10 Best Successful Businessmen In The Philippines: Inspiration For Your Career Path

Jul 26, 2021
Check out this article about the best successful businessmen in the Philippines to better understand the factors to success!

Have you ever dreamt of becoming a successful businessman? Well, if that’s the case, at least you must have a high level of self-discipline and great personal investment to pursue your road.

If you still do not believe it or consider it just theory, give yourself time to stop by our article about successful businessmen in the Philippines on Corner4men.

Top 10 Successful Businessmen In The Philippines 

Being a truly successful entrepreneur is never easy as it requires sustained effort and personal sacrifice. Take a look at our list of entrepreneurs in the Philippines to see what happened to them and how they faced the challenges to achieve such great success.

1. Henry Sy 

Let’s start our Filipino successful entrepreneur list by Henry Sy, the chairman of SM Investment

Did you know Henry got off to a very rough start when it came to setting up Shoe Mart shopping mall? 

Despite coming from a poor family in Jinjiang in China, Henry had full use of his entrepreneurial prowess. He successfully opened his first shoe store that made people admire his amazing success!

Henry SyDespite coming from a poor family in Jinjiang in China, Henry had full use of his entrepreneurial prowess.

2. Tony Tan Caktion

Tony's success story also comes from an immigrant family from China, and he learned the value of hard work and dedication from his father working in a Buddist temple kitchen. 

As a famous successful businessmen in the Philippines, Tony founded the fast-food chain Jollibee in 1978, and it now has over 2,500 restaurants in the Philippines as well as other countries (US, China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Brunei)

Undoubtedly, he has made a successful career with so many admirers.

Tony Tan Caktion

Tony founded the fast-food chain Jollibee in 1978, and it now has over 2,500 restaurants in the Philippines as well as other countries

3. John Gokongwei Jr.

The story of John Jr. is about the life of a successful businessman who comes from one of the richest families in Cebu. Still, terrible events happened to his family. Especially when his father died, John's business and property soon collapsed. However, he always kept trying to work hard and persevere every day. 

In the end, John succeeded in importing items products from America and then owned several successful businesses that anyone admires.

John Gokongwei Jr.

The story of John Jr. is about the life of a successful businessman who comes from one of the richest families in Cebu

4. Socorro C. Ramos

The next character who might surprise you with her success is Socorro - a famous Filipino businesswoman. 

At first, she and her husband took over the bookstore they set up together. However, their store was unfortunately destroyed after a war. 

With an incredibly positive and inspiring spirit, they soon after rebuilt the store under the National Bookstore brand, and it had grown to more than 100 stores despite the development of 4.0 technology.

Socorro C. Ramos

Socorro - a famous Filipino businesswoman

5. Cecilio Kwok Pedro

Cecilio's Life is not a typical Filipino entrepreneur success story! In fact, it shows the spirit of entrepreneurship overcoming seemingly insurmountable difficulties. In his early career, he failed in creating environmentally friendly products to satisfy consumers, which caused him to close the store in 1986.

Like other young entrepreneurs in the Philippines, he did not give up his dream easily but refocused on research and learned from the previous failure to create the best products for consumers.

Up to now, the brand Cecilio in the Asian market is not only famous in terms of production but also in creating new opportunities for the blind. Perhaps it is the greatest and most meaningful achievement in his life.

Cecilio Kwok Pedro

Cecilio's Life is not a typical Filipino entrepreneur success story!

6. Mariano Que

Unlike the top entrepreneurs in the Philippines we mentioned above, Mariano found an opportunity to start a business after World War II by selling high-quality sulfa tablets to the soldiers. 

In 1945, he had the first drug store with the recognition of everyone. The store had a reputation with quality medicine and was trusted by customers, which marked his big successful career and maintained development up to now.

Mariano Que

In 1945, Mariano had the first drug store with the recognition of everyone

7. Alfredo M. Yao

Have you ever wondered what the reason you must be successful is? As for Alfredo, it was probably the pain of losing his father when he was 12. 

Alfredo had to go to street vendors to help his mother take care of other brothers and sisters. Later, he started his own printing business at the age of 17 and succeeded in bringing Zest-O to overseas markets such as Australia, the US, China, and many other regions.

Alfredo M. Yao

Alfredo M. Yao, one of the best entrepreneurs in the Philippines

8. Corazon D. Ong 

Being one of the Pilipino successful entrepreneurs in the Philippines, Corazon founded CDO Foodsphere on a large scale, and all the items sold were qualified in terms of quantity and quality. Indeed, Corazon also proves the value of passion, perseverance to the end to motivate the journey of conquering dreams, reaching great success.

Corazon D. Ong

Corazon founded CDO Foodsphere on a large scale, and all the items sold were qualified in terms of quantity and quality

9. Gregorio G. Sanchez Jr.

The next character in our list is Gregorio G. Sanchez Jr, one of the local entrepreneurs in the Philippines.

To be honest, Gregorio has had many failures in his early career. Still, he never gave up and kept researching day by day. In the end, he has finally succeeded in the field of probiotics (Lacto Pafi Probiotic). This bacteria is now shipped to France, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States.

Gregorio G. Sanchez Jr.

The fact is that Gregorio has had many failures in his early career.

10. Diosdado Banatao

Does the last character in our list of successful entrepreneurs in the Philippines make you curious about what he went through?

He was Diosdado, who had successfully designed the first single-chip, 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator. He also founded the Banatao Filipino American Foundation to support American students wishing to become talented electrical engineers. 

All this success comes from effort, hard work, learning every day, taking risks to get success today.

Diosdado Banatao

Diosdado had successfully designed the first single-chip, 16-bit microprocessor-based calculator.

The Bottom Lines!

From the list of successful entrepreneurs in the Philippines and their story, it is clear that effort is a crucial part that forms their success. 

Hopefully, our article about the top 10 successful businessmen in the Philippines will fuel your motivation and inspiration for your career path! And remember, failure is not an end but an educational experience.

If you believe in your dreams, take action not to let failure hold you back.

If you believe that success is only about to come, then forcefully touch it with your hidden potential!

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