The recent launching of the Credit Surety Fund and the relaunching of the Economic and Financial Literacy Program of the the BSP in Cebu City provided me the long-delayed opportunity to reconnect with two former Ateneo Loyola classmates – Sonny Garcia and Fred Ong.

Sonny Garcia is a lawyer-businessman, who publishes the well-read regional newspaper Sun-Star. He was DoTC Secretary during the early years of President Ramos. His wife Armi is Russia’s honorary consul, who is active in promoting trade and tourism ties between our two countries.

Fred Ong, on the other hand, is dubbed by the Bohol media as one of Bohol’s Three Taipans.

Aside from being classmates, Sonny, Fred and I were also dorm mates for four years at Bellarmine Hall – the all-male boarding house inside the Ateneo Loyola campus. That was long before the dormitories Cervini and Eliazo Halls were established.

During the recent birthday party of another former dorm mate – Bert Fenix (past president of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Sonny and Fred made sure that I would drop by and see them if I was again in the Cebu-Bohol area.

During the early years of President Fidel V. Ramos, Sonny, then Secretary of Transportation and Communication, successfully implemented President Ramos’ policy of deregulating the air, communications and shipping industries.

In the air, this policy allowed other airlines such as Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines to operate. In telecommunications, this allowed the entry of Smart and Globe. In shipping, the fast craft ferries first made their appearance. On land, dilapidated taxi cabs were phased out in favor of brand new and late model units.

Sonny and I mutually greet each other as “Marsilius.”

This practice started when Sonny, Jack Jimenez (now an Ateneo Law school professor and law partner at Romulo Mabanta) and I jointly wrote a critique on the work of Marsilius of Padua, a 14th century Italian scholar who was deeply involved in the politics of his time.

Marsilius’ work entitled “Defensor Pacis” (Defender of Peace) brought Marsilius into a collision course with Pope John XXII. Our critique on the controversial treatise merited an “A” from our professor Tony Romualdez.

With my BSP schedule in Cebu over, my wife Mira and I took a fast craft to Tagbilaran City where we were met at the Tagbilaran wharf by Fred Ong and his wife Babs. Fred’s daughter Gretel fetched from the airport my two children, Dondi and Frannie, who arrived a few minutes later from Manila.

Fred and I were roommates during our first year at Ateneo’s Bellarmine Hall. Completing our room foursome were former PCCI president Bert Fenix and former Businessworld columnist Firmo “Boy” Tripon who has since gone ahead of us.

Since college graduation, I have not seen Fred until the birthday of Bert Fenix last month. So it was such a joy to hear Fred tell his success story.

After college, Fred pursued graduate studies and became a member of the first batch of 22 MBM graduates from Ateneo Padre Faura. Thereafter, he returned to Tagbilaran to assume his role as "tindero." Fred’s parents owned a small sari-sari store which sold basic staples such as rice, sugar and coffee. With the opening of a nearby school, the sari sari store also started selling school supplies.

In college, Fred told a girl he was seeing that he hoped he would someday find a partner who would help him grow the family business. The girl reportedly replied: “What you are looking for is not a wife, but a tindera.”

Fred moved on and eventually married Babs, his next door neighbor. Together, they took over the business left by Fred’s parents. The sari-sari store has since grown to become the Bohol Quality Mall. BQ Mall is one of the most visited shopping malls in the Visayan province because of its wide variety of restaurants and boutiques.

Fred and Babs also own the MetroCentre Hotel and Convention Center, Bohol’s premier business and convention hotel, located in Tagbilaran City's financial and commercial district.

In the late 90s, Fred and Babs bought and consolidated several beach properties which they developed into the eco-friendly Panglao Island Nature Resort and SPA.

My family and I spent a relaxing weekend at the resort admiring the lush native and imported flora and also walking along the resort’s powdery white sand. From Panglao, we went dolphin watching while en route to nearby Balicasag where I had fun snorkeling.

To support the requirements of the department store, the hotel and the resort, Fred and Babs also set up ancillary businesses which include a piggery and poultry farm, a bakeshop and a shop which produces delicacies (star peanuts, squid rings and chicaron).

With more than 2,000 employees working in their different businesses, Fred and Babs are probably the biggest private employers in Bohol.

Fred’s and Babs’ recipe for success are very basic: Hard work, honesty, fair play and sensitivity to customers needs. “We welcome comments, especially negative feedback so we can always improve our services.” On dealing with employees, Fred practices the fundamental rule of human relations: “Criticize privately but praise publicly.”

Very practical advice, indeed, from a ‘tindero’ who made it big.