Rex Book Store: The legacy lives strong

Second generation family members set the stage for a more robust future

MANILA, Philippines - Having an active part in managing the family business as a second-generation member poses its own set of unique challenges. Having seen the business grow from practically nothing, one is now faced with the dilemma of remaining committed to the vision of the founders, while carrying the pressure of making the business flourish through the infusion of new ideas and management style.

For the Fonteleras and Buhains - the family behind the country’s leading publishing conglomerate Rex Book Store (RSBI) - the transition to the next generation family management team came with very rewarding results.

“I have always been inspired by the very good example set by my parents. Their passion for work, integrity, and sterling ethics are the very principles that helped me succeed in business,” says lawyer Dominador Buhain, president of the Rex Group of Companies. His siblings - Rogelio Fontelera and his wife Rose Ann, Teresita Fontelera-Carpio, and Mario Buhain and his wife Peaches - share this sentiment as they look back at their collective efforts over the past four decades that brought the company to where it is today.

 Armed with college degrees and having grown up with a working knowledge of the business, the Fonteleras and Buhains assumed their various positions with acumen. After a fire razed their then-fledgling store in the late ’60s, Buhain took on the selling function as his personal mission to help resurrect the business. Promoting Rex’s products brought him to every corner of the country. Later on, with a Law degree from Ateneo, he set about developing the company’s rules and regulations, which has since become the framework for managing the corporation.

Mario, on the other hand, started Rex Printing with their father Juanito in the early 1970s, after graduating from college. He also spearheaded Rex Commercial, where he assumed the position of general manager, and handled government orders for RBSI. His wife, Peaches, was later on persuaded to leave her career in the banking industry to help in the management of Rex branches.

Rogelio, who now serves as vice president-corporate secretary, mastered the printing process and carved his niche in local publications that he introduced in the 1980s. His wife, Rose Ann, who initiated the Cabanatuan branch that helped widen the company’s reach in Central and Northern Luzon, now heads Rex’s legal materials department.

To Teresita, an educational materials sales advisor, her early experience selling books at the Morayta branch while she was still in school, served her well when she was assigned as sales manager for Rex’s first provincial store in Cebu. This exposure helped her build business relationships with various schools and congregations, which in turn contributed to the growth of the business in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

As Rex Book Store soars past its 60-year mark with flying colors, the Buhains and Fonteleras continue to stand united in their vision for the business. “After several decades in the publishing industry, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the company. With the constant support of the family and our professional team, we will take RBSI to even greater heights - not only by strengthening our foothold on the local market, but also establishing our presence in other countries,” Atty. Buhain, who concurrently sits as chairman of the Rex Group of Companies, declares.