MANILA, Philippines - As a young boy, Ruben F. Tena dreamt of making it big someday. He wanted to either become a lawyer or a successful businessman, but his family couldn’t afford his education. He did not give up though. Armed with just enough resources, the right knowledge and unwavering enthusiasm, Ruben woke up from his stupor, buckled down to work, and went on to realize his dreams.
“When I was still a young boy, I dreamt only of two things: to pursue law or venture into business. Seeing that the idea of me becoming a lawyer is far-fetched, I decided to take the other path and become a businessman instead,†Ruben relates.
After years of hard work and perseverance, he’s now one of the most successful dealers of a well-known brand of alcoholic beverage in Cagayan De Oro, averaging about 50,000 cases of delivery per month. He is also able to easily meet his quota, with his stocks getting sold in just two months or less. In fact, Ruben’s accomplishments at RFT Enterprises, the company he founded 10 years ago, now serves as an inspiration among his peers who wish to achieve the same level of success in dealership.
Unlike most entrepreneurs who have honed their skills through business trainings early in life, Ruben encountered hardships and difficulties. His mother tended the house, while his father worked at the provincial capitol of Camarines Sur. At a young age, Ruben took odd jobs just to help augment the family’s income.
After earning his undergraduate degree in 1966, Ruben applied for a job at San Miguel Corporation. The job he wanted, however, wasn’t his for the taking. And so Ruben went on to teach English and P.E. subjects at Ateneo De Naga University, where he met his wife Becky whose father held a position at San Miguel.
In 1977, Ruben revived his application with San Miguel. He finally got the job and was first assigned in Naga, then Masbate, Bislig, Surigao, and Camiguin before eventually settling in Cagayan De Oro where he was given the opportunity to deal directly with distributors of San Miguel for the next 23 years.
He was already earning quite well by then, but for Ruben, it just wasn’t enough. He still wanted to pursue his childhood dream — to become a successful businessman. He put up the Tabing Dagat Restaurant. The business went well, but he was so stressed out. He also tried setting up a piggery in Bukidnon, but it didn’t work out as well due to water problems. His wife would always ask him why he kept putting up business ventures he had no knowledge in, and to this he hastily replied, “Because I want to earn instantly!â€
“I was very ambitious then,†admits Ruben.
At 55, all that stress took a toll on Ruben’s health so he applied for early retirement. Not wanting to let a good man go, San Miguel offered him a dealership deal in Cagayan de Oro, which he accepted. Using his retirement pay as collateral, he sought the help of Plantersbank to obtain a Letter of Credit.
“To enter into a dealership business, you’re supposed to be collateralized first before the stocks can be handed to you on credit,†Ruben explained. “Thanks to the supportive team of Plantersbank Cagayan de Oro, they were able to process the Letter of Credit so fast that even the Finance Group of San Miguel’s Northern Mindanao Region was amazed.â€
Aside from the Letter of Credit, he now also has several other accounts with Plantersbank, which he uses to collateralize an asset.
Fast forward to today. Aside from finally realizing his dream, Ruben now owns a car, a fully furnished house, and is now able to buy stocks on a cash basis. He also caters to almost everyone — from wholesaler down to the smallest retailer. “As a dealer, my role now is to provide sufficient supply of the goods, guarantee prompt delivery, ensure proper penetration of the market and, of course, provide others enough leeway so they may also earn,†he says.
Ruben was just thankful for all the good graces he has received since. He admits he wouldn’t have been able to realize his dream had it not been for fate, the support of his loving wife and a trusted bank partner.