Ben Chan is a prominent Chinese-Filipino entreprenuer who is the founder of the Philippines' largest clothing chain, Bench, under the trademark Suyen Corporation. With his world class fashion style and hardworking ethic, he has expanded the Philippine clothing chain into international markets including China, the land of his forefathers. He is dubbed as one of the most prominent people in the country as mentioned in the Philippine Tatler's list of Who's Who of the Philippines.
From its humble beginnings, the t-shirt offerings expanded into a whole lifestyle store, offering Fix Salon for hair products and services, Prescribe(r) a stationery line, Bench Brats, a teenage line, Bench Body and Bath, specializing in bath and fragrance products, and now HerBench offering a complete women's line, including fragrances and cosmetics.
Management of the company is shared with his brother-in-law Virgilio Lim who develops systems and operations, while sister Nenita Lim handles finance. Ben devotes his energy to the creative side.
Bench Expansion
In 1994 Bench opened its first fashion store outside the Philipines in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, soon followed by its first in Shanghai, China. A store soon followed the following year in Kuwait. In 1997 Bench pioneered the first underwear show in the Philippines. In 2002 the show would set a record by attracting 25,000 to its Underwear Show.
By 2007, on its 20th anniversary, Bench had established stores in Eaglerock, Los Angeles, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Guangzhou, Xian, and Dubai, on its road to global retailing. China remains its primary focus with more than 27 company stores and 19 franchises.
Recently Mr Chan has dabbled in philanthropy, establishing the Wear Your Conscience Projet with Photobook for the Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation.
Henry Sy -Founder of SM- (The Richest Man in the Philippines)
Henry Sy(Chinese: 施至成; pinyin: Shī Zhìchéng; born October 25, 1924) is a Chinese Filipino businessman and the founder of SM Group and chairman of SM Prime Holdings, the largest retailer and shopping mall operator in the Philippines. He earned his Associate of Arts degree in Commercial Studies at Far Eastern University in 1950. Acknowledged as the country’s "Retail King," he has come a long way from the modest shoe store he set up in Quiapo in 1946, to become Asia's biggest shopping mall operator with over 30 malls throughout the Philippines.
He is the richest man, gaining 1.4 billion dollars in 2008, amid the global wealthiest individual in the Philippines, next to Lucio Tan and (as of 2008) 843rd in the world. As of September 2009 Mr.Sy's net worth was estimated at $3.8 billion by forbes Asia topping the Philippines rich list.[4] Sy is considered a Tai-Pan or tycoon of Asia. The Sy group is the operator of Banco de Oro Universal Bank and owner of China Banking Corporation. In 2006, he bought the remaining 66% of Equitable PCI Bank, the Philippines 3rd largest lender, in which he already had a 34% stake, and merged it with Banco de Oro Universal Bank in 2007. The merger created the Philippine's second largest financial institution in 2008 and taking the top spot in 2009 with resources of close to $20 billion dollars. A conspiracy tell that the Sy family has a personal stake of $4 billion in these 3 banks, although there are still no sufficient evidences that strongly substantiate such matter. Mr. Sy has recently sold his 11% stake in San Miguel Corporation, Southeast Asia's largest food and beverage conglomerate for $680 million.
Mariano Que -founder of Mercury Drug-
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| -Mecury Drug's Logo- |
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| -the FIRST Mercury Drug- |
has always believed in the concept of total customer service. This can be summed up in its corporate philosophy: "To serve you, to have what you want, when you want it." It has been its commitment since it started.
It all began in 1945 just after the liberation of Manila. Mariano Que, realizing the need for medicines, started a very humble business venture with his hard earned P100. He bought a bottle of "Sulfathiazole" and street-peddled this in the sidewalk of Bambang, Sta. Cruz, Manila. From pushcart selling and with his previous working experience in a drugstore before the war, he eventually opened a drugstore on March 1, 1945. He named it after "Mercury", in Roman mythology the messenger of gods, the god of commerce and manual skill. Mercury’s winged feet symbolize speed and the caduceus he carries the medical profession. These qualities sum up Mercury Drug’s quest of delivering fresh and reliable medicines to the public through prompt service.
In 1945, Mercury Drug introduced a better way to make medicines more affordable to more Filipinos: "Tingi-tingi" or by piece method of selling. From then on it introduced many "firsts" in the Philippine drugstore: In 1948, its first motorized customer delivery service; In 1952, the 17-hour, 7 days a week drugstore service; In 1963, the country’s first self-service drugstore; In 1965, the 24-hour, 7 days a week service; In 1967, the first computerized temperature-controlled central warehouse: In 1969, the first drugstore chain to use biological refrigerators to preserve life-saving medicines: In 1976, the first drugstore chain to expand throughout Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Upon the invitation of Ayala Corporation, Mercury Drug opened its second branch in May 1963 at a developing commercial center (now known as the Ayala Center) in Makati. This move opened the door to the establishment of the landmark branch in Quiapo, Manila in 1965 and the opening of more branches thus bringing Mercury Drug’s service closer to many Filipinos.
Today :
The company is considered as the leading drug store chain in the country with a network of more than 500 company-owned and franchised stores serving the public at the most convenient places in Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. It has a workforce of over 7,000 employees totally committed to professional excellence and dedicated service. It coordinates this vast network of stores at its head office in Bagumbayan, Quezon City which also houses its modern distribution center operating on the concept of centralized buying and warehousing. It belongs to the top 20 companies in sales performance for the past several years.
"To serve you, to have what you want, when you want it."
-Mariano Que-
This is all it takes to be an entrepreneur. Know what your customers want and customers will give what you want.
"I was born poor, but poor was not born in me. And it shouldn’t be born in you either. You can make it. Whatever you may wish to do with your future, you can make it. It gets dark sometimes, but morning comes always. Challenges breed character. Character breeds faith. In the end, faith will not disappoint. You must not disappoint."
-PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan-
* information about Mauel Pangilinan*
Manuel V. Pangilinan
Manuel V Pangilinan (born July 14, 1946 in Manila, Philippines), also known as Manny Pangilinan and MVP, is a Filipino Businessman. He is the Chairman of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company, from 1998 up to the present. Pangilinan spent his elementary and high school days at San Beda College. He graduated Cum Laude from the Ateneo De Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. He received his MBA degree in 1968 from the Wharton School of University Pennysylvania. He is also the owner of ABC/TV5 network, Cignal Digital TV and Smart Communications. He was the former Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Ateneo De Manila University.
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