While many fresh graduates dream of landing a job in a global company, Carl Macadangdang was already on track to do just that. Before he even received his diploma, he had job offers lined up from major corporations like Intel, Hewlett-Packard, and Procter & Gamble. The path ahead was promising—complete with relocation packages and the opportunity to work overseas.
But just when his career in the corporate world was about to begin, Macadangdang made a decision that would change everything.
“Pagkatapos kong mag-college, before I receive my diploma, meron na ‘ko mga offers sa mga companies like HP, Intel, Procter & Gamble. Ganon. Tapos bibigyan ka nila ng set na package, di ba? Like you go to Boston, you go to this place.”
For a young graduate, the temptation was real. “Syempre when you were young, you wanted to take those opportunities kasi you haven’t explored whatever it is outside.”
But something else weighed on him more heavily—his sense of duty to family.
“Meron tayong Chinese culture and Filipino values na at the end of the day, we sacrifice our own interest for the sake of family.”
As the eldest in the family, he knew what was expected. His father was running a small business supplying motorcycle parts. There was no one else to take over—and the business needed help.
“Diretso ako sa dad ko. Wala na kasing magtutuloy sa negosyo, ako ‘yung panganay. Yung business ng dad ko—yung nagsu-supply siya ng mga motorcycle parts, may mga customer siya tapos may bodega lang siya—and ginagawa ko taga-bilang ng mga ini-empake na motorcycle parts. Bibilangin ko, parang checker.”
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was the start of a new kind of education—one that would later prepare him to build something much bigger.
Instead of building a life abroad, Macadangdang planted roots at home. He reconnected with childhood friend Jonathan So, whom he’d known since kindergarten. Together, they started exploring business opportunities. What began as small ventures evolved into JC Premiere, a health and wellness distribution company, and later Siomai King, one of the most recognized food franchise brands in the Philippines.
Macadangdang applied the same discipline and analytical skills he would have used in the corporate world to structure their operations, scale their reach, and digitize their business. Under his leadership, the company embraced digital franchising, enabling Filipinos to start their own food businesses even from home.
Today, Siomai King has expanded to thousands of digital franchisees, offering not just siomai but a wide variety of food products, all accessible through a unique online platform.
“I could’ve taken a path that looked more secure, more prestigious,” Macadangdang reflects. “But the decision to stay and help my family—it grounded me. It gave me a real reason to succeed.”
That decision, rooted in responsibility and culture, led him not just to help his own family but to create opportunities for thousands of other Filipino families through entrepreneurship.
From turning down boardroom careers to helping build a digital franchise empire, Carl Macadangdang proves that sometimes the greatest growth happens when you choose service over self—and turn family duty into entrepreneurial purpose.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
