THE STORY OF US

by brothers Ramon, Johnson and Jeckson Uy

This commercial partnership with Atlas Fertilizer Corporation exemplified an inspiring “rags to riches” story that had spanned for almost three decades, and now extending to their second generation. 

There was a newly married couple who, after literally working as store employees of the husband’s parents for almost ten years, tried several businesses: sugar, copra, rice, etc. But none substantially lasted to provide for their growing family, until they ventured into the fertilizer business hand-in-hand with Atlas Fertilizer Corporation.

That newly married couple is our parents: Chisan and Lolita Uy.

It all started in a humble and rented retail store at Daraga, Albay in the year 1982. Needless to say, that was our first playground. Back then all seemed to be child’s game for us: burying our hands in the fertilizer, jumping over the piles of sacks and rolling over the heap of fertilizer that got us dirty and smelly. My parents and six of us siblings have to cramp in a 25 square meter room to share our first ever air conditioning unit, a prized possession. The floor and sofa have become our beds then. And we thought that was fun. But seeing our mother washing used sacks every night to be sold the next day as additional income, and our father driving to Manila carrying the cash payment for Atlas and bringing home to Bicol the purchased fertilizers (at times, he was forced to spend the night in a movie house at Binondo to save on lodging expenses) and later on driving to various areas of Albay to tap potential dealers, made us realize that this business is something worth keeping. After some time in the fertilizer business, they sought an exclusive distributorship from Atlas Fertilizer Corporation for the Bicol Region. They compensated the limited warehouse space and few delivery trucks by exerting every effort to boost the sales just to maintain their standing with Atlas.

After about six months, another rented store in Naga, Camarines Sur was opened. Ten years later, a branch office was opened in Daet, Camarines Norte. Business proved to be lucrative for in no time, in 1996, a 4-storey building and several warehouses were built in Daraga, Albay to house what is now the head office of Manzihing Enterprises. Just recently, another branch office was opened in Sorsogon City. The business since then expanded to include wholesale and retail of feeds, chemicals and seeds, trucking services, poultry farm and leasing business.

But all of these did not come in handy. In the face of growing business and expansion, some things ought to be sacrificed. Our father has to stay in Naga to look after the business while solely taking care of five of his six children. He had to juggle bringing us to school in the morning before working in the office and never missed fetching us during lunchtime and bringing us again to school for the afternoon class. At times, he had to do that using the trucks meant for delivering fertilizers. Our mother, on the other hand, tended the retail store in Daraga, Albay with our eldest sister, opening it as early as six in the morning just to accommodate eager farmers and closing the store as late as eight in the evening to manually reconcile the sales and do paper works. We understand if we never had big birthday parties, fancy toys, lavish Christmas dinners or even the simple Jollibee or McDonald’s chicken meal, since our parents gave us good education and loads of business advice, which molded us to become the upright and business-minded individuals that we are now. Indeed, it is sweeter to reminisce those times, now that we are reaping the fruits of their hardships.

Currently, spouses Chisan and Lolita Uy, while still hands-on in the business, had strategically assigned each of us to our respective branches: Ramon in Naga, Johnson in Daraga, Jeckson in Sorsogon and our cousin Paolo in Daet.

We were not forced by our parents to actively be involved in the business operations. Rather, we were inspired by their journey from nothing to everything. And we hope and make every effort to live up to their achievements. Their leadership by example showed us that this business is more than a source of income. It had become a legacy. A legacy we are proud of, we value and to be passed on to our next generation. This is one heritage built not on wealth and earthly goods, but borne out of the very beings of our parents, made priceless by their sweat and blood. Almost half of their lives were spent building a good name in this industry and we are left nothing more to do but to take good care of it.

We are proudly continuing their legacy of partnership and genuine business relations by living up to their motto of fair play and honesty, and as what Atlas always promote, to strive for excellence. The values we have learned from them inevitably equipped us to be independent and matured in decision-making. Truly, this is one investment worth saving for.

Looking back, words are not enough to thank Atlas for the hand they gave our parents when they were still starting. The trust they gave coupled with my parents’ determination had led us to where we are now. Our parents gambled on their little savings to invest in Atlas and Atlas also gambled on them by providing much needed support. Without this trust, we could not have gone beyond what we simply dreamed of. We look forward to maintaining the confidence reposed upon us by Atlas and we commit to continually endeavor for excellence.

This is the story of our parents, a story of struggle and triumph, of falling and rising, of dreaming and fulfilling…a story which had now become the story of us, worth telling over and over again.

<<< BACK TO FEATURES

One Comment

  1. Rachelle A Castillo

    Nainspire po ako sa story, and i want po sana magkaroon ng business na ang product is fr atlast. Any suggestion/ recommendation po kung pano magsimula? Marami pong salamat. Godbless u more

Leave your thought

JOIN THE TEAM

Start your career with us.

> VIEW ALL JOBS

Owned and Operated by:

SOJITZ

CONTACT US

ATLAS FERTILIZER CORPORATION

7th Floor Sycip Law Center
105 Paseo De Roxas, Legazpi Village
Makati City, Philippines 1229

+63 (2) 8812-7881 to 84

corpmail@atlasfertilizer.com