Easytrip executive builds from scratch to achieve goals

MANILA, Philippines - An architect by profession, Eugene S. Antonio dipped his hands into furniture making and running his own business until he was recruited to head Easytrip Services Corp. of Egis Projects SA, a leading European independent road operator and service provider.

Antonio, 44, admits that tracking his career path is not that easy, believing that becoming president and  chief executive officer of Easytrip is like finding his place under the sun.

“Having lived with my parents for a long time, I knew career life wouldn’t be that easy. But I was so determined to succeed and I wanted to create a life that I could proudly recount to my children over and over again,” says Antonio.

Living with a family where they were given the liberty to choose and live a life they want, Antonio dealt on things he never thought would matter to his life now.

“I remember selling various stuff to friends and schoolmates often as I needed to save some money as I did not want to ask more from my parents for my extra expenses,” recalls Antonio.

A scholar and a diligent student, Antonio was among the top architecture graduates of  UP Diliman in 1992.

Immediately after graduation, he worked with prominent Filipino architect, urban planner and development consultant Felino Palafox Jr. A dedicated employee, working 80 hours a week, Antonio got involved in big projects such as planning and designing the Sta. Elena Golf Club in Sta. Rosa, Laguna; collaborating with Chicago architects for the Rockwell Power Plant in Makati City; re-planning the entire Guimaras Island in Western Visayas; and the study for the redevelopment of the Unilab property in Mandaluyong City.

Spending some time with Palafox, Antonio had the opportunity to establish a network of good clients here and abroad. He then gracefully asked his boss’ permission to leave and establish his own business,  promising not to get in the way of Palafox’s business.

Raising enough money through stock market investments and various other activities, Antonio put up Living Concepts Inc., his home store specializing in manufacturing custom design furniture, interior designing and construction fit-out business at the EDSA Shangri-La Mall in 1995.

Leaving his comfortable office along Ayala Ave. and exploring the world of entrepreneurship, Antonio said he was not afraid to go back and do hard work with no guarantee of success. According to him, the thought of building something from scratch and seeing it grow drives him to pursue his goal to succeed.

The furnishing business was good and flourished through the years. At that time, he knew he was ready to support a family and married his neighbor Maria Kristina Bibiana Zosa, a fellow architect, in late 1997.

“I was there at the right place at the right time with proper connection because of Jun Palafox. I got involved with some property developments of Fil-Estate, ASB Realty, Cityland, Santa Lucia Realty, Belle Resources Corp., plus the confidence of the market was brought back that’s why a lot of houses were being built and on those houses someone has to furnish them, someone has to supply interiors and that was me. It was good from 1995 until 1999,” he recalls.

“At that time, because of my character I do not think of what other people will say as long as I get to do what I want to do. I don’t care what other people will say. I was the one painting the showroom. I was doing the carpentry. I was helping the contractors because I want to do it the way I want it to happen,” he adds.

There came a time, he recalls, that orders kept pouring in that he had to import from the US not only for raw materials but also ready-made furniture as well just to meet his monthly requirement.

In the tail-end of 1998 when there was an imminent threat of an Asian financial crisis, Antonio acted swiftly and sold his business a year after at a premium, fearing that he would be greatly affected by the wild gyration of the foreign exchange market.

Having been exposed to importation and shipment business, he woke up one morning thinking of trying his luck in the US. A few months after acquiring an investor’s visa, he migrated with his family to San Francisco where he founded a balikbayan freight forwarding service business, Manilabox Corp.

Ten years later, he was able to expand his business to engage into travel agency and non-emergency ambulant transport services in the Bay Area.

But a skiing accident at South Lake Tahoe that almost claimed his life made him realize he should be spending more quality time with his family, parents and siblings here in the Philippines.

With his wife and two kids, the well-recuperated Antonio went back to the Philippines in late 2010 and temporarily left his business in the US to some trusted associates.

A few months later, he was invited to join Easytrip. At first, he was hesitant to accept the job, saying that what will an architect-turned – entrepreneur do in an electronic toll collection service provider company in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)?  This apprehension, however, eventually vanished after he passed with flying colors Egis principals’ rigid interviews in France, Ireland and Normandy.

Assuming his post in Jan. 1, 2011, Antonio says the first few days at the office proved to be very rewarding as his acquired skills and knowledge as an architect and an entrepreneur worked to his advantage in performing his duties at Easytrip “seeing a clear picture on where you want to go laying down step by step detailed plans on how execution will help me survive the transition stage of my new executive / corporate life.”

Since he joined Easytrip, Antonio managed to jack up electronic tag sales three-fold from 24-27 per day to 90-95 daily. He attributed the increase in sales to aggressive awareness campaign and customer satisfaction strategies implemented by the firm.

“At Easytrip, we want to make sure that customer satisfaction will be our utmost consideration and that is also what I was able to learn from my more than a decade stay in the US. A satisfied customer will keep patronizing your business,” stresses Antonio.

“Customer convenience is our battle cry. What we want to embed in Easytrip’s mindset is that customer service should come priority more than anything else,” he adds.

Easytrip is currently taking the lead in pushing for the so-called interoperability of NLEX and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) which will pave the way for these two major tollways to be interconnected with each other electronically, giving commuters utmost travel convenience.

If the proposed interoperability would be implemented, he expects the cash-to-electronic toll ratio to be at 60-40 by 2018 from current level of 80-20.

“Thinking about convenience, on top of my list is to incorporate interoperability in the Philippines which is basically shifting from cash paying customers to electronic,” he points out.

With the interoperability scheme, he sees big time changes in the country’s expressways and this could put the Philippines in the map of electronically-linked tollways in the world. As success in interoperability will open avenues for new business in the country for electronic payments as well.

“It can be done in 24 hours. It’s how simple it is. It’s as simple as switching on and seeing it happen in a day’s time. What makes it complicated is because “change” is often times viewed by Filipinos negatively. We should think constructively. We have to keep moving forward. The industry of today might not be the same tomorrow. The market evolves everyday and as an entrepreneur we have to align ourselves with the evolution of the market or else it will be too late,” he opines. “In the Southeast Asia and Pacific region, if we do the full interoperability, we will be among the first.”

He notes that if successful, the scheme can be integrated to various industries including the (AFCS) automatic fare collection system of DOTC.

“With interoperability and clearing house, integrating the rail and the toll road network will be easy,” he says.