A pre-Christmas story full of love

The country was in the midst of a killer monsoon on the first week of her arrival in the Philippines.  And then came Yolanda’s storm surge, causing untold destruction and suffering.  But the strong-willed and stouthearted Julie Tatarczuk chose to stay and do her job as the newly appointed president and general manager of Avon Philippines. She chose to step out of the air-conditioned confines of her Makati office and reach out where help was most needed.

“People were saying to me from all over the world, ‘Oh, my gosh, it’s so horrendous!’” Julie relates. “And this is the absolute truth: There was nowhere else I genuinely wanted to be. I think just the whole Filipino culture — the family, the values, the resilience, just that tremendous drive and will — is incredible, it catches your heart really. And in the Avon business, just to see that every single day, and with the whole Yolanda, just to see the determination to get back on their feet, is incredible. The reason why I joined Avon in 2007 was because I worked in many, many corporations before and this is the only company that genuinely has a heart. It’s about women earning opportunities and it makes you think of business in a very different way.  I think, especially now in the Philippines, we’re helping to reestablish these micro businesses  — it’s really very important to help these women get back on their feet to earn for their families.”

When Yolanda struck, Avon put up a crisis command center in the Avon office in Makati. “In the first three days, as part of the executive team, we needed to establish the safety of all our associates,” Julie begins to explain. “The next stage was helping people leave those areas because they were devastated and not a good environment. So, we specifically helped them leave and got them out of dangerous situations.”

One Avon representative named Benny managed to get his family out of Tacloban though his daughter Bianca was badly hit by debris when she was swept away by Yolanda. “Somehow, they got hold of her and after the storm surge, Benny, with his daughter and his wife, walked to the Tacloban airport and they were among the first to get on one of the first C130s because Bianca was injured.”

‘Take me to Avon’

With only the shirts on their backs, Benny and his family got to Manila. They got into a cab and told the driver their story. The driver asked where they wanted to go and Benny said, “Take me to Avon.” Benny didn’t know the address of the Avon office. The cab driver took them to the Avon office in Makati and gave Benny a special T-shirt before he drove off.

“He turned up in our Avon office lobby  and we immediately took them to the hospital because Bianca needed to be taken care of,” Julie recounts. “We gave them clothes and got them a hotel, they’re fine and they wouldn’t leave each other. And Benny’s wife said there was one thing Benny saved. I asked what it was and his wife said he saved his Avon 30th anniversary pin. They survived and Benny was proud to tell me he saved his pin. In that moment, I knew why I’m here in this company. When Benny said, ‘Take me to Avon,’ I say this company has a heart. There aren’t many companies that would ever be true.”

Truly, Avon is there for the long haul. “We’ll get Benny another role in a branch here, but if other people want to go back, we’ll send them back if it’s already safe,” says Julie, her voice full of assurance.

Meanwhile, Benny’s wife was offered a job at St. Giles Hotel on Makati Ave., where they’re staying. “She excitedly said, ‘Oh, we eat buffet for breakfast!’ relates Faith Aranton, Avon head of PR and communications.

As for Bianca, Faith relates that from tragedy, it’s become an adventure for the nine-year-old girl. 

Julie continues Faith’s story, “When I asked, ‘So, how are you, Bianca?’ she just kept watching SpongeBob like nothing happened.”

Julie asserts, “It’s a revalidation of why I’m here. For me, the business and the heart have to go hand in hand. It’s about the values of the organization. I’m a tough business leader, but this particular experience is really humbling. It kinda puts everything in perspective for me about earning opportunities especially in emerging or developing markets — the importance of what that really means, it’s really a lifeline. It’s not the real world in Makati; the real world is out there and I think a lot of people could get fooled by that. Is this it? It’s not. It’s a tiny, tiny piece, this is not the Philippines.”

With her feet firmly planted on the ground and her heart in the right place, Julie has gone beyond the call of duty.

Around 20,000 Avon women in Tacloban were affected by typhoon Yolanda.  “We had people going into Tacloban and to understand what was happening, we were also looking for a recovery hub to get as close to Tacloban as we could,” Julie relates with utmost concern. “We had more people going out to try and reach out to our Avon representatives because we want them to know we’re there.”

Avon will be there in more ways than one. “First of all, there’s the emotional healing,” Julie notes. “Second is that we’re putting together some very specific care packs, just basic stuff. The next phase is that we’re just gonna be there and when they’re ready, if they want to start thinking about business and reestablishing themselves, then we’re going to put very personal care items like shower gels, deodorants, just very basic stuff. And we’re looking at maybe a different compensation so they can earn more as our way of helping their area.”

Avon Tacloban back in business

The Avon Tacloban branch was among the worst hit by typhoon Yolanda, together with Avon branches in Ormoc and Naval. Other branches like Bogo, Passi, Borongan, Kalibo, Roxas, Sara, and Danao were able to resume operations within two weeks after Yolanda.

Julie tells us, “We were looking for the right, sensitive time to roll out our programs and we were heartened when the sales leaders themselves stepped forward and told us that they were ready to get back to work again, because they really look at their Avon business as a critical part of recovering from Yolanda.”

At Avon’s Tacloban branch reopening, exactly  31 days after Yolanda hit the Visayas, zone manager Anya Marie Wenceslao said in her moving speech, “There are no victims among Avon Ladies. Victims have no choice —  we do — and we can get back up again. Yes, Yolanda has hit us and we will never be the same again, but only because we can make it better. Let us refuse to be victims. Let us become victors.”   

At that momentous event, Julie shared that the clamor of the Avon Ladies fuelled the company to ensure that the branch becomes operational as soon as possible. “We immediately responded to their request because this reopening also means their own personal restoration after going through such a life-changing experience. More than ever, we are committed to helping our Avon Ladies rebuild their lives, and making them even more beautiful.”

“Beautiful” is how Julie would describe her stay in the Philippines. “I’ve been to the Philippines a number of times over the last 15-20 years,” she says. “My husband Rob never visited the Philippines so when I was asked to take the Avon leadership here, I said to him, ‘How do you feel about living in the Philippines? Trust me, you will like it.’ So, he came, not ever having visited the Philippines before. And you know how sometimes when you go visit someone’s home or you meet someone new and you feel good? You know that feeling? There hasn’t been one day here that we haven’t had that feeling.”

Yes, Julie will be home for Christmas, home being the Philippines, with her loving husband Rob and their beautiful children Chloe and Piers. This is where her heart belongs, rain or shine, come hell or high water.