Eugenio, 59, was born in Naga which was where his late father Apolonio, a railways engineer from Ilocos Sur, was assigned. Before he turned one year old, his father was transferred by the railways authority and brought the family to Tarlac.
As a boy, Eugenio used to accompany his mother Loreta to the Tarlac public market where she sold clothes on the sidewalks. That was Eugenio’s first experience in entrepreneurship. Later, his father moved the family to San Fernando, La Union.
Eugenio earned a degree in business, major in accounting, at the University of the East in 1962. He built a career as a salesman, working for Sehwani Marketing, Noritake (under Serge Bernal), and All-Sports Inc. It was during a sports exhibit in Singapore in 1989 when Eugenio was introduced to the business of selling institutionalized athletic equipment. He learned that 85 percent of National Basketball Association (NBA) backboards and goals came from Porter of Illinois and 75 percent of the pro league’s arenas used maplewood flooring from Robbins of Cincinnati. He found out that Nordic carried a wide range of track equipment and Fair Play timing devices were guaranteed to be trouble-free. He got to know about Playworld recreational systems, Martin rubberized playing surfaces and Colorado touch pads for swimming pools.
Eugenio was impressed by the wide range of sports equipment available and offered his services to US manufacturers as a distributor in the Philippines. He visited plant sites in the US to confer with principals and see for himself how the products were made.
In 1991, Eugenio formed his company Universal Sports and went on his own to market the products of Porter, Robbins, Nordic, Fair Play, Playworld, Martin, and Colorado, among others, here. Today, Universal Sports is known as the country’s leading supplier of first-class sports equipment. Eugenio remains active as Universal’s No. 1 salesman although his staff of 10 is as involved in marketing its products. His family is deeply immersed in the business – his way of making sure that service is personalized, 24 hours a day.
Eugenio’s wife Teresita takes care of Playworld which has installations at Xavier School, St. Paul’s in Pasig, Brent School in Mamplasan, and parks in several high-end subdivisions. Four of their eight children are working for Universal – Eugene, Maritess, Marivic and Jojo. Eugene’s wife Julie also helps in the business. Universal’s office is an extension of the Eugenios’ home in Pasig.
Eugenio’s involvement in sports wasn’t an accident. He’s an avid sports fan. He doesn’t miss a single Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) game either live or on TV. That’s why he was particularly excited when Universal was contracted to supply the Porter basketball systems and Robbins flooring at the PhilSports Arena, Ynares Center, and Makati Coliseum. He also laid out a Robbins hardwood at the Araneta Coliseum and Loyola Center. Additionally, there are Porter and Robbins installations at Centro Escolar University in Bulacan, the General Santos City gym, Lyceum, San Sebastian College, Far Eastern University, and the Cantada Sports Center in Bicutan.
Eugenio points to Brent School in Mamplasan as the showcase of some of his best products. He installed artificial grass on the football field, Porter equipment for basketball, tennis, badminton, and soccer, track facilities from Nordic, Fair Play scoring devices, Colorado touch pads for swimming, Martin rubberized playing surfaces, and a Playworld recreational set-up at the Brent campus.
Universal was recently tapped to install Porter equipment and Robbins flooring in two gyms at the 10-hectare Jakarta International School. It was Eugenio’s first overseas contract. He brought a team of five workers to do the job in less than three weeks. Eugenio’s crew will be back in Indonesia to install equipment at another gym next month.
Eugenio says he takes pride in assuring his customers that they’re getting only the best sports equipment. "Take our Porter goals," he notes. "When Shaquille O’Neal was playing for the Orlando Magic, he brought down an entire backboard after a dunk. The backboard and goal were replaced by Porter. Then, O’Neal tried to break the Porter system. He couldn’t do it. Porter’s collapsible rim bends only on a 180-pound impact. Beyond 180 pounds, it will snap back. At the Staples Center which is the Los Angeles Lakers homecourt, only Porter goals are used because they know what O’Neal is capable of doing to backboards."
When Eugenio isn’t out selling his merchandise, he’s in his 1.5-hectare Pililia farm attending to his 135 pigs, breeding Texas fighting cocks, growing vegetables, and mating Dobermans, German shepherds, and Rottweilers.
This Christmas, Eugenio is doing something special as a way to give thanks to the Lord for His blessings. Last week, he visited the Our Lady of Peace Seminary in San Isidro, Tarlac City, to inspect the progress of the work transforming an indoor tennis court into a basketball gym. Eugenio still has relatives in Tarlac and friends with whom he grew up studying at Holy Spirit College. His mother was buried there. So he has firm roots in Tarlac. When Eugenio found out that the seminar was raising funds for a basketball gym, he offered to help.
As his Christmas gift, Eugenio is donating a pair of Porter ceiling-mounted backboards and collapsible hoops to the seminary which is hosting a regional basketball tournament in February. He’s also volunteered to install a floor, using rubberized paint, at cost. Fr. Jess Gragasin, a PBA enthusiast himself, and his 45 seminarians couldn’t be happier. Their prayers have been answered.