Henry Sy

Henry Sys story was a rags to riches kind of tale. Born in China, Henry Sy was not born with a
silver spoon in his mouth. Wanting to escape poverty, Henry followed his father to the Philippines only to
find out his miserable state in a foreign country. Determined to become successful, Henry worked hard
day and night to provide for his needs. He started out a small sari-sari store business which has helped
them in their day-to-day life. Sy and his father used to live in a small space until the fruits of their labor
made them successful in the passing years.

Sy struggled hard living in a foreign country as he had to learn English. When the Philippine
economy collapsed in World War II, their store got burned down which made his father go back to China.
But with Henry Sys determination, he stayed in the Philippines and built his own shoe business in
Marikina. Henry did not have an overnight success: he had to enroll himself to school, change legal
names, give up on school, plus many other downs that happened in his life. But did he give up? No,
because maybe he knew that something big, which is what he has now is about to come.

After a series of failures in his business, Henry Sy stood back up and persevered to attain his goal.
Now with over 40 plus malls, he surely became very successful in his feat. He is the most recognizable
tycoon, with owned malls dominating the whole country. Sy had to put up with the successes and trials in
his business, and now hes enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Jaime Zobel de Ayala

Ayalas story started in 1834 when entrepreneur Domingo Roxas and young industrial partner
Antonio de Ayala created a distillery, which is an agribusiness company that grew and became popular as
they started exporting products to Europe. They then garnered recognition that made them a name in the
international scene. From rural to urban, they brought with them their bestselling brand that is Ginebra
San Miguel.

When the Spanish royal decree established Southeast Asias first private commercial bank, it was
Antonio de Ayala who was the appointed director. There, Ayala became involved in banking and that
same bank is now known as the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

When de Ayala got married, they still continued to do business. As many decades later, the Ayala
engaged at real estate development as parts of the Hacienda Makati were developed. With all these
developments and business engagements with regards to real estate, Philippines first modern Central
Business District was known. Since then, more and more businesses were made that helped the lives of
merchants, employees, micro-entrepreneurs, and its officials. To this day, Ayala is still rich not only with
money, but also with social purpose that also helps in Philippines economy.

Ayala Corporation is recognized as the countrys largest corporation in terms of assets. Just this
2014, Ayala celebrated its 180th anniversary, led by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. The Ayala Group
owns Ayala Land Inc., BPI, Globe Telecom, Manila Water Company Inc., Ayala Automotive Holdings
Corporation, Affinity Express, and nonprofit organizations such as Ayala Museum, Filipinas Heritage
Library, and CENTEX.
John Gokongwei, Jr.

You may have heard of Universal Robina Corporation, JG Summit Holdings, Cebu Pacific, and
the Robinsons Corporation. These are all John Gokongwei Jr. s fruits of labor which he got from pure
determination to survive.

Gokongwei Jr. was once a scion of a wealthy Filipino-Chinese clan. He was born with a silver
spoonhe was studying in one of Cebus premiere schools (San Carlos University), and their family was
known to be one of the richest in Cebu. Unfortunately, one day, all these things he enjoyed were taken
away from him when his father died. The creditor seized their home and cars, their business were gone
and suddenly everything he had had disappeared.

They became flat broke. At 15, Gokongwei Jr. had to work to provide for his family. His mother had to
sell her jewelries. His siblings were sent to China where the cost of living was cheaper. He sold roasted
peanuts and opened up a small stall in the market, where he had to compete with other vendors to sell his
goods. He sold soap, candles, and threads to earn money. Determined as he was, Gokongwei Jr. knew he
had an advantage as he was younger, therefore he used this as a strength in his job.

It was in 1943 when Gokongwei Jr. began trading goods from Cebu to Manila. When the World
War II ended, he saw this as an opportunity to trade goods in the Philippines. He put up Amasia Trading
with his brother which helped bring back his siblings home to help out with the business. He then went on
to pursue other business ventures: from cornstarch manufacturing, to food production, to purchasing
shares in San Miguel Corporation, the then leading business in the 70s. He had a vision to make every
Filipino fly thus the creation of the low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific, in 2003 he established a mobile
company, in 2004 he introduced C2 beverage, and all that comprise Gokongwei Jr.s empire, the JG
Summit holdings.

It didnt always go smoothlyin between these success come failure. He had a hard time to get a
loan, but fortunately one bank trusted him. He started getting recognized at the business scene but before
that he had to fight for a position. His loss and failures were broadcasted. But still he succeededand is
now considered as a key player when it comes to the powerful business sector.

Now, John Gokongwei Jr. is the second richest Filipino in 2016, according to Forbes Magazine.
Aside from being a business magnate, he is also a philanthropist. And with all the businesses he owns in
the country, he provides thousands of jobs to people. With his story, he hopes to inspire people to have
the determination to bounce back in life without ever quitting.
 Animals on Water

Sea Lion Sea Horse

Fish Dolphin

Jellyfish
 Animals on Land

Elephant
Lion

Panda Dog

Bear