Henry Sy Sr.–A ‘Tatang’ for all

FATHER of retail

To many, Henry Sy Sr., the founder of SM, is the father of modern Philippine retail. Fondly called  “Tatang,” his role as patriarch has deepened and extended over the years especially to several members of his extended family-employees and served communities alike.

Anna Maria T. Belmonte, senior assistant vice president for Operations at SM Mart Inc., who has worked with SM since 1991, remembers that Saturdays at The SM Store were called “Father’s Day.”

Store management and personnel would make sure they would dress their best and be ready with sales figures or be knowledgeable about concerns on the merchandise since “Father’s Day” meant Sy, SM’s patriarch, would be making the rounds and conducting random interviews.

“There’s always a lesson to be learned from these rounds,” Belmonte says.

Sy pays great attention to details in the store and would immediately spot any item out of place or defects in fixtures.

Josephine Duncan, who has worked for SM in the last 30 years as a sales lady at the SM Store in Makati, recalls that in one of Sy’s rounds one Saturday before lunch, he asked her about which shoes were not “saleable.”

“Sabi po niya, ituro mo kung alin ang ’di mabili (he told me to point out which of the shoes were not selling)  Tinuro ko po. (I pointed at them) Sabi niya, sige pasok mo sa loob (He said bring them to the stock room) sabihin ko po na di nagmo-move. (tell the people in the stock room that it’s not moving). Nakikinig po siya (he listens),” Duncan says.

CLIP of hand signals

And like a father, Sy would sometimes point out to the store personnel and management if there are things out of place—a Scotch tape mark on the fixture or if a door knob is wobbly.

Rosauro Oquialda, head of operations for the Shoes Division at SM Retail says Tatang would even spot from afar defects in the merchandise. “Ano mali dito?” (What is wrong here?), Sy would ask his staff at the store on some days. In one of those weekend rounds, Oquialda remembers that Sy stuck a pencil inside a shoe to show them what a good pair of shoes should be. Oquialda asked Sy why he is able to perceive such things that inexperienced eyes don’t normally see.

Sy jests to Oquialda, “That’s why my name is Sy. I ‘see’ everything.”

Belmonte for her part says  such details mattered to Tatang because he cares about the customer. “He shows you that you are not to leave any detail unattended. Every single detail matters. If you are conscious of the details, this comes in handy when you attend to the customer. You become a better listener and communicator with your customers,” Belmonte says.

Proof that he does listen, Corazon Guidote, SM Investments Corporation senior vice president even recalls that she once asked Sy where he got his ideas from for his shoe store layout. In the SM Store’s early history, attractive sales ladies used to do hand signals to communicate to so-called “barkers” strategically positioned at the middle of the store what the shoe sizes and types of orders were. The barkers would then tell stock men stationed at an open ceiling to carry out the orders. The stock men would literally drop shoe boxes from the ceiling onto a designated area in the store where they are safely caught, ready for fitting of the customer.

“I got all those ideas from the people who work from the store. I listened to their suggestions and we came out with a system that really worked for years,” Sy tells Guidote.

Second parent

Sy’s generosity is also widely known, as he would provide support to employees and communities that his businesses serve.

Engr. Antolin Paule, who has worked with Sy for 51 years and helped him build over 40 malls in the country, says Sy even helped him with his own water problems in his village.

“He was very concerned with my welfare. He told me to put up a deep well pump and at his (Sy’s) own expense. He also knew I had a hard time travelling. So he loaned me money to buy a car and told me to pay when able. He is really concerned about me and my family,” Paule says. Paule’s wife was also one of the pioneer employees at the first department store in Carriedo, Manila.

Ana Dioso, a sales lady at SM Store Makati for the past 32 years also recounted that Sy loaned her money at the time she most needed it. “Kung meron ka (If you have) personal problems, tutulungan ka niya. Hindi ka niya papabayaan hangga’t sa OK na (He will not leave you until everything is OK),” Dioso says.

Lawyer Epitacio Borcelis, senior vice president for Legal at SM Investments Corp. also considers Sy like a father, allowing him to grow and opening up new opportunities for him in his career. He has worked for SM since 1978 and rose from the ranks to become one of SM’s most trusted and very senior legal counsels from a mere rank and file security officer in the 70s.  He took up law  in the ’80s, juggling work and law classes and walking to law school at the University of the East,  a few kilometers from Shoemart’s head office in Manila.

“I grew up (professionally) at SM. SM made me a self-made lawyer,” Borcelis says.

To many SM scholars, Tatang is also a second parent who provides for their college education and is a role model to whom they look up to for inspiration in life.

TATANG with scholars

Sy, who was not able to finish college as he fully immersed himself in business, is committed to providing this same privilege to the deserving yet financially challenged youth.   Starting with 100 scholars in 1993, SM Foundation’s Scholarship Program has now produced 1,900 graduates, now gainfully employed with the SM Group of Companies and other companies here and abroad. On top of this, 1,300 scholars are currently enrolled in the Foundation’s partner colleges and universities, nationwide.

One such scholar, Riel Gomez, a graduate of Computer Engineering at FEU East Asia College with cum laude honors says he  learned how to dream again because of Tatang and from the opportunity to finish college by being an SM Scholar.

“Nagkaroon ako ng dahilan mangarap. Proud ako na isa akong SM Scholar ni Tatang (I had a reason to dream. I am proud to be a scholar of Mr. Henry Sy),” Gomez says.

“I didn’t dream of  studying back in high school sa hirap ng buhay. Medyo nagfocus ako sa daily survival. What will I eat for the day,” Gomez says.

He found renewed inspiration in life the very moment he picked up an application form in the trash bin for the SM Scholarship Program.

After his parents separated, Gomez took on odd jobs in high school, even working as a “kalakal” boy or one who scavenges garbage dump sites for materials that can be sold to junk shops. As a kalakal boy, Gomez sold copper wires and steel, trying to earn between P10 and P20 a day to help feed himself. He also tried selling burgers, ice candy, and ice tubig (ice water) to make ends meet.

Hope came in the form of an application for the SM Scholarship which was tossed into the trash bin by a schoolmate who already had a scholarship. He doubted that he was going to get accepted in the program so he went back to Negros Oriental to his relatives. When he learned that he was to be an SM Scholar, he mobilized all his relatives to find airline promos for him to get back to Manila.

As a scholar for the last four years, Gomez was able to save up his allowances and refunds arising from his exceptional scholastic standing to help his mother buy a house and lot in Caloocan.

Today, Gomez continues to dream big. He is currently employed as a sales engineer of a water products firm and has dreams of pursuing higher education.

Sy also inspired SM Scholars Sheldon and Ivy Sepe to become entrepreneurs. Ivy graduated in 2008 with a degree in computer engineering from the FEU East Asia College, magna cum laude. For his part, Sheldon, also graduated from the same course and university. While they found greater opportunities for success through the SM Scholarship Program, Ivy and Sheldon also found love. The two were wedded last year.

After working for some private firms, the Sepes decided to venture into running a wellness center in Laguna and distributing wellness products.

“We won’t be where we are now if not for the support of Tatang on the education he provided us in college,” Sheldon says.

“He is truly a father figure. To stay at the top and be loved by your family, partners, suppliers, you have to treat people well, you have to treat them like family,” Ivy says  of what she learned from Sy.

While most people see Tatang as a great businessman, his business philosophy has never been far from his wisdom as a real life father. You just need to listen to your children’s needs, provide them with ample opportunities for growth, and teach them lessons that will serve as their compass in life.

Lessons from Tatang

“Do not swallow what you cannot chew.”- recounted by Engr. Antolin Paule who has worked as SM’s head engineer for the last 51 years.

“Remember the basic things. Don’t complicate matters.”- Lawyer Epitacio Borcelis, senior vice president for Legal at SM Investments Corporation who has worked for SM since 1978.

“For every peso of our salary, we should spend only 10 centavos.” -Eleanor Enrile, executive secretary at SM Prime Holdings Inc. said.

“Be simple.”- Malou Dator, executive secretary at SM Retail Inc.

“Don’t waste time. Always go to work on time.” – Eugene Robles, family tailor of the Sy family

“When you look at the business, do not use a flashlight focusing on just one area. Look at it like a lighthouse and see the bigger picture.”- Ma. Cecilia Abreu, senior assistant vice president for Operations for Central Metro Manila at SM Retail

“Take command responsibility. Whether you’re here or elsewhere, it is still your branch. Take responsibility.”  – Rosauro Oquialda, head of operations for the Shoes Division at SM Retail

“Managing a store only requires people with common sense. And people with common sense are people who care.”- Gerry Bacsid, senior assistant vice president for Operations for South Luzon I at SM Retail

“My children are like my fingers. Each one is unique. To me, for as long as each child does his or her best and becomes the maximum he can be, I’m happy. Since I consider them my fingers, I am the palm of the hand because they are all connected to the palm. And I am the palm that brings them together.” – Anna Maria T. Belmonte, senior assistant vice president for Operations at SM Mart Inc.