Tesoro’s enduring success story

Whenever you walk into a Tesoro’s store, you walk into a celebration of everything Filipino – handmade placemats, picture frames, jewelry boxes, wall hangings, ethnic textiles, cigars, native delicacies, delicately-embroidered tableware, hand-painted ladies wear and the finest barongs.

But more than just admiring the beautifully hand-woven piña napkins, buri hats or exotic accessories, you will find that each distinct treasure serves as a backdrop to a time when life was gentle and refined.

Tesoro’s has evolved into becoming the keeper of that lifestyle. And as such, it is now a challenge to bring back that way of life into the consciousness of the modern-day Filipino.

Happily, there are still a lot of Pinoys who continue to appreciate that particular manner of living – long before the influx of monobloc chairs, pre-fab cabinets and leatherette sofa beds.

No other store is more knowledgeable about how life was like back then than Tesoro’s. Because since 1945, Tesoro’s was already known for its high quality, Filipino handicrafts.

The story of Tesoro’s began in the late 1920s, when a young girl named Salud Pineda-Santos longed to become a high school principal in her hometown of Makinabang, Baliuag, Bulacan. However, she was put to task by her uncle to help the family-owned hat shop which was ailing due to the depression. Salud, who was at the top of her class in Manila High School, had to put her dreams on hold to run the Pineda Hat Shop in Calle Real, Intramuros. Surprisingly, at the tender age of 14, young Salud managed the store quite successfully. With diligence and hard work, the hat shop became a thriving business.

In 1939, Salud married her longtime fiancé, lawyer Nestor B. Tesoro of Boot, Tanauan, Batangas. After the liberation in 1945, they put up their store which they named Tesoro’s. The idea behind the store is to gather the best products from all the different provinces under one roof – an idea which surely paid off and found loyal patronage from both local and foreign clients. Tesoro’s became a resounding success, thanks to the fine quality and exquisite workmanship of each of its products. Salud personally saw to it that each item sold at the store was of the highest quality.

After more than half a century of operations, Tesoro’s stores have expanded into branches at shopping malls and five-star hotels, aside from its two main branches in Mabini and Makati.

Aside from building a thriving business from almost nothing, Salud and Nestor managed to raise 10 kids, including a pair of twins!

Today, Beng, the youngest, oversees the family businesses with the help and support of all her siblings. "It is not enough to rest on the success of the founders. The next generation should build on top of those successes to preserve their patrimony and ensure the future of the business and their succeeding generations," explains Beng. "But to do this, the family and the business must be founded on solid values."

Hard work was a value instilled into them at a young age. "When we were kids, rather than sit in front of the TV or indulge ourselves playing, our parents made it known that they would appreciate it if we helped in the store instead. The funny thing was we enjoyed it. Being in the store was fun and educational at the same time," says Beng.

"In addition, our parents greatly valued punctuality. It’s amazing how many deals you can close just because you are on time. It’s a sure sign that you are reliable. We were trained by the simple rule that if we were scheduled to leave for Baguio at 4 a.m., it meant the car’s ignition was switched on and it would leave the garage at precisely 4 a.m. If you weren’t in any of the cars (after all there were 10 of us!), you would be left behind. And this applied to any other appointment," recalls Beng.

Today, Tesoro’s has expanded into exports and real estate – thanks to the Tesoro clan’s hardworking nature and love for everything Pinoy.