Success secrets of Henry 'Big Boy' Sy Jr., Toni Gonzaga and MVP

The secret of joy in work is contained in one word — excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.  —Pearl S. Buck

Recently at the birthday dinner of Ever Bilena founder Dioceldo “Deo” Sy at the sea garden of Sofitel Hotel, I was seated beside SM Development Corporation vice chairman Henry “Big Boy” Sy Jr. His father, Henry Sy Sr., is chairman of SMDC. We congratulated him on his firm being the biggest among the Philippines’ top condominium developers last year, according to Colliers, followed by the Zobel clan’s Ayala Land and Andrew Tan’s Megaworld.

When I asked him for his 2012 sales forecast compared to last year, Henry Jr. replied: “Our SMDC sales last year were P26.5 billion, and we are bullish about the Philippine economy and the real estate industry. This year we’re targeting P40 billion sales.” Wow!

What are the success secrets of the third child and eldest son of Henry Sy? Born-again Christian Big Boy said, “There’s only one true secret to success: God. It’s all the blessings of God. We have to be prayerful and follow His teachings.”

What about business strategies in a highly competitive realty industry? Sy thought for a few seconds and explained, “Our father, Henry Sy Sr., taught us the importance of hard work, honesty, taking care of good quality and doing one’s best. When we develop condominiums, we think as if we’ll live in those homes ourselves, so they have to be nice, convenient and of good quality. We study well and try to fulfill the market needs so we build good condos with prime locations at affordable terms and prices, like monthly amortizations of P20,000 per month.”

Big Boy pointed out another dimension of the Philippine condominium boom, saying, “Last year’ 2011, we at SMDC developed 12,000 condominium units. I believe that we’re doing a social service. We want to help enrich our homebuyers with their good investments. Apart from having a good home in strategic areas of the metropolis, we are encouraging more people in Philippine society to own properties and homes, therefore helping them have a personal stake in the growing economy. This is one way to help strengthen social stability and to boost a larger affluent middle-class so essential to a strong democracy.”

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Manage Time, Love Your Work, Put God At The Center & Obey Parents

I recently chanced upon one of the most highly paid showbiz stars, Pinoy Big Brother and The Buzz TV host, actress, singer and Samsung cell phone endorser Toni Gonzaga recently at the Draft resto bar in The Fort. She looked beautiful, sexy and cheerful despite her hectic daily work schedule, and we asked for her secret to handling that well.

Toni laughed and replied, “It’s time management. I have people helping me schedule all the things I have to do. If you love your job, it’s like brushing your teeth every day, it’s already part of your life, parang normal na sa akin (it’s normal for me).”

What is the secret to her successful relationship with boyfriend, director Paul Soriano all these years? Toni shared: “It’s the same for love life or any other aspects of our lives, even for our work: just put God at the center and also always obey your parents.

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Work Hard, Take Risks, Think Strategically

What are the success secrets of First Pacific, PLDT, TV5, Philex Mining, Smart and Meralco boss Manuel “Manny” V. Pangilinan or MVP?

Viva Entertainment’s entrepreneurial founder Vicente “Vic” del Rosario Jr. said to this writer, “MVP, aside from being a good businessman, he’s willing to take risks. He works hard and often, it’s not immediate that profit is the most important; one needs to also look at the bigger and strategic picture like the way MVP does.”

He added: “MVP works very, very hard. How? He works not only on regular business or working hours, but also on Sundays, during holidays and up to 12 midnight, if needed! Unlike others, MVP also has staying power because business or even the economy is often cyclical in nature, so when things are down or tagilid (awry), he’s still there and looking for opportunities.”

On the possibility of MVP’s TV5 buying its bigger competitor GMA 7, Vic del Rosario commented: “It makes sense and seems a strategic fit. The television business is like the telecommunications industry; it’s about size. Size matters. There’s also the synergy between his telecom business and television, entertainment.”

What about his own success with Viva Entertainment, which is also the talent manager of the biggest stars such as Sarah Geronimo, Anne Curtis, Christine Reyes and others? Vic del Rosario laughed and replied, “Focus, know-how and hard work.”

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On Friday, March 16, the Anvil Business Club celebrates its 20th anniversary by launching its new name and with a new set of officers hosting a reception for business and other leaders at the grand ballroom of The Peninsula Manila hotel. Guest of honor is President Noynoy Aquino, special guest is the Europe-educated new China Ambassador Ma Keqin. Top business leaders from China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and other places are joining the occasion along with Philippine business leaders.

The new name is the Association of Young Filipino Chinese Entrepreneurs (AYFCE), the new officers are chairman emeritus George T. Siy of Marie France/Facial Care Center, chairman Jeffrey Ng of Cathay Land/Astoria hotels/South Forbes Golf City, president Roy Chua of the Philippine Amalgamated Association of Supermarkets (Pag-Asa), and executive vice president Jovenson Ong of Dragon Fireworks. George studied college at the Ateneo and Wharton/University of Pennsylvania, Jeff is a cum laude economics graduate of UP Diliman, while Roy and Joven are graduates of De La Salle University.

Encouraging Entrepreneurial Courage, Traditional Values, Global Competitiveness

Anvil was launched in September 1991 at Arlegui residence near Malacañang with then President Corazon Aquino as guest of honor, led by chairman Elena Tanyu Coyiuto and president George Siy. Membership at Anvil Business Club is by invitation. One of the 17 founders is honorary chairman Michael G. Tan of Asia Brewery, Inc. Honorary chairman Michael Chenglay said, “Its goals include promotion of traditional Confucian values as well as Filipino values among the youth in their 20s to 40s, encouraging entrepreneurial courage, civic consciousness, professional excellence, leadership and global competitiveness.”

When this writer and realty entrepreneur was president of Anvil in 2005, I proposed the first name change from the original “Anvil Executive Club” to “Anvil Business Club” to reflect its entrepreneurial character, and I encouraged more self-made entrepreneurs to join. During my term, membership was no longer confined to Filipino citizens, but open to all ethnic Chinese business people in the Philippines and contributing to Philippine economic progress regardless of citizenship, whether from Singapore, Malaysia, Shanghai, Taipei, or Hong Kong. Years later from 2010 to 2011, Anvil had its first ever non-Filipino president in Stefan Tong, the Malaysian president of Singapore-owned and publicly listed Keppel Philippines.

In 2009, as chairman of Anvil, I proposed the donation of a larger-than-life granite Confucius monument to Rizal Park’s Chinese Garden as a tribute to all teachers and this project was implemented by then Anvil president Eduardo Cobankiat.

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