hw #4

Henry Sy. As a child, Henry Sy used to work twelve hours a day to help his father run their small family-owned convenience store. During the Second World War, their store was looted and burned so the young Sy switched to buying whatever he could to sell for a profit. Hard times and a humble background in retail shaped and molded the young Sy. Today, he is touted by the business community as the richest man in the Philippines. With over fifty malls and stores of various sizes, the most recognized of all famous Filipino businessmen has foothold in virtually all the major cities in the Philippines. They recently even expanded to Guam and China. To date, three of the ten largest malls in the world are owned and operated by his company.
Lucio Tan. Lucio Tan worked as a janitor in a cigarette factory. After a few promotions, he eventually resigned and started his own tobacco company. His tobacco company grew to capture a 60% share of the Philippine market. With its strong revenues, Tan was able to diversify. This famous Filipino businessman now owns several prominent Philippine companies, many of which are blue-chippers.  Among the top businessmen, Tan is arguably the most enigmatic.  Among his contemporaries, he is probably accessible and prefers to stay out of the limelight.
Tony Tan Caktiong. At a time when McDonalds has virtually dominated the fast food industry in the region, Caktiong’s famous Filipino owned Jolibee has topped the local fast food scene year after year. In 1978 when he first started, this famous entrepreneur initially envisioned and set up an ice cream parlor. However, he saw the demand for inexpensive and quick meals on the go, so he overhauled Jolibee’s menu with burgers and fries as its main offering.  Sales skyrocketed and profits flowed in. By the mid-90’s, Jollibee had an outlet in virtually every nook and cranny in the Philippines. His company also purchased several competitors and even opened restaurants in Asia, the Middle East and the United States.