written in the 

franchise agreement. These are scam 

franchise businesses. Their claims are 

empty promises. 

Armando “Butz” O. Bartolome is 

the president of GMB Franchise 

Developers, Inc., the company 

he set up in 1993. With more 

than 30 years of field experience 

in franchising, training and 

marketing, Mr. Bartolome has 

been acknowledged as the 

country’s franchise guru. He 

is a member of the SME.Com. 

Ph panel of business experts 

and can be reached by e-mail at franchiseconsultants@ 

gmail.com , telephone (63 2) 532-8386 or at the blogspace: 

franchiseguruphilippines.blogspot.com. 

15 


MILMAR DISTILLERY 

INNOVATING ON THE LAMBANOG TRADITION 

BY TICHOT SAN PABLO 

16 


Milmar Distillery’s 

Myrone V. Zabat, 

“Crown Prince of 

Lambanog” 

One of the biggest 

makers of 

lambanog in 

the Philippines 

is Milmar Distillers, based 

in San Pablo, Laguna. 

Established by Milagros Zabat 

in 1979, Milmar traces its 

roots to Sunville, a company 

founded in the 1960s by her 

parents, Crescencio Santos 

and Purita Villanueva. At one 

point in its history, Milmar 

was distributing its products 

all over the country, outselling 

gin and rum. After shifting its 

concerns to the purified water 

business, the company has 

now refocused its lambanog 

business strategies under 

the stewardship of Milagros’ 

youngest son, Myrone Zabat 

and his wife Evelyn. 

A real man’s drink 

Pure, simple and potent, 

lambanog is a real man’s 

drink, although admittedly, 

some women can outdrink 

most men. Vodka comes 

from potatoes, wine and 

grappa come from grapes, 

and most other alcoholic 

drinks come from grains. 

Harvesters just stoop 

to collect potatoes, 

grapes and grains. In 

comparison, lambanog 

comes from 

coconut flowers. Men climb up 

tall coconut trees, without any 

safety nets or lines, moving 

from one tree to another, 

balancing precariously on 

bamboo poles some thirty feet 

up in the air. 

Few professions are 

more dangerous than that 

of these macho men, called 

‘mangangar it’. T hey ex t ract sap 

coming out from cut coconut 

flowers in the form of ‘tuba’ or 

toddy, which is distilled into 

lambanog, a very strong liquor 

usually ranging from 80 to 90 

proof. More knowledgeable 

aficionados even prefer the 

stronger 94 proof version. 

From about a hundred 

coconut trees, approximately 

30 to 50 gallons of tuba are 

harvested, which gives about 

10 to 15 gallons of lambanog. 

Milmar buys its lambanog 

from different suppliers, 

carefully checking its quality. 

High quality lambanog 

has a peculiar scent, which 

according to Myrone, is 

similar to ‘plastic balloon.’ The 

distillate is clear, and the taste 

is distinctive. Myrone says, 

“Gumuguhit sa lalamunan at 

mainit sa tiyan.” 

Traditional spirit 

Lambanog is steeped in 

tradition. In Laguna, Quezon 

and other southern Luzon 

provinces, the spirit is imbibed 

in fiestas, weddings, birthday 

parties, special occasions, 

celebrations, and everyday 

‘tagay’ bouts where men sit 

around in a circle waiting for 

their turn to drink. Fishermen 

savor a drink after a good 

catch. Farmers go for their 

lambanog jugs after working in 

the fields. Men frequent public 

markets to drink from shot 

glasses dipped into lambanog 

vats. Some prefer lambanog 

with raisins, chewing gum or 

ginseng. 

The distillate has other 

uses too: some people use it as a 

disinfectant in place of rubbing 

alcohol; others put sugar in a 

saucer of lambanog and use 

this as a dip for fried bananas; 

and still others use it as a meat 

tenderizer. It is also possible 

that somebody has thought of 

using it as an alternative fuel, 

given that lambanog is much 

cheaper than kerosene, diesel 

or gasoline. 

Innovative flavors 

Traditional ‘puro’ lambanog 

still accounts for most of 

M i l ma r ’s s a le s. My r one, set t i ng 

his sights on broader horizons, 

has introduced innovations in 

t he ma nu fac t u re a nd ma rket i ng 

of their products. He has 

introduced a new product line 

— flavored lambanog, which 

is now available in grape, allseason, 

strawberry, red apple, 

root beer, orange, peppermint 

and bubblegum flavors. These 

colorful products appeal to 

the younger segment of the 

market, and demand for it 

is constantly increasing.

SME FOCUS 

Bottoms up. 

From traditional ‘puro’ 

lambanog to a selection 

of exciting new flavors. 

Lambanog also makes very 

good cocktail drinks, in bars 

here and abroad. In fact, the 

lambanog imbibed in a 5-peso 

jigger sold at a village store in 

the Philippines is also mixed in 

$12- cocktails in hip New York 

bars and is even a specialty of 

a five-star hotel in Makati. 

Looking to expand 

their business, Myrone has 

extended the company’s 

market reach through several 

channels. They now sell 

products carrying the Milmar 

brand name. Myrone has also 

gone into toll manufacturing 

for different customers, who 

market the products under 

their own brands. Milmar also 

sells to exporters who bring the 

brew to Japan and the United 

States. These bold marketing 

strategies have added new 

dimensions to the marketing 

of the original product, setting 

new growth directions for the 

company. 

Business challenges 

Milmar faces many business 

challenges. Myrone points out 

that excise taxes for lambanog 

and ethanol are the same. This 

is detrimental to them, since 

lambanog is sold in its pure 

form, while ethanol is diluted 

into gin, giving out double 

the quantity of the alcoholic 

drink. Another problem is 

that, because lambanog is 

inexpensive, economical order 

quantities must be larger. 

There is also the matter of 

delivering small quantities to 

customers in Metro Manila. 

To facilitate this, the company 

has tied up with distributors 

or has entered into production 

agreements for local and 

international brands. 

Secrets of success 

My rone shares the secrets of his 

success: he immerses himself 

in all aspects of the business. 

He is in direct contact with 

suppliers, knows everything 

there is to know about the 

manufacturing process, takes 

good care of employees, and 

cultivates strong relationships 

with buyers. He believes in 

the quality of his products, 

and will not hesitate to show 

this by sharing a drink with 

prospective business partners. 

Another success factor 

is the company’s social conscience. 

Employees enjoy job 

security and are treated professionally. 

Aside from providing 

jobs to their regular workforce, 

Milmar also indirectly generates 

jobs for countless people 

in the lambanog industry, from 

the harvesters to the sellers of 

this potent liquid. 

Milmar presently distributes 

its products in Southern 

Luzon and Metro Manila. 

Myrone’s vision is to reach 

former markets nationwide 

and to expand its export market 

presence. To achieve these 

goals, he has partnered with 

Planters Development Bank, 

which is known for its strong 

support for small and medium 

enterprises. Plantersbank 

San Pablo branch manager, 

Randy B. de Luna, Myrone’s 

co-member in the San Pablo 

Jaycees, takes care of the Milmar 

account. With the guidance 

of Myrone Zabat and the 

assistance of Plantersbank, 

Milmar is ready to ensure the 

success of this truly Filipino 

drink, transcending its traditional 

image and reaching 

new markets. 

Milmar Distillery Inc. 

85 F. Marino St., 

Lakeside Park Subdivision, San Pablo City 

Tel No.: (049) 562 -0169 

E-mail: milmardistillery@yahoo.com 

17 


INSURANCE 

FIRE INSURANCE... 

PROTECT YOURSELF 

AND YOUR PROPERTY 

BY VICTORIA TAMBUNTING ALFONSO 

18 


It’s 2 in the morning and you are awakened 

from your sleep by sirens… You look out your 

window and you see flames coming from your 

next door neighbor’s house. You start thinking 

to yourself- what do I do? What if my house 

catches fire too? How do I get out of here 

alive? How do I get the rest of my family out 

of the house? 

Faced with an event like this, would you 

and the rest of your family know what to do? 

Do you have a fire escape plan? If a fire does 

occur, do you have the funds to repair damage 

that may happen to your property? 

In recent months, several blazes have 

destroyed residential and commercial sites, 

causing millions of pesos in property damage, 

loss of life and economic displacement. We 

should all be aware of how to prevent fires in 

our homes and how to protect ourselves and 

our property incase a fire does occur. 

How can you avoid having a fire 

in your home? 

• Avoid electrical overloading 

• Check all electrical installations regularly 

• Check gas stoves and LPG tanks for 

leaks 

• Keep children away from flammable 

liquids, lighters and matches 

• Avoid smoking in bed 

• Do not leave lighted mosquito coils 

unattended 

• Always take extra precautions while 

cooking 

• Never leave lighted candles unattended 

• Do not throw lighted cigars or cigarette 

butts on dried leaves and garbage 

• Maintain proper housekeeping to 

eliminate fire hazards 

Does your family have a fire 

escape plan? 

Aside from practicing ways to avoid a fire, 

families should all have a fire escape plan. 

A typical plan would include finding 2 exits 

out of every room and picking a meeting 

place outside the home. Hold a family drill 

every year and remind each other that if 

you have a fire in your home, once you get 

out, stay out. Do not go back inside for any 

reason. 

Are you secure with a Fire 

Insurance Policy for your home? 

Fires are accidents and sometimes can not be 

prevented. What one needs to do is protect 

themselves from possible property damage 

and loss. To protect yourself from potentially 

large losses that may occur from a fire, make 

sure you have a Fire Insurance Policy. 

A Fire Insurance Policy is a contract 

wherein the Insurer (Insurance Company) 

undertakes, for a premium, to pay or make 

good to the Insured (home owner), up to an 

agreed amount (sum insured), for direct loss 

or damage to a particular property, caused 

during a specific period by fire or other 

insured perils (risks like earthquake, typhoon 

etc). 

What should you look for when 

purchasing a Policy? 

• The policy you purchased should be from 

an agent and insurer that are reputable. 

They should continue to be in business 

long after you purchase your policy. 

• The insured amount should be at least 

the sound value (replacement cost less 

depreciation) of the property. 

• There were no misrepresentations and 

concealment of material facts especially 

as to utilization and ownership. 

• As a reminder, you should read and 

understand your policy thoroughly and 

pay close attention to the exclusions and 

conditions. 

• Lastly, premiums should be paid on time 

otherwise late payment could be used as 

a technicality should you be making any 

claims. 

Are Fire Insurance Policies 

expensive? 

Fire Insurance Policies are not as expensive as 

you may think. For example, for a property 

valued at P1 million with contents valued 

at P500,000 annual premium would be 

approximately P1,700 for residences within 

Metro Manila and P4,000 for those outside 

Metro Manila. Isn’t that amount worth it for 

your peace of mind? 

Victoria Tambunting Alfonso is connected with 

PDB Insurance Agency, an affiliate of Planters 

Development Bank.

CONNECTIVITY 

Globe and SME.Com.Ph 

Gear up for the SME Toolkit 

Road Show 2008 

Globe and PDB SME 

Solutions Inc., through its 

web portal SME.Com.Ph, 

once again join forces to 

bring the highly successful SME Toolkit 

Road Show to Filipino entrepreneurs all 

over the Philippines. 

The SME Toolkit Road Show, just like 

PDB SME Solutions Inc., is a brainchild 

of Planters Development Bank and 

the World Bank’s International Finance 

Corporation. The Road Show exhibits 

a valuable collection of business tips, 

forms and tools on accounting and 

finance, business planning, human 

resources, legal and insurance, marketing 

and sales, operations and technology, 

and more. 

The success of Globe’s and PDB SME 

Solutions Inc. collaboration for the 2007 

SME Toolkit Road Show encouraged 

Globe and PDB SME Solutions Inc. to 

sign a memorandum of agreement for 

another year of partnership. 

“Globe is always on the lookout 

for projects that can help Filipino 

entrepreneurs in their businesses. We 

want to help them maximize their gains 

and minimize their losses through the 

use of technology. In partnering with 

PDB SME Solutions Inc., we are a step 

closer to achieving this goal because 

we are helping create awareness that 

technology is indeed an important 

aspect in increasing competitive 

Ramon Benedicto B. Reyes, Globe’s head for alliances and regional marketing together with Maridol D. Ylanan, 

Globe’s head for SME business group sign partnership agreement with Roberto A. Buhain, SME.Com.Ph 

director and Plantersbank executive vice president and SME.Com.Ph president Adonis C. Yap. 

advantage in today’s digital economy,” 

said Maridol Ylanan, Corporate and SME 

Segments Head. 

Globe is a staunch supporter 

of PDB SME Solutions Inc. as both 

share the same advocacy of helping 

Filipino SME’s use Information and 

Communication Technology as a tool 

to enrich businesses. Globe is aligned 

with SME.com.ph in providing the right 

connections to SMEs. 

“Through the road shows, it 

is our aim to heighten awareness 

on the importance of information 

technology-based business solutions, 

connectivity and e-commerce and to 

enable businesses to achieve global 

recognition. We are fortunate to have 

Globe as our partner because they share 

in this endeavor,” said Roberto Buhain, 

SME.Com.Ph director and Plantersbank 

executive vice president. 

This year’s Road Show theme is 

“Bringing Global eBusiness Solutions 

to the Filipino SMEs.” Globe prepared 

modules that aim to educate SMEs 

about the local and global advantages 

that modern telecommunication services 

can provide their businesses, 

aside from providing SMEs relevant insights 

with different business tips and 

tools. 

The Road Show kicked off last 

April 17 in Baguio City. Since the 

kickoff, the Road Show has already 

made three stops that cover key cities 

and municipalities in La Union, San 

Fernando, Pampanga, and Bulacan. 

19 


HOW TO CHO 

(bottom) Asian business 

man having an idea 

- Dreamstime 

(right) Asian business 

woman looking-up 

- Dreamstime 

20 


There are many possible ways 

to make some money. What 

is important is that you find 

something you really want to 

do and you are willing to take a risk on. 

Ideas might be good initially as a parttime 

or small-time business but as you 

become more experienced, it could grow 

to a bigger endeavor. We are sure you 

know of so many companies that started 

as a one-person back-yard business and 

eventually grew big time. 

Businesses succeed because of 

four critical must-haves: 1) Passion of 

the entrepreneur; 2) Technical capability; 

3) Strong markets and 4) Effective 

Leadership & Management. All must be 

present to a degree consistent with the 

size and demand of the particular business. 

There is no fixed formula on how 

to start a business. The opportunity to 

start one may result from any one of 

the four attributes. At some point however, 

all four must be in place. 

HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS 

THAT YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF: 

What things can you already do/ 

make that other people might 

pay you for? 

For example, if you cook well, you 

can make special dishes. If you are 

good in writing, you can be a freelance 

professional writer or perhaps 

even write your own book or get into 

some form of publication.

MONEY MATTERS 

OOSE A BUSINESS 

Do you want a business that 

produces a product or one that 

provides a service? The type of 

business your choose will dictate 

what kind and how much 

resources will be needed. 

Look around your community, your 

neighborhood, your barangay, your 

city, etc. Are there products or services 

that are really needed but not 

serviced; things or services that may 

even irritate you because they are 

not available. You may be surprised 

that just around the corner are opportunities 

you can grab. How about 

household services like electrical or 

plumbing services? Are there enough 

households and what is the average 

age of the houses? Does the community 

need more maintenance 

services? If so, how is it best offered? 

Through service subscription 

or through the old traditional way of 

pay per service call? 

Look at the car wash business 

in parking buildings. That young 

entrepreneur saw a need and went 

for it. Opportunities are all around. 

You just need to focus on a particular 

goal. 

What things do you own that you 

can use to make money? 

For example, if you have a computer, 

you can do work through the internet. 

Perhaps, you have an underutilized 

van that you could instead operate 

as a school shuttle service. 

Knowing what you can do/make 

and the things you can use, who 

can you sell your product or service 

to? What do your possible 

customers need? 

To start, make a list of your relatives, 

friends, contacts, officemates etc. 

If you can fill their need, you may 

have a business that can start off. 

Knowing the need is not enough, 

you must also determine what is the 

acceptable or preferred way that the 

proposed services or products best 

be delivered. In choosing the business, 

you must also be sure that the 

value for money proposition you will 

offer is something you will be able to 

sustain. Otherwise, competition will 

just eat you up. 

Who can you talk to/consult 

about creating this business for 

yourself? This will help you be 

more objective on your ideas 

and thoughts. Talk to more influential 

people like your parents, 

teachers, boss, etc. 

If you need to learn more about it 

by studying or being apprentice to 

someone, be open to the idea and 

identify what you have to do. 

Remember that whatever business 

you finally choose, be prepared 

for “Hands-on” learning. 

In this way, you readily make 

adjustments to be successful. 

Moreover, you will gain a lot of 

confidence and good contacts 

for the future. You get all these 

while earning additional income. 

Remember that you need 

to be organized, responsible and 

determined to succeed. 

If you decide not to go into a business, 

looking into these ideas can 

help you get to know yourself, your 

interests and your abilities. The information 

you gather may even give 

you ideas for future employment opportunities. 

FRANCISCO J. COLAYCO is 

an entrepreneur, a venture 

developer and financial 

advisor. He is the Chairman 

of the Colayco Foundation 

for Education (CFE) and 

the Author of Bestsellers: 

Wealth Within Your Reach 

(2004 Book of the Year for 

Business and Economics, 

National Book Awards), Making Your Money 

Work (Nominated for 2005 Book of the Year for 

Business and Economics, National Book Awards), 

Pera Palaguin Workbook and Money for Kids. 

The books are available at National Bookstore, 

Power Books and other bookstores. CFE conducts 

talks, seminars, and workshops. Learn more about 

our advocacy at www.colaycofoundation.com, 

email info colaycofoundation.com, via SMS 0917- 

8537333 or through 637-3741. 

21 


TOOLKIT 

IMPR VE 

Y UR 

MILEAGE 

With the price of diesel and gasoline 

escalating every Saturday morning and 

the cost of living and doing business 

following suit, in simple mathematical 

terms this only means a growing bite out 

of your income. 

Automotive hobbyist and entrepreneur 

Norman R. Agojo of Tanauan, Batangas 

thinks taking public transport, even biking 

or riding a scooter might provide a short 

term solution to fuel cost woes. But this 

he believes is not a long term, convenient 

solution for entrepreneurs who need 

reliable means of transportation to visit 

contacts and clients over large territories. 

Initially, make a record of the dates, 

volume of gasoline you put in your vehicle 

and your trips. This way you can compute 

your kilometer per liter fuel consumption 

on a weekly or monthly basis and then 

you can determine if you are saving fuel 

by taking alternative means of travel. 

HE SUGGESTS THE FOLLOWING TO 

MAXIMIZE YOUR VEHICLE’S FUEL 

MILEAGE. (1) A steady supply of gas 

on the engine will make it efficient, so a 

full tank is better than half-filled tank. (2) 

Remove your vehicle roof rack when not 

in use. (3) Avoid carrying excess weight 

or overloading. (4) Know and use the 

standard tire pressure of your vehicle, 

do not under or over inflate the tires. (5) 

Warm up your vehicle by driving slowly 

within the neighborhood until it arrives 

at its proper operating temperature. A 

thirty-second idling is enough to ensure 

that the engine is properly lubricated for 

driving. (6) Use air conditioning sparingly. 

(7) Maintain a safe speed. (8) Maintain 

a cushion of space between your car 

and the vehicle in front allowing you to 

brake and accelerate gradually. (9) Keep 

your steering as smooth as possible. (10) 

Change gears carefully. (11) Turn off the 

engine when you’re waiting for more than 

two minutes. (12) Park your vehicle in 

the shade to avoid gas evaporation. (13) 

Change oil frequently and follow your 

vehicle’s manufacturer’s recommendation 

on servicing. Use of synthetic oil additive 

can increase your gas mileage. (14) Most 

importantly, plan your every trip. 

Norman R. Agojo is the president of 

Autobahn STC Corporation and sits in 

the board of the Agojo Batang-Gas 

Corporation. 

22 


How to Run a Business 

All young people like to go off trading, 

by doing this they can make more money to 

feed more mouths. You must be honest so 

that every word is trusted. You should not be 

quick-tempered but able to remain calm under 

pressure. If someone scolds you, even when you 

have done nothing wrong, you should bear it with 

patience. Do not get drawn into arguments, and 

especially fights. Smile for everyone. Wherever 

you are, at home or at the shop, be cheerful 

with everyone. If someone argues with you, be 

patient and smile. If someone calls for you, reply, 

do not ignore him. If you call someone, it should 

be done politely. If during the day you have too 

much work to do, let your assistants do some of 

it for you, but always check it over yourself. If 

you finish all your work, go help those who have 

not yet finished. Do not think of ‘his work’ or ‘my 

work’. Work hard at all times. 

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR WEB PRESENCE 

Everyone is getting on the internet these days. Make sure you stay ahead of the competition 

by developing your web presence, which can be done freely using blogs, through SME 

business networks like BIZSTER, or with professional support through the SME.Com.Ph virtual 

community. 

Decide whether your products are suitable for selling online. 

Choose short domain name that’s easy to spell and remember. 

Hyphens complicate domain names. Avoid them. 

Collect useful ideas from your competitors’ sites. 

Onscreen reading is tough, so keep text legible. 

Simplify. If it’s too complicated to navigate or takes too elaborate to download, 

you lose visitors. 

Register with web directories so your site is publicized. 

Keep content fresh and relevant. Update the information on your site regularly. 

Don’t forget an email link so visitors can get in touch easily. 

Customer Management Complaints should 

always be taken seriously. Some companies have found that customers who 

have complained and have had their complaints dealt with to their satisfaction, 

are more loyal than customers who have never complained. 

• Remember that an existing customer is more valuable than a potential one. 

• When you get a complaint treat the customer with fairness and courtesy. 

• Ask dissatisfied customers how you can win them back. 

• Keep customers informed of developments about their complaints. 

• Drop in on clients after having first checked that your visit will be convenient for them.

TECHNOLOGY 

(FOR THE PINOY ENTREP) 

Miniaturization is a wonderful thing. It made music players shrink 

to the size of a stick of gum, it made laptops as thin as envelopes, 

and it made the SOHO a reality. In the past, working at home or in 

a small office meant limited productivity given the equipment you 

have to work on. With today’s modern gadgets however, a single 

PC gives you the power to accomplish whatever a worker in a “real” 

office could. And with a little creativity, your humble setup could do 

so much more. 

Toshiba Portege R500 

P144,900 

Google Docs 

Free 

When the MacBook Air blew into the world of gadgets the world stopped 

and took notice. Now, Toshiba comes out with its own version of the 

“thinnovation”, albeit with less fanfare. The R500 is a power-packed PC 

that comes in a deceptively thin shell. Unlike the Air however, the R500 

comes with all the bells and whistles that the average user looks for like 

multiple USB ports and the ever important DVD reader/writer. It’s a little 

more expensive though but if it means raking in more clients, it’s more 

than forgiveable. 

— www.toshiba.com 

Aside from coming up with the best 

search engine for the web, Google also 

came up with Google Docs, its answer to 

Microsoft Office but with one important 

difference: it’s free. It’s basically an 

internet-based office program that lets you 

store and share your word, spreadsheets, 

or presentation files with any registered 

Google user. The main advantage with 

Google Docs is that it lets you conduct 

real-time changes online on your files with 

your collaborators. Say you and a partner 

would want to discuss a ledger but you’re 

on the opposite ends of the globe, simple 

log on and you can chat as you edit your 

numbers. 

— http://docs.google.com 

Maxtor OneTouch 4 Plus 

80GB: P4,195 

120GB: P4,995 

160GB: P6,395 

Linksys WVC54GCA 

Wireless Internet Camera 

P7,000 

Anbonn L22CDW 

P12,950 

There are a lot of dangerous things 

in the web. One mistake, and a whole 

year’s worth of files could be erased in an 

instant. While larger offices are equipped 

with servers that could help prevent 

these things from happening, your PC 

could take a different approach. The 

OneTouch 4 Plus is an external hard drive 

that takes a “snapshot” of your internal 

hard drive from time to time. When a 

virus bogs down your PC, this little box 

would simply re-print that snapshot into 

the hard drive and you’ll be back exactly 

where you left off before disaster struck. 

— www.maxtorsolutions.com 

Keeping confidential items safe from 

prying eyes is key for success. With a 

simple broadband connection, you can 

monitor all the goings-on in a particular 

area simply by logging on to the web. You 

can even do this wirelessly if you have a 

Wi-Fi connection. The WVC54GCA takes 

videos at VGA (640x480-pixel) resolution, 

roughly the equivalent of today’s TV 

broadcasts. But here’s the best part, 

you don’t even need a PC to keep this 

camera going. Security videos can also be 

sent through email regularly or at a preprogrammed 

time. 

— www.linksys.com 

Far from being just a widescreen wonder 

of a monitor, this Anbonn can help you 

increase productivity in a very obvious 

way: by giving you additional screen 

space. If your business involves numbers, 

the 1680x1050-pixel resolution can 

accommodate 26 columns and 50 rows 

of your spreadsheet. If you’re more into 

graphical arts, you have 1.7 megapixels 

of screen space at your disposal. In both 

cases, you save precious time since you 

no longer have to scroll back and forth 

or up and down the screen. This 22-inch 

slab also gives your work station a classy 

and sophisticated feel. 

— www.anbonn.com 

23 


BOOK REVIEW 

24 


It’s a book that, in its pages, rarely 

preaches about a controversial issue—entrepreneurship. 

It seeks, 

even more, to tell of the most 

amazing stories about entrepreneurs and 

how, with meager capital, they were able 

to make it big in the dog-eat-dog world of 

business. The stories, or rather, case studies, 

presented by the very proprietors of 

some of the most creative products to hit 

the Philippine market, are told in a manner 

that’s crisp and clear, and without a 

doubt, in the manner of a blueprint that 

potential business people could follow to 

a ‘T’. It is, in many a sense, a collection 

of parables, if you will, that tells of the 

way to go in topics like franchising, product 

development, investment destinations, 

expenditure, profit and loss, product 

name recall, expansion, performance, 

manpower development, and leadership. 

The book offers more than just a keyhole 

peek; it openly reveals, by way of personal 

revelation, strategies, tactics and 

even personal principles that could help 

guide a prospective entrepreneur towards 

a successful business endeavor. 

More than ever, a book of this breed 

is needed in order for entrepreneurs to 

keep the level of determination at its 

rousing peak. With fuel and commodity 

prices on the rise, businesses today are 

liable to encounter problems along the 

way. The stories of Aquabest, Binalot, 

Bugong Roast Chicken, Chicharific, Figaro 

Coffee Company, Fiorgelato, GMB 

Franchise Developers, Goto King, Kiss 

King of Balls, Lots’a Pizza, Pick and Mix, 

Plato Wraps, Royal Caribbean Jamaican 

Platters, Sacred Heart School and Vintel 

Logistics provide magnificent material not 

only for the practical side of doing business, 

but likewise, inspiration and motivation 

especially in dire times. Although it 

is true, as written in the preface of the 

book, that entrepreneurship in the Philippines 

has never been more alive and 

well, it is equally true that in this country, 

small- and medium-scale businesses 

have never faced crisis as they are doing 

now. The challenge may at times seem 

overwhelming, but never impossible to 

surmount given the right principles upon 

which choices can be made. In a nutshell, 

this book will bring the entrepreneur 

through that extra craggy mile. 

Take for example Goto King’s Teresa 

Dula-Laurel and how her childhood actually 

provided the groundwork for how 

she and her staff would do business. 

“The best legacy my parents left us is 

our happy childhood. There’s this saying 

that goes, ‘No amount of success can 

compensate for failure at home.’ This I 

really believe in.” Try looking for that item 

at Harvard’s Business School Booklet. For 

Teresa, that simple yet profound principle 

allowed her to weather the storms. 

And what about those business personalities 

who chose to stay in the country 

despite the growing trend to leave it 

for greener pastures? Pacita “Chit” Juan 

Introduction to Entrepreneurship: 

SUCCESS STORIES 

OF FILIPINO 

ENTREPRENEURS 

Author: BY THE ASSOCIATION OF FILIPINO FRANCHISERS, INC. 

BY JOEL SALUD 

of Figaro Coffee Company has something 

to say: “I want to be remembered as 

someone who made a difference… That 

sometime during the year 2000, somebody 

believed in the country because 

there are very few. So we need more 

people like us who are still here… The 

only way we can turn this country around 

is to stay here.” Spoken like a true hero 

of the land. 

More than anything else, the book 

expounds on the need for entrepreneurs 

to be continually inspired in their mission 

and vision for themselves, their company 

and the people they are working with. 

The products offered are mere icing on a 

bigger, more delicious cake. On the bigger 

scheme of things, entrepreneurship 

in the Philippines means solidifying the 

hope than one day we would, in truth, 

see this country flourish both economically 

and socially. The secret is principled 

business topped with a generous dash of 

personal creativity. 

No doubt, those who want to give 

entrepreneurship a try will find this book 

a product worth its weight in hard-earned 

money.

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