Atsakameronpa's Blog

I was an alumnus of Philippine Normal College right across Santa Isabel College and PSAT. Our curriculum aside from the regular subject includes Woodworking, Music and Drawing. In the sixty’s, I took my high school a Don Bosco Technical institute located at the corner of Pasong Tamo corner Pasay Road. It’s a trade school taught me machine shop. Attended college at U.E., majoring in Accounting. Went to these schools but never became a tradesman nor an accountant.

Grade six at PNC was very memorable to me. About six of us were sequestered at the woodworking classroom. A teacher gave us painting material’s, papers and coloring materials and then told us to paint. After, maybe an hour, the teacher came back and collected our works but hasn’t told us why we did what we did. We asked, and this is what he told us. Our works will be displayed at the United Nation building. Everyone was surprise but it was doubled for me. I was surprise I was one of the chosen. I was double surprise because I’ve never handled painting materials until I was in school. All my works are carbon copy of my fellow students works. In hindsight, I have the talent to paint but has no imagination.😄

A type of globe, a type of Christmas decoration.

First, the products. What will they be? Looking at Philippine photos, Philippine books, I decided with Philippine CHURCHES. I found my churches. There’s a lot of them in the Philippine as I was researching. But, I only need a few to start with. I found my churches in books. How the selection process was done I can’t remember. But I think I selected those old rustic ones.

This is where the fun begins. My first problem in coming out with a product that would appeal to the Pilipino community in the United States is what kind. I need to create products, use an artwork depicting a contemporary Pilipino motif. Here in the states I don’t have Pilipino references materials. No books, no Pilipino museum for guidance. No Pilipino edifice like Statue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, or pyramid of Egypt, no paintings depicting Pilipino life, no cultural materials, etc. Thinking what could be done was easy. Having a concrete ideas was easy, but materials was hard to get. I have to create it. I got the business going but references was hard to come by. On some products, I have to borrow the books to do my researched.

We landed and taxi all the way to the gate. Waiting for my time to get off the airplane. I got off the plane when reality hit me. I just came from New Jersey and I’m here in the Philippines. But I’m not a happy camper because I finally realized one important thing and that is “How can I convince investor to put their money half-way around the world to a business they know nothing about.”

I have the ideas for the products but the question is making it. To make it you need financing.

The only place I know where I can find money is in the Philippines. I know people there who can finance a business. Asking for it is another thing. So I started formulating what to tell these people about my business. I set up my schedule to go to the Philippines.

I made a move. I took a flight. A 24 hours flying time. It’s a flight I made the first time since I migrated to the U.S.A. It’s been 19 yrs since I left Manila and I am giddy to comeback.

I set up my flight for the Philippines. I leave home for the last evening flight for Houston, Texas and wait for my early morning flight to Honolulu, Hawaii. I can’t remember the rest but after Hawaii which we had a few hours stopover, the next stop Guam and the last stop is Manila. All these flights were free. I was working for the airline. Travel time was a total of more than 24 hrs. when you arrived Manila.

I started the business around early nineties. It was a very difficult idea of a business. I asked myself as to what kind of business I want it to be.

During the nineties, the business I have chosen was MAIL ORDER. Every business I know independent of Big department stores is mail order business. My business has a theme. It will sell Filipino products. But I have a problem. Philippines have no identifying status like for instance New York City has The Empire State Building. Like Paris has the Eiffel Tower. Like China has The Great Wall. Egypt has the Pyramid. Philippines has none. It’s blasphemous to say it is not the Rizal monument but it is, if you’re looking for a land mark to attract sales.

As I was formulating ideas, I was looking for ways to finance it.

I have a job. I have a salary but not making enough to help finance a business.

The idea was set but in order to start the business I need money. As I said I have an idea of the kind of business I want to start. The money was the question.

Events may come not in chronological order.

I got hired by an airline at Newark Airport. The department is called GSE. The department was maintaining ground vehicles use to service activities at the airport from service vehicle called bag Tugs, pick-up trucks, to can loaders, etc.

Using the German product as a template, using German ingenuity and quality, I had one made for my home.