In this last chapter of our series steps to financial breakthrough we will discuss stories of person’s who never gave up on their dreams and became millionaires. One trait of a future millionaire is that he or she possesses a giving heart or generosity. Opo, tama po yung sinasabi sa Bible na sinasabi “Give, and it will be given back to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Once kasi na tumulong ka, God will find a way to give back your goodness. Sabi nga ng matatanda, pag may tinanim may aanihin. Tandaan po natin na mas pinag papala ang mga mapag bigay. Below are some stories of Philippine Millionaires who went from rags to riches and now giving back their wealth to the good of humanity.
TONY TAN CAKTIONG
You know, being the son of a cook for a Buddhist temple can be a good jumping board for success. Tony was born in 1960 to a working-class family from Fujian, China. His family migrated to the Philippines after WWII. His father cooked for a Buddhist temple to feed the family and living on a tight budget was able to open a Chinese restaurant in Davao. As a young child, Tony became a busboy in the family business – cleaning tables, serving customers and washing the dishes.With his father’s perseverance, Tony earned a BS Chemical Engineering degree at UST (University of Sto. Tomas). Following the path of his father, Tony ventured into business buying ice cream parlor franchises, the once famous Magnolia Ice Cream House. He borrowed seed money from his family’s pooled savings. Finding out his customers longed to fill their stomachs before indulging in his cold treats, he offered burgers and chicken in his store. Soon enough, burgers outsold the ice cream products. As a result, Tony and his siblings decided to convert the now 6 ice cream parlors into burger restaurants. And named it Jollibee. Today, Tony is one of the richest in the country, and a certified billionaire with net worth of $1.25 Bn.
Now Jollibee is not only a worldwide brand but a foundation that gives scholarship to worthy indigenous students, also assists poor farmers and gave feeding programs.
JOHN GOCONGWEI
John Gokongwei was born in Fujian Province, China. His family migrated and thru business became well-off in Cebu, Philippines. However, John’s father died when he was 13 and with it their affluence. To support his mother and siblings, John peddled along the streets of Cebu and wet markets in various towns, selling soaps – anything and everything that can be carried on his bicycle. In effect, he became a market vendor, the youngest of his kind.
For bigger profit, he traded in Manila at the age of 17 transporting items by sea. Riding a small, sail-powered outrigger called a batel, the young Gokongwei braved the high seas. On one such trip, he had a brush with death as the batel hit a rock and capsized. Good thing he and fellow passengers were saved by clinging on to the rubber tires that he intended to sell. Soon Gokongwei ventured into business setting up his first company Amasia. He imported everything he can get from the U.S. (e.g., textile, newspapers, magazines, used clothing, cigarettes, whisky) and sold them in the country. With his good name established, he was able to secure a PhP 500,000 loan from China Bank to start a manufacturing business, putting up a corn milling plant and naming it Universal Robina. The rest is history. Today, John Gokongwei is one of the few billionaires in the country with estimated wealth of $4.2 Bn (2012).
Now John Gocongwei started giving back by opening GOKONGWEI BROTHERS FOUNDATION (GBF) Built on the conviction that education is one of the keys to a better future for the country, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) was set up in 1992 to help uplift the socio-economic condition of the Filipinos through the funding of educational projects.
LUCIO TAN
For a man that doesn’t smoke, it’s hard to believe Lucio Tan owns the biggest cigarette manufacturing company in the country, Fortune Tobacco.
Born also in Fujian Province, China on July 17, 1934 Mr. Tan had modest beginning. As a child he had to work in Bataan Tobacco Factory to help the family.
He was able to push himself to elementary and high school. Via a work-study program he earned some units at the University of the East for Chemical Engineering. Although unable to finish college, he saw the big opportunity and put up his own cigarette company in 1966 starting with just 2 cigarette-making machines. Eventually, he was able to introduce such budget brands as “Hope”.
He never looked back and through his sharp business acumen was able to salvage dying businesses and grow them to dynamic structures. Examples include Philippine Airlines and Tanduay Distillers. Today 80% of the cigarette market in the Philippines is captured by his company and PAL is the leading carrier in the airline industry.
Fast forward Lucio Tan founded The Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc. the corporate social responsibility arm of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies. For close to thirty years, TYKFI has been approaching corporate social responsibility from a holistic commitment framework targeting education, culture and sports; health and social welfare including environmental concerns; research; and manpower development.
HENRY SY
And now for the biggest of them all. His is the story of how one sari-sari store vendor became the “shopping mall king” of Asia.
Born on Christmas Day, 1923 in Xiamen, China, Henry Sy was introduced to retail early despite the poverty. In his early teens, the entire family moved to the Philippines and his father opened up a small variety store in Manila. Life was hard and with nowhere to sleep, the young Sy had to sleep inside the store clearing up the counters to do so.
WWII, however, destroyed that store to the sorrow of his father. Instead of giving up, Henry Sy pushed through earning income via buying and selling shoes from enterprising American G.I.s. The little success of his shoe-selling business inspired him to open up a small shoe store in Quiapo, Manila in 1958. He named it Shoe Mart.
By 1972, Henry Sy had transformed his small shoe store into his first standalone department store. Today, Mr. Sy is the richest business magnate in the Philippines, worth over $11.9 billion (2014) with a handful of his malls gracing the Top 25 biggest malls of the world.
Henry Sy founded The SM Foundation committed to serve by supporting and empowering host communities through education, healthcare, shelter, disaster response, farmers’ training, environmental programs and care for persons with special needs.
To be wealthy means to be a channel of blessing as true fulfillment in life lies when you give back to humanity. “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” Pag tumulong ka, ikaw ang unang pinapagpala as there are blessings that we received only when we give. Sabi nga sa spiderman “Comes great power, comes great responsibility”
I hope this blog helps and inspires you to be wealthy and be a blessing. Start now, Act now, Help now. Give now. God bless
TONY TAN CAKTIONG
You know, being the son of a cook for a Buddhist temple can be a good jumping board for success. Tony was born in 1960 to a working-class family from Fujian, China. His family migrated to the Philippines after WWII. His father cooked for a Buddhist temple to feed the family and living on a tight budget was able to open a Chinese restaurant in Davao. As a young child, Tony became a busboy in the family business – cleaning tables, serving customers and washing the dishes.With his father’s perseverance, Tony earned a BS Chemical Engineering degree at UST (University of Sto. Tomas). Following the path of his father, Tony ventured into business buying ice cream parlor franchises, the once famous Magnolia Ice Cream House. He borrowed seed money from his family’s pooled savings. Finding out his customers longed to fill their stomachs before indulging in his cold treats, he offered burgers and chicken in his store. Soon enough, burgers outsold the ice cream products. As a result, Tony and his siblings decided to convert the now 6 ice cream parlors into burger restaurants. And named it Jollibee. Today, Tony is one of the richest in the country, and a certified billionaire with net worth of $1.25 Bn.
Now Jollibee is not only a worldwide brand but a foundation that gives scholarship to worthy indigenous students, also assists poor farmers and gave feeding programs.
JOHN GOCONGWEI
John Gokongwei was born in Fujian Province, China. His family migrated and thru business became well-off in Cebu, Philippines. However, John’s father died when he was 13 and with it their affluence. To support his mother and siblings, John peddled along the streets of Cebu and wet markets in various towns, selling soaps – anything and everything that can be carried on his bicycle. In effect, he became a market vendor, the youngest of his kind.
For bigger profit, he traded in Manila at the age of 17 transporting items by sea. Riding a small, sail-powered outrigger called a batel, the young Gokongwei braved the high seas. On one such trip, he had a brush with death as the batel hit a rock and capsized. Good thing he and fellow passengers were saved by clinging on to the rubber tires that he intended to sell. Soon Gokongwei ventured into business setting up his first company Amasia. He imported everything he can get from the U.S. (e.g., textile, newspapers, magazines, used clothing, cigarettes, whisky) and sold them in the country. With his good name established, he was able to secure a PhP 500,000 loan from China Bank to start a manufacturing business, putting up a corn milling plant and naming it Universal Robina. The rest is history. Today, John Gokongwei is one of the few billionaires in the country with estimated wealth of $4.2 Bn (2012).
Now John Gocongwei started giving back by opening GOKONGWEI BROTHERS FOUNDATION (GBF) Built on the conviction that education is one of the keys to a better future for the country, the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF) was set up in 1992 to help uplift the socio-economic condition of the Filipinos through the funding of educational projects.
LUCIO TAN
For a man that doesn’t smoke, it’s hard to believe Lucio Tan owns the biggest cigarette manufacturing company in the country, Fortune Tobacco.
Born also in Fujian Province, China on July 17, 1934 Mr. Tan had modest beginning. As a child he had to work in Bataan Tobacco Factory to help the family.
He was able to push himself to elementary and high school. Via a work-study program he earned some units at the University of the East for Chemical Engineering. Although unable to finish college, he saw the big opportunity and put up his own cigarette company in 1966 starting with just 2 cigarette-making machines. Eventually, he was able to introduce such budget brands as “Hope”.
He never looked back and through his sharp business acumen was able to salvage dying businesses and grow them to dynamic structures. Examples include Philippine Airlines and Tanduay Distillers. Today 80% of the cigarette market in the Philippines is captured by his company and PAL is the leading carrier in the airline industry.
Fast forward Lucio Tan founded The Tan Yan Kee Foundation, Inc. the corporate social responsibility arm of the Lucio Tan Group of Companies. For close to thirty years, TYKFI has been approaching corporate social responsibility from a holistic commitment framework targeting education, culture and sports; health and social welfare including environmental concerns; research; and manpower development.
HENRY SY
And now for the biggest of them all. His is the story of how one sari-sari store vendor became the “shopping mall king” of Asia.
Born on Christmas Day, 1923 in Xiamen, China, Henry Sy was introduced to retail early despite the poverty. In his early teens, the entire family moved to the Philippines and his father opened up a small variety store in Manila. Life was hard and with nowhere to sleep, the young Sy had to sleep inside the store clearing up the counters to do so.
WWII, however, destroyed that store to the sorrow of his father. Instead of giving up, Henry Sy pushed through earning income via buying and selling shoes from enterprising American G.I.s. The little success of his shoe-selling business inspired him to open up a small shoe store in Quiapo, Manila in 1958. He named it Shoe Mart.
By 1972, Henry Sy had transformed his small shoe store into his first standalone department store. Today, Mr. Sy is the richest business magnate in the Philippines, worth over $11.9 billion (2014) with a handful of his malls gracing the Top 25 biggest malls of the world.
Henry Sy founded The SM Foundation committed to serve by supporting and empowering host communities through education, healthcare, shelter, disaster response, farmers’ training, environmental programs and care for persons with special needs.
To be wealthy means to be a channel of blessing as true fulfillment in life lies when you give back to humanity. “The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.” Pag tumulong ka, ikaw ang unang pinapagpala as there are blessings that we received only when we give. Sabi nga sa spiderman “Comes great power, comes great responsibility”
I hope this blog helps and inspires you to be wealthy and be a blessing. Start now, Act now, Help now. Give now. God bless
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