ten most inspiring enterpreneurs

8/8/2019 Ten Most Inspiring Enterpreneurs

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GONEGOSYOTen Most Inspiring Tourism Entrepreneurs

EVANGELINE MARIAS-GARCIAGellie, as Mrs. Garcia is known to family, friends and clientele, is the eldest child of abrood of twelve (!) of equally energetic and pioneering parents. She is the owner ofCallos Spa & Farm Resort, a tranquil oasis set in a mini rainforest located at Bo.Colaique, Antipolo City. It is one of the pioneering spas in the country which hasacquired a reputation not only locally but even abroad. Gellie is an interior designerby education and is married to architect Antonio P. Garcia. This couple combinedtheir creative talents to craft Callos Spa from an uninviting piece of real estatelocated in a small ravine into a serene architectural and tropical garden getaway.What follows is her story.

These days I find myself spending more time at Callospa & Farm Resort

personally attending to enquiries about our range of services from new visitors or with

our regulars as they patiently await their turn to be pampered by well-trained attendants

in this tropical paradise. Inevitably, some of them would remark how lucky I am to beliving this life of luxury and I would feel just a tinge of discomfort. Some people see me

as an offspring of a wealthy family and assume that I had it easy. I hold my peace,

however, thinking it would take more than just a short chat to tell them how it was notalways that way and that what they see now is the product of a lifetime spent in toil.

I am the eldest of twelve children of parents who rose from poverty through sheerhard work. That may sound clich but there are still a few now alive who remember my

parents starting life as a couple in a rented silong with bare earth for a floor. At a time

when land was in abundance and a piece can be bought for pennies, my parents had none.But what they had was drive and endless determination which they passed on to us. As

the eldest, I grew up witnessing, experiencing and finally appreciating the value ofenterprise. As a young teenager I could not afford to wear stockings or lipstick as my

allowance was barely enough to get me to school and back. My Tatangwas alwayscritical of anything having a whiff of luxury and I chaffed at these forced deprivations.

But I was a constant companion of my Inangin her Divisoria trips and from these I

gained my first lessons on how I can achieve my desires through enterprise. I took note ofhow cheap the merchandise can be bought by the dozen and the big margin earned as

they were sold on retail. I saved some money and bought a dozen stockings and lipsticks

and positioned myself at the Ladies Room in the College of Architecture & Fine Arts inUST where I was studying. I quickly sold my first batch and bought more, noting the hot

items that sold fast. Word of mouth soon had me hawking my wares to eager students of

the adjoining College of Arts & Letters. I was never in want of stockings and lipstickafter that.

In my 16th year I met my future husband, Tony, who was already apprenticed as

an architect in a multinational firm. He courted me in earnest and, as a show of hisdetermination, gave me P400.00 to start a joint savings account at the Banco Filipino.

This was a huge amount at that time when the average monthly salary of ordinary


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employees was a mere P200.00 but I was downhearted because I could not contribute

such an amount. Again I took lesson from my Inangs enterprise and hit upon a way that

would enable me to match Tonys contribution. I borrowed part of our savings andbought pricier items such as blankets and curtains and sold these in my Ladies Room

outlets on installments. Soon I was able to return my borrowed capital and match

Tonys contribution. He was surprised and very much impressed when I gifted him on hisbirthday with a camera I bought for P33.00, not knowing that this was interest earned on

our savings account which would soon balloon to P7,000.00. Later he would borrow

against this to buy our very first car, a Volkswagen, but I cautioned him against spendingall of our savings so he bought a second-hand car instead for P6,000.00 leaving me with

P1,000.00 with which to continue my enterprise. Tony and I were partners even before

we were married and in him I found a soul mate who would show unending faith in my

abilities.

I graduated with a degree in Interior Design and immediately began work as an

office employee for my Tatangs construction firm. At a salary of P240.00, which was

the same rate given to the ordinary construction worker, my classmates were actuallyearning more working for other firms. I needed to earn more, especially since I and Tony

have begun constructing our own house and I was heavy with child. I simply applied thesame strategy I used in college I sold apparel on installments. Inangagain helped me by

introducing me to her suppliers in Divisoria who extended to me the same 120-day credit

terms they gave her. I collected every pay day which gave me an edge of a month or so to

pay my suppliers until I stumbled into another opportunity. Ka Pinang, the owner of thecanteen which catered to the workers one day complained that she was always late in

preparing the meals. This was because she had to wait for the money lender to come

around so she can make her daily payments. She asked if she could borrow from meinstead so she can pay at leisure at the end of the day. This provided a quicker return for

me but there was still one learning that would make a qualitative leap for me in the

rudiments of financing. I have also began selling small appliances on installments withmy apartment neighbors as first customers. I bought my items on 90-day terms from a

Radiowealth store ran by our neighbor, Mr. Tupaz. I wondered how he could extend

credit on such terms and one day he showed me how factoring was done where creditcan be extended for a year. It was like a whole new world of possibilities opened to me.

Still, I hesitated. I was already turning a good income in selling shirts and pants and small

items, albeit, involving more time and work. Then I met an accident that would make me

rethink my entire philosophy.

As usual I was running after my collection on a pay day even though I was very

much pregnant with my second child and I slipped as I stepped into wet pavement. I wasconfined to bed by my doctor to prevent any miscarriage. It was while recuperating that I

thought of the risk I put myself and my child in to earn only increments. I resolved to

shed my small business mentality and become a full-time entrepreneur. I opened my veryfirst store, the Antipolo Thrift Shop & Bargain Store, and enthusiastically applied every

learning I have gained. I bought and sold second-hand and brand new appliances of every

make and model and gained a first as the only shop of its kind in Antipolo offering

these on installments of twelve months or even more. I came across a paper on the

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Grameen style of micro-financing and in no time I was competing with Indian lenders in

the public market thus also achieving a first for local lenders. I was also selling

furniture which I bought at 120-day terms until two major suppliers closed shop anddecided to sell their entire inventories to me at heavily discounted prices. This allowed

me to offer my furniture at even greater discounts to short-term buyers. I expanded my

shop to accommodate these bulky items and this gave me greater visibility ANDcredibility, thus attracting more customers. Other retailers were buying from me much

like I was doing as a retailer a year or so ago.

The Antipolo Thrift Shop & Bargain Store has long since closed shop. Unlikely as

it seems, it was that business that set the course for me towards the tourism industry

albeit by another roundabout route.

Many of our high-priced items were sourced from migrating Filipinos and the still

young OCW work force many of whom I helped by advancing loans to pay their

placement fees. Those leaving and those arriving had another commonality and that was

ones need and the others surplus of foreign currency so I started a modest forexbusiness that eventually prospered and continues to this day. Another was housing which

those leaving wanted to dispose and those arriving wanted to acquire. So I approachedmy husband who at that time has already started his architectural and construction firm

and I said I wanted to be his client. We purchased on installment a house and lot from a

friend who was migrating to Australia. My husband renovated the house while I applied

my course in interior design and landscaping. I then offered this for sale also oninstallment basis to an OCW. By that time we have built up a client base whose loyalty

we tapped in realizing complete house and lot packages fully furnished with stuff being

generated by my thrift shop. That first house was followed by another and yet anotheruntil we had several units which tied up our working capital and seriously endangered our

liquidity.

As if fulfilling the old adage that new doors will open at times of need, I was

approached by a cement firm looking for furnished houses to rent for their foreign

consultants. Our houses proved to be more attractive alternatives to Makati hotels as weoffered personalized maid and driver services and soon these new customers endorsed us

to other expatriates. This arrangement gave us a faster ROI and so we switched to more

rental properties. Meanwhile, we acquired additional cars for my forex business and for

our growing children. Our expat customers also inquired about rental cars for inspectiontours to other plant sites and for out-of-town recreational trips. Of course we offered our

own vehicles which we already conveniently have. It so happened that I and my sister

have also ventured on a travel agency and this presented another convenience to mygrowing foreign clientele as we arranged bookings for their out-of-town trips. I believe

we were the first of its kind to offer such a complete range of services in Antipolo or in

the entire province. Our clients were truly ours from the moment they stepped out ofthe airport, got into ourcars, unloaded their baggage into ourhouses, changed their

currency at ourshop, booked their local travel at ouragency, and until they are escorted

back to the airport, again in ourcars. The local companies that hired them were as much

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appreciative as our other clients of the convenience of having to deal with only one

provider and one billing.

Meanwhile, we would hear from our clients stories of their travels that would go

blissfully well or awfully bad because of the facilities and services available. I can

appreciate their travails as I and Tony have also began to travel as a reward to ourselvesand to relieve the stress that comes with our growing businesses. Soon we would venture

to foreign destinations such as Bali in Indonesia, Thailand, Australia and New Zealand

and extended European cruises and each time we would try the unique that thesecountries have to offer. I will come back from these travels brimming with ideas eager to

apply what I have learned. These first hand experiences we would later put to use when

the idea of building a spa finally presented itself.

When we acquired what was to become Callospa & Farm Resort, it was nothing

more than an unattractive piece of swampy real estate remotely suitable for our build and

sell concept. The 2,000 square meter lot was mostly ravine and the road was rough

gravel. And yet we found the tranquility of the place ideal as a weekend getaway. I was atthat time working 24/7 and resorted to gardening as a stress reliever. I began collecting

ornamental plants during our travels and I guess I was stressed more than I realizedbecause I was propagating my plants more than could be accommodated in our small

backyard. I started replanting cuttings and seedlings to Callos and the site became a blank

canvas for me and Tony to apply our creative sides. I enjoyed the challenge posed by the

uneven terrain. As we spent more time in Callos, it was logical that we build a rest houseand to add farm animals. The farm animals provided manure for organic gardening and

we converted the lowest portion of the land into a lagoon for watering the plants and to

this we added tilapia and later ducks. Thus the concept of recycling and ecologicalfarming was an integral aspect of Callos from the very start. In short order we had a fully

integrated farm. As with earlier ventures I easily transitioned into transforming what

began as a minor hobby into a self-sustaining endeavor. I successfully cultivatedanthuriums and orchids that provided a modest return and also bred miniature French

chickens and giant Jersey chickens.

My husband was ever reliable in putting design concepts to reality transforming

what was swampland into a tropical architecture showcase. We added a swimming pool

for entertaining and friends and customers enjoyed visiting the place so much that queries

started coming if we were willing to rent the place for weekend gatherings. Respondingto this show of interest, we allowed small gatherings and in turn gathered experience in

managing a resort. Since Callos was still basically a weekend getaway for our family, we

added a small sauna to complement the experience and later I asked our caretakers wife,________, if she would be interested in learning massage to earn additional income and

conveniently be available for us on the farm. She agreed and we enrolled her in a

reflexology course. She proved an adept learner and we enrolled her in course aftercourse learning all the other forms of massage from Swedish to Thai. She remains with us

to this day training and guiding new interns. And then it all came to a convergence.

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We decided to apply the learnings we have accumulated from our travels on what

we thought would be a memorable spa experience. I asked my husband to build a spa that

would combine both the modern amenities of an urban spa and a tropical house amidstthe tranquility of a rainforest. I also began hiring local people and enrolling them in

courses, oftentimes taking them to the expensive urban spas for them to experience for

themselves what it was like to be pampered. We then invited our foreigner tenants as asort of trial and their response was more than encouraging. Their word-of-mouth

endorsements created a new class of clientele as other expatriates and tourists, not our

usual tenants, visited to discover what this Bali retreat just a short travel east of Manilawas all about. Their continued visits validate the design concepts of our facilities and

services.

Looking back, Callos was indeed unique and trend setting. Having designed it towhat we thought would be suitable as a family retreat, it was a radical departure from the

seedy image of spa parlors which was then the main stumbling block to public

acceptability. At that time also, seven or so years ago, there were only about four or five

reputable spas in Manila and all of them were either mall-based or located in five-starhotels. Callos was a separate class in itself, nestled amidst a mini rainforest away from

the bustle of the metropolis. The complete range of our services again came to the foreand set us apart from the other spas. It was a pleasant surprise to our foreign clientele that

we also offered the convenience of credit card facilities, fully-furnished houses for

extended stays with maid and driver services, rental cars for airport-to-airport service and

a travel agency for even farther locales. On top of all these, Callos is affordable. Early onwe decided that our prices will be based on the local currency to offer to our own

kababayan a lifestyle retreat that could only normally be experienced by travel to foreign

countries. Today, we have an equal mix of local and foreign visitors. They provide theimpetus for our continued expansion. We added a badminton court and multi-purpose

hall which serves the needs for seminars and, because of our tropical setting, is also ideal

for garden weddings and receptions. Another barrier that we had to overcome was thehuge capital investment required. Spa development during its infancy stage was a costly

venture fraught with risks for the unseasoned entrepreneurs. I understood these but

comforted myself that, if nothing else, we would be providing a wholesome alternativecentered on service with profit only secondary. That it became profitable as well proved

another adage that quality is always a good investment.

Callospa is a founding member of the Spa Association of the Philippines whoseassociates are helping forge a regulatory regime that would ensure our spas are world

class and thus globally competitive. We are also active in the local tourism council

composed of tourism-based establishments such as resorts and hotels. The interaction ofthese establishments has been productive providing valuable best practices resulting in

continuously improving facilities and services.

Callospas unique attributes were deemed newsworthy enough for it to be

featured in more than twenty national and international magazines as well as numerous

television coverage giving us priceless but free advertising. The other ingredient of our

continuing success is the support and assistance of government. The Department of

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Tourism recognized early on that the spa industry can contribute significantly in

promoting the Philippines as an alternative destination and worked greatly in fostering an

environment conducive to growth. Callospa was featured as one of fifteen in the Islandsof Wellness publication of the DOT which was distributed in all Philippine consulates

worldwide thus further bolstering our reputation. Callospa continues to receive prominent

mention in government bulletins and pamphlets for which we are grateful. These citationsare tremendous incentive boosters that encourage us to continuously improve ourselves.

Part of this is by adopting a website to make it easier for the public to transactwith us. Online transactions have increased in the past months such that we receive direct

enquiries from foreign counties. True to our tradition, however, we still strive to maintain

Callos as a small resort available only by prior booking to preserve its serenity and our

clients needs for privacy.

In the coming years as we plan our own soon-to-be retirement we also plan to

open and develop retirement communities. We are preparing for yet another convergence

as our wandering OCWs will soon be returning to reap the rewards of a life spent in toilin foreign climes. This is where I feel we are being directed now and I just let my

enthusiasm takes its course. Through the years we have learned to work on our businesscore strengths when these concepts were not yet being taught in business schools and

courses like tourism and entrepreneurship were unheard of. And it has taken me very far

indeed from the time Inangtaught me the value of enterprise. Sometimes people ask me

when I will actually retire. I point my Tatangto them who at 84 continues to pursue hispassions with unending drive. Like him I am still fired up with new ideas that must be

realized. I am fortunate to have a husband who has been very supportive and

understanding of my drive and passions. I am thankful for lifes gifts and I am as a childeagerly opening each one.

And I am thankful to be considered as a nominee for one of the most inspiringtourism entrepreneurs. It might read more altruistic were I to say that Callospa & Farm

Resort was conceived to answer the government call to boost our countrys tourism

program or to provide skills training and employment to ourkababayan or to contributeto the progress of our young city. It may even sound romantic were I to say that our resort

was designed to be a lovers paradise as it has been for me and my husband. They were

not what we set out to do as we flowed from challenge to opportunity and yet I am

thankful that Callos has been all these and more.

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