Bongbong's Story of the Little Piaya Store That Could

It's been some time since I did a food review, right? As of right now, I feel like I've been burdened not taking Hotel & Restaurant Management and chose Business Administration instead. Both departments today are under the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at the University of San Carlos (USC). Having been a fan of almost everything that they can offer to customers--I decided to do some research. I'm not surprised that its owner, Reynaldo B. Villan Sr. aka Bongbong. The timeline from their very own website shares the humble beginnings of Bongbong or Villan Sr. Right now, you can check all their branches here.

The humble beginnings of Villan Sr. (I'll use this one instead of Bongbong to avoid confusion with Philippine President, Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. who goes by that nickname) aren't surprising. I've read how Jollibee was the little bee that could. Tony Tancaktiong wasn't born wealthy and had to face the challenge of foreign food companies. Villan Sr. was just a helper in Polets Bakeshop (which I believe no longer exists). In a harsh stir of fate in 1986, the separation fee at that time was PHP 1,600.00. Sure, the Philippine peso (PHP) was still strong at that time. However, I feel it might be too low.

Reading the timeline can amaze me. Everything started with just the humble piaya. I really got amazed when they used a 7-Up to flatten piaya. Villan Sr. married his wife Ma. Lomer Canedo in 1984. The couple started their small business. This reminds me of what the late John Gokongwei Jr. once said. Gokongwei Jr.'s maternal grandfather told him, "Everything big was once small." The challenge was that both didn't have much and they bore Richmond C. Villan in 1985. They also marketed their product in Bacolod Airport in Singcang. They were so dedicated that in 1986--they started a small delivery service. The dedicated Mrs. Villan used a bicycle at that time as transportation. In 1987, they opened a rolling store using a second-hand jeepney. That's all before they were established as the big business they are today.

As the family grew, so did the business. More children came such as Reynaldo C. Villan Jr. and their daughter Reyna Myrah C. Villan. The late 1980s started the transition from small to medium. The demand for the delicious piaya doubled. Villan Sr. could've chosen to be stingy when the money came in. Instead, Villan Sr. did the right thing by hiring extra hired hands to accomodate the growing business. Knowing that they needed better power--they tranferred from Yulo's Park and went to Singcang "Famous Known as Lechonan".

The business never stopped with piaya. Mrs. Villan purchased biscocho and toasted muffin--a few things I buy from their outlets today. The production line expanded and they knew they can't be stingy. They soon produced merigue, cookies, and hopia. Knowing that's not enough--they purchased more jeepneys for the surplus jeepney. It's obvious they knew that if they want more money--you can't be stingy. You need to expand your business hence I'd dare say the early 1990s became their kicking start. As the product line went from one humble piaya to more products (which also includes butterscotch, biscocho, toasted muffins, cheese tarts, caramel tarts and otap)--they knew they had to relocate again. This time, it was in Greenplains, Alijis, where they had big progress during the 1990s.

After some time, the 2000s finally came in with that little piaya's growth to even better heights. 2001 was a turning point when they decided to get a brand-new delivery van. I'd call that proper planning since if your demand increases--you need to get the resources to accommodate them. 2003-2005 proved to be a huge challenge. The couple finally purchased a 2,000-square-meter production site in Alijis. It was time to think, "Should we still be too traditional or do we make adjustments?" They couple bought all the necessary machinery for their territorial expansion. Meanwhile, twin daughters were born to the couple during that time.

Soon, Bongbong's had its first award called "The National Shopper's Choice Award". Rather than get complacent with an award, they decided, "Let's not stop there!" The award was won again in 2006 because they chose to challenge themselves. 2007 soon had them awarded by the Department of Health and Burean for Food and Drugs for Regional Healthy Winner Workplace. More machineries were acquired so more of the barquillos can be produced without otherwise compromising the quality. They received the same award (from 2006) in 2008 and 2009. Meanwhile, Bongbong's also acquired a six-wheeler delivery truck due to how huge the demands are.

Eventually, Bongbong's got the best piaya from the Golden Globe Awards--proof that Filipino businesses can survive against multinational corporations if they know how to stir the waters of competition. Somehow, I believe that maybe, Bongbong's might become an MNC in itself. Jollibee was once a local business. Now, Jollibee is an MNC. I wouldn't be surprised if Bongbong's may open a store first in some ASEAN countries. Bongbong's shows that competition made it the strong company. The little piaya faced competition and now it's bought by tourists. Hopefully, there will be interest to build a Bongbong's branch in any ASEAN country of its choice. Maybe, it can allow foreigners to franchise it, do direct investment, do a joint venture (by looking for a local partner), or any effective strategy to build it beyond a nationwide company.

Get Stuck with EDSA, End Up Like Nokia

Yes, we should never forget what history teaches us. A classmate of mine, back in high school, wrote a simple and blunt essay called "History: A Teacher". I doubt he still has a soft copy, given it was already more than 20 years ago. I'd like to quote Duterte critic Andrew James Masigan wrote this in Philippine Star --something that should remain relevant: I would never undervalue the 1987 Constitution. It dismantled the legal framework of a repressive regime and established the democratic institutions we enjoy today. For this, I am grateful. The 1987 Constitution was crafted with the best of intentions. It sought to put the Filipino first in all aspects of governance and to level the playing field amongst sectors and peoples. But it is far from perfect. It failed to consider the importance of foreign capital and technologies and the stiff competition we would have to face to obtain them. In short, its economic provisions were short-sighted . So despite the Constitut...

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