The Man Behind Mang Inasal

Mang Inasal

Youngest listed of the Forbes’ The Philippines 50 richest, on the 39^th spot was Edgar “Injap” Sia, owner of Mang Inasal, one of the fast rising food restaurants in the Philippines and of which has become a modern icon of the Ilonggo culinary culture.

Edgar "Injap" Sia owneer of Mang Inasal

“In” stands for Intsik and “Jap” for Japanese, Edgar was nicknamed “Injap” because he is originally from China while Jaruda, his mother's name, is originally from Japan. He came from a family of business persons and was expected to take business-related course in college but instead he took up Architecture.

At age of 10, Sia already helps out in the family business where he believes he developed his sense for business. By the Age of 20, he dropped-out of College bored by the daily routine of going to and from school and tried his luck in business, a decision that proved to be the turning point of his life and career path. Sia tried his hand running various businesses which includes Four-Season Hotel, a 58-room three star hotel owned by his family followed by Mister Labada, a Laundromat, then Injap Color Express, a photo developing shop; all based in Iloilo.

Sia was 26 when he cooked the idea of Mang Inasal, a Filipino Style food chain restaurant that specializes in grilled chicken. Like any other typical guy, Sia likes to dine out too and his favorite food was the fried chicken served by the fast food chains Jollibee and McDonald’s,  but then he thought that it was too foreign and westernized it didn’t suit the taste of typical Ilonggos or Pinoys. Wanting to be different, Sia thought of an idea of food outlet serving Filipino-style cuisine in a restaurant-type setting.

When a 250 meter parking space in Robinson’s mall in Iloilo was offered to Sia, he immediately took it even without a concrete idea of what business he wants to put up with the use of the money he borrowed from his parents. After analyzing the different culinary specialties of our country’s 16 regions he came up with the idea of grilled chicken made from local herbs and spices. A unique entry to the chicken business.

“The price was so attractive that I couldn’t forego it, even if I had no business plan in mind. I bought the space not knowing what to do with it! You can say that the space came ahead of the concept.” Edgar Sia says on one of his interviews on Planet Philippines about his journey in building his fast food restaurant.

The first store of Mang Inasal was positioned as an alternative quick service restaurant, serving charcoal-grilled chicken, rice wrapped in banana leaf and uses bamboo sticks for its skewers. He also offered unlimited rice, becoming the first quick-service restaurant to do so. The flavors were distinctively Filipino, as was the earthy décor with wooden tables, handmade paper lamps and walls painted in orange, green and yellow.

Mang Inasal Paborito Value Meal

At first, Sia had to work as the owner as well as a crew member, he had to work for long hours, help with the cleaning of the store and after which prepare and marinate the chicken for the next day. Sia also had no system for running the operation and no commissary to supply the raw materials but this didn’t stop him to strive harder thus Mang Inasal became a critical success not only in Visayas, it spread throughout the Mindanao and then Metro Manila and applied for franchise a couple of years later. In response to the fast-changing taste of consumers, it has expanded its menus to include Sisig, fish and pork sinigang, batchoy, etc.

Mang Inasal has since become the modern icon of the Ilonggo culinary culture.

“You know weeks before we opened the very first Mang Inasal branch, my goal then was already to expand it nationwide. In fact I can recall in one of our lunches at home over 8 years ago, I passionately told my wife and my younger sister that one day, they will see a Mang Inasal everywhere they go in the Philippines!”

“But they just smiled at me, they thought I was just day dreaming! They didn’t know I was dead serious!” –Sia says on one of his Commencement speech last 2012.

Today, Edgar Sia has reached almost 464 branches of Mang Inasal nationwide and is doing its fair share of making employment with over 10,000 employees around its system. He is also a help in the Agricultural Industry and for farmers for the regular supply of his ingredients and materials like banana leaves, bamboo sticks, calamansi, soy sauce and others of his materials and ingredients.

In 2010, Edgar Sia received an Urban Leadership Award from the Canadian Urban Institute for Entrepreneurship and for his “outstanding contributions” to the enhancement of the public realm and the quality of life in the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras area. And in 2011, he was recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines for Entrepreneurship with no less than President Noynoy Aquino handed the prestigious award in ceremonies at Malacañang Palace.

Sia’s tips from his commencement speech last 2013 –“you know, money is like human blood; it is best when shared continually.  Medical studies have proven that it is healthy to donate a certain quantity of your blood every year, so that your system can create new one. That is exactly the same as money. You should not wait until you become very rich for you to start helping others.”

At age 36, Sia has earned the distinction as the Philippines’ youngest billionaire he never dreamed of and for two years, from 2011 to 2012, Sia made it to the elite list of US-based Forbes magazine as one of the 40 richest Filipinos. With sales of Mang Inasal booming over the past years, his net worth has zoomed steadily, amounting to a mind-boggling P5.8 billion as of last June.

DON’T BE AFRAID IF PEOPLE THINK YOUR IDEA IS CRAZY. The mind of each and one of us works differently. Don’t be discouraged of the negative things you’ll hear from other people instead use those words to improve your ideas and create a more sensible concept. Have a goal! Throw it forward, and make it your finish line, then leave it there.

“For you to excel you really have to work very hard. You have to work more than anybody else around you.”-Edgar Sia, The Man behind Mang Inasal

sources:

http://agpahn.net/commencement-speech-edgar-injap-sia-mang-inasal-3-31-12/

http://opinyon.com.ph/index.php/article/read/edgar-sia-ii--youngest-billionaire

http://planetphilippines.com/people/the-man-behind-%E2%80%98mang-inasal%E2%80%99/

http://en.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Mang_Inasal

http://www.forbes.com/global/2011/0718/philippines-billionaires-11-edgar-sia-mang-inasal-mr-bbq.html

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A New Experience: Roj

Many of us may have experienced difficulties in life, I've known many who almost gave up for they don’t see any more reasons to go on but just yesterday I met one who has a different attitude against life, a different perspective –for her everything is a game, a beautiful experience, an experiment and just like what she said “in life even the saddest moment is interesting, we just need to look in another angle”

17 years old from Tarlac City, Rogelalyn Teodoro or most commonly called roj by her friends; at first you’ll think that she’s just an ordinary grade conscious walking bookworm who only does was to read books and study all the time but as you get to know and talk to her you’ll be surprised that she’s not the typical boring girl that you thought she is, contradictory to what she looks like – she is actually a cheerful, funny girl who loves to read manga and watch anime with an action and adventure type themes, she doesn't study on her vacant times –she draw! Not the digestive system or such but an anime character!  And just like any other normal Filipina she loves to eat!

Having these traits, you probably would have thought that roj had a  wonderful childhood, well she does but she had experiences that not all ordinary teens had.

Roj's family originated from Tarlac City, they were eight in the family consisting of her parents and her five siblings -she was the third child of her parents. 

Roj grew on a well-off family, they owned five grocery stores along their area and a small peanut stand in a marketplace, She was five when their family business started to weaken and eventually sink. Because of this incident, they were forced to transfer to Paniqui, Tarlac where her aunt lives and let them sleep on the banquets. Her whole family stayed there for nights until her aunt give them money to start again. 

Roj's parents used the money to start a new business in Paniqui and got lucky! Now their family owns a house,cars and they each have motorcycles. Many may be ashamed of this experience but roj being roj, she looks proud while saying it and she’d never took it as a NEGATIVE as I quote  “Optimistic. Yung experience na yun ay something new. Interesting. Always Positive.”

As a normal teen, we've had our own different encounters and to lighten the mood of our short interview I asked her to share some of her exciting experiences.

When she was in grade four, her family decided for a vacation going to Bacolod and whiles on board the sudden change of the weather made their ride bumpy and rough and that was her scariest experience so far. Roj won a singing contest when she was ten years old on a Fiesta in Bacolod and for her it was the silliest thing she’d ever done because it was her parent’s decision. 

She hadn't done anything naughty yet because she was the type who doesn't break the rules though when she was in her fourth year in high school she felt that she disappointed her parents when she was assigned to be seated at the back of their class for having low grades. She doesn't have any sad experience because for her everything is positive, everything is interesting.The happiest memory for her was when they regained their contact to her older sister who was based in California, seeing her family happy makes her happy too.

In five years, Roj wasn't expecting too much change in her life yet but she picture herself as a part time professor in any university while taking her Masters in Business law, maybe to try her luck in the business world.

Life is hard! But you are not the only one. Encountering depressing incidents is a natural, do not sultry! The world is beautiful for us to see, it won’t be fatal for us to enjoy and explore the world. Over thinking things won’t help us resolve problems, thus brings wrinkles and fine lines. Let us use our down moments to lift us up and enjoy our lives as long we can!

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The journey not the arrival matters :)

The journey not the arrival matters

“Every day is full of adventure” – the most common saying – I may say – that I have ever heard.

Traveling is one of the most fun things to do in life, you’ll get to know people, learn about different things, discover unique cultures but most of all you’ll get to experience new happenings in your life that (let’s hope not) may not happen again.

When you travel what do you really think? Do you travel for the sake that you have something new to brag about? Just so you have something to spend your money on? To waste time? Or you travel out of passion? Out of the memories that you may muster even after the long day of journey, not minding being worn after the long walk and dusty feeling of the sand and silt?

To earn precious moments and treasured memories does not necessarily mean that you have to go afar, every day is an adventure! Walking on the road, strolling down the streets, taking a cab and even when riding a bus you can collect memories, It just takes the right mood and some good company and you’re good to go!

“No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.”

 Let us not be a stump! The world is full of beautiful things for us to see. Our life is never sure, we’ll never know our end thus we must make a full out of it. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.

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True Worth of a peso

Fifty Peso. Too trivial for those who has hundreds but big enough for those who were lacking.

There are two types of people in the world - the ones who has many and the ones who has less. The ones who have many may probably forsake the might of a fifty peso but those people who have less almost certainly value every inch that they could get out of it.

They say that Money's only important when you don't have any; indeed, sometimes we are too overwhelmed by the feeling of having cash that we tend to consume it to immaterial things, overpowered by the will to spend that we become impulsive. Some may say that Fifty peso only worth them a manicure, pedicure, a jug of nail polish or a pack of cigarette but for others it may quench thirst and hunger, may answer a day’s allowance or may add for educational fee.

“Riches are a good handmaid, but the worst mistress”

Those people with enough resource pay no importance of what they have, does not pay attention of the things they are lucky to possess. Money is a needful and precious thing, and when well used, a noble thing.

One penny may seem to you a very insignificant thing, but it is the small seed from which fortunes spring.

When it comes to money, you can't win. If you focus on making it, you're materialistic. If you try to but don't make any, you're a loser. If you make a lot and keep it, you're a miser. If you make it and spend it, you're a spendthrift. If you don't care about making it, you're unambitious. If you make a lot and still have it when you die, you're a fool--for trying to take it with you. The only way to really win with money is to hold it loosely--and be generous with it to accomplish things of value - JOHN C. MAXWELL

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Chocolate Drug for a broken heart

Chocolate: An effective therapy to mend a broken heart

“Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and you don’t need an appointment”

Ferrero, Mars, Galaxy, or Cadbury whatever brand it is, as long as it is chocolate, It will always be a woman’s best company especially in bad times and heartbreaks.       

                                         

Chocolate. There are few foods that people feel as passionate about -- a passion that goes beyond a love for the "sweetness" of most candies or desserts: after all, few people crave caramel, whipped cream, or bubble gum. Chocolate is, well, different.

Well, who doesn't love chocolate? Chocolate has a positive effect on one’s sense of well-being and cognitive health. Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine (PEA), the same chemical your brain creates when you feel like you’re falling in love. It may be hard to pronounce and difficult to spell but PEA encourages the brain to release endorphin, which is why chocolate makes you feel happier.

While recovering from a breakup, don’t deny yourself a good cry, but once you do, move on. Build a bridge and get over it. Everyone responds to pain in their own, unique way. Fact of the matter is that almost everyone will at some point experience disappointment and heartbreak but there are things that might help you deal with it.

So next time you’re trying to figure out how to deal with disappointment or mend a broken heart, you need not to plot a suicide or perform a whole month of crying, Chocolate is one of the best ways to feel good and light your mood, just like what they say "Chocolate makes everyone smile-even bankers."

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The Power of Centavo

Centavo worth a gold

On the road, in a bus, down the streets just a pair of keen eyes and you’ll possibly get a hundred out of the stray cents you’ll see most probably everywhere.

People have now really changed, blinded by the desire for much bigger things that we tend to neglect the small things around us, too much ahead that we oversee little things beneath us. A bill is worth something and a part of our need just like the coins but why are cents always forsaken? What does a centavo really worth? Many may say it is just a piece of garbage to their bill packed wallet, or others may even say it is merely an additional load to their jam-packed purse, but not everyone knows that a piece of centavo could worth gold for those people who are deprived and are less fortunate.

Not all people are born with a golden spoon nor born as inheritors of large companies; there are so many people out their suffering in poverty, living in mountains of trash -digging garbage looking for money.  A piece of centavo could answer one’s hunger or even a family’s’, but we, who have not yet experienced the extreme need for a piece worth nothing for others apt to overlook of what we have.

“A penny saved is a penny earned” Let us learn to appreciate every little things for there are people who wish to be in our place, who wish to have what we possess and would give everything -even for a piece of cent- just to be in a place of comfort.

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