SOAR Phoenix Rising - Phoenix Petroleum Philippines

STATIONS
By offering more services, a Phoenix station becomes a hub for growing communities
Bislig Phoenix Gasoline Station
Bislig, Surigao del Sur
Mr. Ramil Fabella is one of the first
Phoenix dealers, having opened his
station in Bislig in October 2005.
He also has businesses in cable
TV, laundry, ice cubes and ice slabs
production.
He started offering Western
Union services in his Phoenix
station on November 2010. “With
the ready facilities (office space
and equipment), we decided to
utilize it. And Western Union is the
best option as added value to the
service we offer.”
Fabella is happy with the results,
especially because it has helped
his other businesses. For instance,
subscribers to their cable TV
business readily pay their monthly
dues once they receive money from
Western Union.
To get the most from the
service, Fabella says funds must
Just Add Petroleum
Sta. Ana, Cagayan Valley
Ms. Wilfreda Ponce opened her Phoenix gas
station in September 4, 2009 at Sta. Ana,
Cagayan Valley. The complex also houses her
other businesses, one of them a Western Union
outlet since March 2011.
Theirs is the only Western Union branch in
the municipality. “We decided to pursue it as a
service to the municipality and its residents,”
says Ponce.
Many residents have children working
abroad who want to remit money to their
families. In the past, these residents had to
travel to Gonzaga or Aparri, Cagayan for
the nearest Western Union branches. Today,
because of the new branch at Phoenix Sta. Ana,
residents don’t have to travel far.
The Ponces see their businesses as vital
to the local economy, especially with the
projected development in the Cagayan
Freeport.
be available at daytime to gain
advantage over the competitor.
“Store operations must also go
beyond the normal 8 hours. Above
all, service to customers must be
courteous and friendly.”
“Progress in the Cagayan Freeport has been
fast, and we know that we can play a vital role in
the flow of finances in and out of the economic
zone, whether it is for locators or employees,”
says Ponce.
The presence of Western Union has been
most beneficial to business in their Phoenix gas
station. “We are trying to develop our station as
an integrated commercial center,” she says.
They currently have the Phoenix station, a
convenience store, computer shop, souvenir
center, and Western Union outlet. In the future,
they plan to put up a boutique hotel, a beauty
Mr. Ramil and Mrs. Elsie Fabella at their pioneer Phoenix station in
Bislig, which now offers Western Union services
“Store operations must go beyond the
normal 8 hours. Above all, service to
customers must be courteous and friendly.”
parlor, and other retail and commercial outlets.
“Business has been good because as soon as
they remit at the Western Union branch, some
clients buy items at the convenience store or avail
of services at the computer shop, so in a sense we
are catering to many markets in one location,”
Ponce says. “Our Western Union clients become
our clients in other services.”
In running the outlet, she gives premium to
safety and security of clients. “We make sure that
our clients are in a secure environment while
transacting their business,” she says. Their branch
is located along a busy highway. They also employ
security guards and use CCTV cameras 24/7.
Accessibility is also important. “In a remote
town like Sta. Ana, accessibility plays a very
big role not only in inviting business, but in
facilitating the convenience of our clients,” Ponce
says.
“If we are accessible, then our clients will be
more comfortable in transacting business with
us.”
To become a Phoenix Western Union agent, ask your respective RTMs or contact i-PCV through Hazel Laigo,
VP for Sales and Marketing, at 0917-887-4293, 0918-567-8966, or email her at hazel.laigo@i-pcv.com
SOAR PHOENIX April-June 2011 / 17