A home away from home

It started with a walk.

As part of an entrepreneurship exercise at the Asian Institute of Management, Iliac Diaz had to take a walk anywhere in Metro Manila and return to the classroom with ideas for a business. He chose Kalaw St. in Manila

"I befriended some of seafarers hanging out on the street and they later took me to the places where they stayed while they were processing their papers in the city. I was aghast at what I saw. They lived like caged animals," Diaz told Usapang Business, a weekly cable TV program.

A dormitory for seafarers became the subject of his graduate school thesis.

Answer to a prayer

It has also become a business venture called Pier One Seaman’s Dormitory in Corte Real, Intramuros.

"I was thinking of a business which can be given professionalism and quality service, " said Diaz. "More importantly, I wanted to do something for some of the country’s heroes, people that bring in 35% of the gross national product. More than a business venture, this is a calling."

From a seed capital of P100,000, Diaz put up a 40-bed dormitory. To cut expenses, he was the architect, the interior decorator, and the wall painter.

The dormitory opened in June 2002 with zero tenants despite advertising the business along Kalaw St. To this day, he remembers his first client.

"I was sitting inside my room then, planning for the dormitory. I was very worried. It was such a low point for me. Then, someone knocked and asked if he could stay. What was interesting was his name, Amen. It was like an answer to my prayers," he said.

Within three months, the dormitory expanded to 100 beds. Today, Pier One has two dormitories, which can accommodate 700 people.

Overnight rates range from P88 to P160 and monthly rates range from P919 to P1,650, depending on the type of mattress a tenant chooses.

"Pier One strives to change the lifestyle of seafarers. Aside from offering reasonable rates, the dormitory is not just a mere space to stay but a community as well," he said.

The dormitory offers varied recreational services, from the free use of game boards like chess to television sets. It also holds self-defense lessons every Saturday. House rules (such are no gambling and smoking) are observed strictly. The dormitory has 24-hour security.

Plans

Diaz expects to recoup his investment, which has reached P4 million, by June 2004. He also plans to open a dormitory for women seafarers.

These projections, however, will depend on the quick resolution of an immediate problem. "My landlord has already increased the lease on the property, endangering the viability of the dormitory at its current location," said Diaz, who has identified another site in Ermita to relocate Pier One. "The building is abandoned and decrepit. Four months after sending a proposal to the government financial institution which owns the property, I have yet to receive a response."

The 29-year-old entrepreneur is, however, undeterred. "This will provide an institutional oasis to seafarers, a permanent ground for them to go to," he said.