“Many of my generation, having grown up in affluence, have an unreasonable sense of entitlement,” says Jose Francisco “Quinto” Oreta, 37, president of family-owned real estate developer Major Homes, Inc.
“We take our parents for granted. When they take care of us, we think it’s their duty. It is only when we ourselves become parents that we realize all the sacrifices our parents have made.”
Quinto and his father Atty. Mario Oreta, 70, despite both being strong personalities, respect and love one another. Each busy in their own companies, they still make time for each other by having weekly lunches.
“If one of us cancels, for whatever reason, then he has to pay the other P2,000. I am trying to make the same arrangement with my mom.”
Maria Luz Oreta, 68, stays at home to take care of Quinto and his elder sister.
“Homemaking is hard. There are no clear KRAs [key result areas],” says Quinto.
“Kids view easily, tangibly the results from breadwinners: the house, trips, gadgets. But taking care of the home is harder. I can’t stay at home, so I admire my mother, and my wife Maiki, who has chosen to stay home to take care of our family.”
Maiki hosted business shows for cable network ANC until she decided to be a hands-on parent, while also helping children become young entrepreneurs (to be featured in a future column).
Make time
Many parents say they need to work hard, thus they barely have time for the family. Quinto disagrees.
“I did not interact with my father a lot when I was young. He was so busy. But at every school activity, babasa lang ako sa misa, nandiyan ang parents ko (I will just read at mass, my parents are already there).
“When I turned 12, bumawi na si dad (my father made it up to me). He taught me golf. He’d rather be golfing with his friends, but he made the effort, and I appreciated that.”
Quinto’s parents know when to take the lead and when to step back. Many parents today tend to hover over their children, so the latter grow up with no drive to grow the business. They also grow distant from their parents.
“From my dad, I learned to value relationships that last. My mannerisms, the way I talk and behave, I got from my dad. I look like my mom, but our employees say, ‘Para kang Daddy mo (You’re like your father).’”
Who can ask for higher praise? “My dad says I work harder than he does. An entrepreneur has to be super hungry.”
What makes Quinto so driven? “Ego, and, well, inggitero rin ako (I am the jealous type).”
I remind Quinto that envy is a trait many entrepreneurs possess, which when harnessed well, is a positive trait (“Understanding Envy,” October 24, 2014).
“When people are successful, I applaud them. But I am also driven to do better.”
The older generation often complain young people are not motivated to put in the effort.
“Who’s to blame then? If you did not train your children well, it’s your fault.
“It’s difficult to simulate hardship with kids. Don’t say, ‘We are poor and cannot give you this’ if you can afford it. Lead by example. If your kids see you watching TV at 10 a.m., then they think that wealth is easily earned. But if they see you working hard, they’ll understand that pinaghihirapan natin ito. Sometimes I share some work issues with my daughter, in middle school, so she’ll know what we go through and what we value.”
Toward the future
With 150 employees, Major Homes has residential and mixed-used projects on more than 25 hectares of land and more than 6,000 individual accounts, serving primarily the overseas Pinoy communities.
To motivate non-family professionals, Quinto says: “You can try the usual: money, recognition, career path, pat on the back. But frankly, either they are motivated or not. I prefer referrals: your hard-working employees usually also know people who work equally hard.”
The company’s newest undertaking, Space, is a “condormitel”—structured like a condominium, leased out like a dormitory, and serviced like a hotel. Located in the University Belt, units are affordable for students and their families.
Quinto intends to take the company public, and dreams of building a boarding school for OFWs. “The kids can stay in the school, while parents can communicate through videoconferences, follow up on homeworks, talk to teachers. We call OFWs modern-day heroes; let’s provide for their families’ welfare.”
Queena N. Lee-Chua is on the board of directors of Ateneo de Manila University’s Family Business Development Center. Get her book “Successful Family Businesses” at the University Press (e-mail msanagustin@ateneo.edu). E-mail the author at blessbook.chua@gmail.com.