Beng Tesoro, Rose Anne Bautista and Pinky Yee: Brand builders, made in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Tesoro’s, Fino and Goldilocks are three local names that are in the Pinoy DNA, born from three talented, enterprising Filipino women.

Beng Tesoro, Rose Anne Bautista and Pinky Yee are pioneers in their respective fields, capturing the essence of local craftsmanship and quality in their brands way before everybody else. Beng, Rose Anne and Pinky are part of Bayo’s “Made in the Philippines” campaign, which is a nod to Bayo’s 25 years of fashion and a celebration of stylish, talented and proud Filipinas who have made their mark in the Philippines. Over the past weeks, Bayo has shared the stories of remarkable women who are paving the way for Filipino ideas, products, and advocacies. As the brand celebrates its 25th year, it continues to inspire pride in Filipino talent and everything made in the Philippines.

Maria Isabel “Beng” Tesoro, Tesoros Philippine Handicrafts

“We made Tesoro’s the repository of our great heritage.”

Tesoro’s known as a go-to destination for high-quality Philippine-made products, evolved into a platform for Filipino artisans and entrepreneurs in the hands of Maria Isabel “Beng” Tesoro. “Tesoro’s was founded by my parents on the ashes of World War II. We’ve been around for over 70 years and through those decades, we have stuck to our values, which is upholding what is the best in the Filipino,” Beng says.

Today, Tesoro’s is repository of our heritage, with 10 specialty boutiques around the country carrying a core collection of traditional Filipino arts and collaborations and collections with designers and manufacturers like Monchet Olives, Patis Pamintuan-Tesoro, and Anya Lim, staying relevant with fresh products that even millennials love.

“Tesoro’s is a place where you feel you’re home. You see the best that Filipinos can make, you know everything is authentic, and there’s a promise of the highest possible quality,” says Beng.

It’s not easy to build a brand that allows everyone to “see our nation’s soul” — Tesoro’s has done it by staying authentic, both to its brand and to its mission, and building on that pride we innately have as Filipinos.

“I’m proud of who we are. ‘Made in the Philippines’ is what makes the Filipino and who he is. And the most beautiful thing about the Filipino is his soul,” Beng shares.

Rose Anne Bautista, Fino Leatherware

“I made Fino, a proudly-Filipino line of leatherware products.”

Rose Anne Bautista, a self-confessed leather lover, created Fino, together with her partners, to fill a gap in the market. “It started with me and my husband trying to figure out things for our personal use,” Rose Anne shares. “In my case, I was trying to find some giveaways for my family business.”

This resulted in their first product, a leather-clad planner, which they sold in bazaars. Eventually, they added card cases, check books, and pen cases. Today, Fino is a trusted and loved local brand for leather lovers like Rose Anne, carrying an extensive line for work and play that caters to both men and women.

“For me, what makes us special is the way we make things. Artisans are valuable. We try to keep our business intact and strong by making sure that they continuously make use of their skills. We have the skills, the eye for detail. We make use of local materials as well.”

Every Fino bag is proof that the Filipino is capable of creating products that are world class — Fino has been doing it for 25 years. What started as a search for the perfect bag for Rose Anne is now a fashionable legacy that’s proudly made in the Philippines.

Pinky Yee, new business group director of Goldilocks

“I made Goldilocks relevant to a new generation of Filipinos.”

Pinky Yee has been with Goldilocks for 29 out of the 51 years that the company has served Filipinos. In 1988, she was taskedd to open store number nine — and today, Goldilocks has 540 stores worldwide.

“The big challenge was making sure the millennials are proud that Goldilocks is a Filipino company that has been around for generations. Thankfully, we are still able to deliver that appeal,” says Pinky.

It was Pinky who decided to eliminate the blonde girl on the Goldilocks logo in the late 2000s. “When a brand’s vision is to go global, we cannot have a blonde as an icon, especially if it is going to be communicated as a Filipino company.” Now, Pinky is working on developing Dominos Pizza, also under the Goldilocks group.

“The Filipino is world class. Whatever we out our hearts into, we can be world class for as long as we set our minds to excellence. We can achieve anyting. Supporting a Filipino company is important, not just to show nationalism, but because you believe in the people behind those brands, behind those products.” Pinky shares.

Pinky’s pulse on Pinoy taste and knack for inspiring loyalty in consumers makes her the ideal person to develop Dominos as a global brand with local flavor, in the way that Goldilocks has become a global company made in the Philippines.

Bayo celebrates 25 years of culture, fashion and Filipino pride with “Made in the Philippines.