‘Ever a beautiful woman’

This week, you get to meet another business mover I have just met through Business & Leisure, the TV show.  This is the beauty of having a good mix of business and leisure in one package. The wealth of information I gather and share with my viewers and readers will always be a source of fulfilment.

Mr. Dioceldo Sy is the owner and founder of the business empire we all associate with an all-Filipino cosmetic brand, Ever Bilena. His maternal grandfather came here from Xiamen, China in 1938 when the communists were then attacking the Chinese nationalists.  Like many refugees, he came here empty-handed, having spent all his money to get to this foreign shore.

Trust the old traditional Chinese to build on an opportunity which few others would see. During the Japanese occupation, he started what would be the seed of the future Ever Bilena.  He made and sold pomade during this precarious time.  His home was just above the Japanese barracks, and since the Japanese were his customers, he got some measure of protection from them.

Being the eldest grandchild, the young Dioceldo was the grandfather’s favorite, and he would often tag along (this was already long after the war) with the old man.  As a young boy, he got steeped in the family business and learned the value of hard work. 

Fast forward to 1980. His beloved grandfather met a fatal accident, and the death of the old man meant some serious financial setbacks for the family.  The mourning grandson decided not to pursue his college education, sat back and took stock of his young life and decided to go into business for himself and the family. The cosmetic business was the only business he knew, and it was just natural for him to go into it, and he lunged into it with a full heart. He started his day at 6 a.m. and was always in Divisoria for his business needs.  He was the purchaser and delivery man, and with only four workers under him, he always had a full day ahead of him.  He also knew he needed a business partner who could provide financing and soon enough, he found a Taiwanese man who was willing to go into business with him.

“Ever” in Mandarin means what it also means in English — “forever.”  Bilena on the other hand means beautiful woman. “Forever a beautiful woman” embodies what Dioceldo wants to achieve in his business. Ever Bilena soon developed into a flourishing business because even students and ordinary housewives or working girls could afford his products which now include a full line of cosmetics. “Looking good is no longer a luxury” became his company’s tag line.

Though he is quick to say they are not the pioneers in the Philippines in this field, his company was certainly the first to provide quality cosmetics at a very affordable price.  Back then, the market was dominated by foreign brands, mostly American and European which were very costly, but girls will always be vain, and the Filipina was no exception.  His marketing strategy was working, and it was working very well because Ever Bilena became a household name.  Young high school and college girls did not have much to spare from their meager allowances, and so did the ordinary working girls. Affording those colorful lipsticks was no longer a problem, and that went for the stay-at-home wives too who did not have much to spare from their tight budget.

Mr. Sy now assesses the local cosmetics market as mature, and Ever Bilena has contributed its share in its coming of age.  Though he relied on his gut feel for the needs of the market,  he now has a full team to help him steer the company to new heights. He is proud of the fact he had a flair for colors that appealed to his customers when he was still building his empire.  Today, he admits to being out of touch with the times as far as this is concerned and has wisely left the task to his research and product development team and to his daughter who is now helping him in the business.  He has instead channelled his creativity into improving his products’ packaging.

As a young man, basketball was the love of his life, and he remembers he could play basketball till he dropped.  But business called, and he did not touch the sport until Ever Bilena came into its own as a successful company.  This is probably why he remains a big supporter of basketball, men’s and women’s. His company runs the Philippine Women’s Team, and he continues to bring grass root basketball to young Filipinos. In a sense, he says, basketball is not too far from the realities of life — you have to work hard and train hard to become a successful basketball player.  It is also a team sport, and a company should run on team effort if it is to grow and achieve its full potentials.

His involvement with professional basketball started in 1997 with the Blue Detergent Team which had the likes of Asi Taulava and Jimmy Alapag in its line-up — yes, he was the first to bring them in.  His great aversion to drugs and his “addiction” to sports led him to believe that if drug addiction can be channelled into sports addiction, there would be far less hapless victims of illegal drugs here.

For its CSR, Mr. Dioceldo Sy is proud to be a staunch supporter of the Philippine National Red Cross, and says Ms. Rosa Rosal is a personal friend. They have regular blood-letting programs in the company.

At home, Dioceldo feels strongly about quality family time.  When dining, his children are not allowed to bring their cell phones or other techie gadgets to the table as these distract and get in the way of good old conversation and exchanges. Dioceldo admits to being far from a certified techie and on his working table at the office, a computer is conspicuously absent. Travelling together at least twice a year as a family completes his bonding time with them.

Mabuhay!!! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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