'Think and Grow Rich' inspired the Philippines' 6th richest billionaire

Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. —Napoleon Hill

STAR reader Walter Siy e-mailed me on Sept. 10 that during lunch that day in Gloria Maris resto in Greenhills, San Juan, he saw Alliance Global, Megaworld, Empire East, Emperador, Resorts World Manila and McDonald’s Philippines boss Andrew Tan and his wife, Katherine, and was surprised that billionaire Tan still remembered his name after their casual encounter in the 1960s.

Siy said his father used to own Carriedo Department Store in Quiapo, Manila, when the immigrant student Andrew Tan used to visit his aunt’s watch shop called Moonlight Jewelry Store next door. Tan’s dad was a salesman who sold cheap battery-powered transistor radios to Carriedo.

At the Greenhills resto last week, Siy was even more surprised when Tan told him that he couldn’t forget their casual meeting in the 1960s — that Siy was then reading Napoleon Hill’s motivational book Think and Grow Rich. Tan said he didn’t read that book, but as a student he remembered Siy quoting from it: “Everything is possible, if you focus the mind every day.” tan focused on becoming rich, dreamt and worked to attain his dreams.

‘Alcohol kings’ then and now

The inspiring rags-to-riches Andrew Tan is now estimated to have a net worth of US$2.3 billion, making him the sixth wealthiest billionaire in the Philippines. Is Tan also the new “Alcohol King” with the Emperador and Generoso brandy brands, or is it another self-made taipan, Lucio Tan, with Tanduay and Boracay Rhum plus others? What about San Miguel Corp.?

Tan’s Emperador brand is the world’s no. 1-selling brandy, which more than doubled its sales volume last year. Rapid growth of 109.4 percent was achieved during a single year, taking Emperador from 9.6 million nine-liter cases in 2010 to 20.10 million cases in 2011. Last year Emperador leaped past the world’s previous category leader, India-based United Spirits brand McDowell’s, which sold 11.72 million cases in 2011. What is even more amazing is that India has over 10 times our Philippine population.

By the way, liquor has always been big business worldwide and it was the start of the Ayala business empire. The 1876 headquarters of the predecessor of the Ayala business group was a two-story building on Calle Echague in Quiapo, then a distillery started by the Zobel Ayala clan’s Roxas ancestors and producing the popular Ginebra San Miguel.

In 1924, the Ayala distillery and offices in Quiapo were sold to the self-made Chinese immigrant “Alcohol King,” Chinese-language education proponent and prewar Chinese Chamber of Commerce president Carlos Palanca (Tan Guinlay), whose La Tondeña firm was incorporated in 1902.

Antonio “Toti” Zara, vice president of sales, marketing and aftersales for GM South East Asia Operations, GM Thailand and Chevrolet Sales (Thailand)

In 1987, the heirs of Palanca sold 70 percent of La Tondeña to San Miguel Corp., and this firm is now Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., makers of the world’s biggest-selling gin, now under Danding Cojuangco and Ramon Ang.

In the 20th century Quiapo’s Echague Street was renamed Carlos Palanca Street and the Philippines’ most prestigious literary awards are undertaken in his memory and funded every year by his heirs, now led by Carlos Palanca III.

On a recent a trip to Bangkok, Thailand, with my realty firm staff for an international business conference, I also met Antonio “Toti” Zara III, the highest-ranking Filipino executive in American-owned General Motors (GM), in charge of marketing and after-sales of Southeast Asia plus Japan, Pakistan, Mongolia, Guam and others. 

Zara’s grandfather, the late national scientist Gregorio Zara, was inventor of the first videophone “purely for science at that time,” decades before the late Steve Jobs’ iconic iPhone was born.

Support manufacturing industries

What I couldn’t forget in my conversation with Zara is that, despite being a top corporate executive of the world’s second biggest carmaker (next only to Japan’s Toyota), he said he wishes our leaders in the Philippines would focus on supporting local manufacturing industries to create more jobs — not just on call centers or exporting overseas workers.

Zara pointed out that if the Philippines had more local factories assembling cars instead of America’s General Motors factory in Rayong, Thailand, producing Chevrolet Cruz and Colorado vehicles and Trailblazer SUVs, he’d now be working in Manila. 

Young, self-made entrepreneur Vincent Licup, a Philippine STAR subscriber and my Twitter follower, introduced me to Zara. A former employee of Nissan North Edsa who started as a salesman in 1994 and rose to vice president in 2009, Licup put up the Chevrolet North Edsa dealership in Quezon City last year.

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A goal is a dream with a deadline

To be rich is not enough. On page 55 of that 1938 Think and Grow Rich book, Napoleon Hill wrote: “I fully realize that no wealth or position can long endure, unless built upon truth and justice; therefore, I will engage in no transaction which does not benefit all whom it affects.”

Almost all people dream of success and accomplishments, but there should at least be a definite or tentative timetable. Hill said: “A goal is a dream with a deadline.”

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Support SMEs & local franchising

In this era of dynamic big businesses, we need to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Officers of the Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc. (AFFI) wrote asking the STAR to help spread the word about their 11th Filipino Franchising Show from Oct. 12 to 14 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. It will have 300 exhibitors.

AFFI had its beginnings in 1997 with entrepreneurs Bob Juan of Lavandera Ko, Armando Bartolome of GMB, Tony Cruz of Pancit Malabon, Jorge Wieneke of Potato Corner, Teresa Laurel of Goto King, then Figaro head Pacita Juan, and Richie Cuna of Fiorgelato, who wanted to promote more MSMEs through the safer route of local franchising.

What are the government and leaders of the private sector doing to support SMEs? What percentage of the banking sector’s is allocated to SMEs every year?

When will our politicians pass an anti-trust law to ensure a level playing field across all industries, thus discouraging monopolies or oligopolies detrimental to consumers, to economic progress and to genuine democracy?

The Ayala Group’s Globe Telecom, Inc. business head Jesus “Boboy” C. Romero told the STAR that telecom firms like them offer SMEs various services such as the new “Globe Business Payroll Cloud” to make payroll preparations easier and faster for small firms, including timely submissions of BIR, SSS, Philhealth and Pag-Ibig requirements.

Summit Media’s Entrepreneur magazine should be congratulated for its interesting monthly issues promoting mostly SMEs, including local franchisers such as those of the AFFI.

Hopefully our leaders won’t forget that the dynamic “economic miracles” of our neighbors Taiwan and Hong Kong were built on tens of thousands of family-owned SMEs. This is the essence of economic democracy and the true foundation of vibrant capitalism.

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