Business Strategy Archives — Financial Adviser

How Destileria Limtuaco CEO Olivia Limpe-Aw’s Family Turned a Chinese Herbal Tonic Into a Liquor Brand

FinancialAdviser.ph — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 01:03:35 +0000

Long before modern liquor brands dominated store shelves, one of the earliest alcohol products to gain widespread popularity in the Philippines began as a Chinese herbal tonic. According to Olivia Limpe-Aw, the origins of Destileria Limtuaco can be traced back to a secret family recipe brought to the country in the 1800s. “The man who [...]

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How Acer Stayed the No. 1 Laptop Brand in the Philippines for More Than 20 Years

FinancialAdviser.ph — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 08:51:43 +0000

In the fast-moving technology industry, market leadership rarely lasts long. New competitors emerge, consumer preferences evolve, and innovation constantly reshapes the competitive landscape. Yet Acer Philippines has managed to maintain its position as the country’s No. 1 laptop brand for more than two decades. For Sue Ong-Lim, Managing Director of Acer Philippines, the company’s sustained [...]

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Built to Scale: How a Lean Lending Model Is Empowering Growth-Stage Enterprises

FinancialAdviser.ph — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 03:36:33 +0000

In a market where small and medium enterprises (SMEs) struggle to access flexible capital, one financing platform is proving that tech-enabled lending models can scale without sacrificing quality. At the heart of this transformation is ARQ Capital, a firm co-founded by seasoned investment banker Edmund Solilapsi, whose vision was to build not just another lending [...]

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Before Franchising, He Built a System—Here’s the Strategy That Made Pepa Wings Replicable

FinancialAdviser.ph — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 03:35:39 +0000

Scaling a food business often exposes its weaknesses. What works in one store can fall apart across multiple branches. Recipes change subtly. Preparation shortcuts creep in. Customer experience becomes inconsistent. Paul Lanquino, founder and CEO of Pepa Wings, understood early that growth without systems would undermine the brand. “Scaling requires structure,” Lanquino says. “You cannot [...]

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Lessons from the Toughest Retail Market in the Philippines—Cebu

FinancialAdviser.ph — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:20:51 +0000

In the world of Philippine retail, Cebu isn’t just another regional hub—it’s the ultimate proving ground. With local giants, national chains, and family-run conglomerates all vying for attention, the city has earned its reputation as the country’s most competitive retail market. For Frank Gaisano, Chairman of Metro Retail Stores Group, Cebu was where his company [...]

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What It Takes to Keep a Legacy Brand Alive: Inside Max’s Modern-Day Evolution

FinancialAdviser.ph — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 06:03:55 +0000

Max’s Restaurant may be known for its iconic fried chicken, but behind the scenes, it’s a masterclass in how legacy brands can evolve without losing their soul. The family-run business, which began in 1945 in a humble home across from an American military camp, has grown into a household name with hundreds of branches. But [...]

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How Paco Magsaysay Applies the Carmen’s Best Playbook to Build Skin Adept

FinancialAdviser.ph — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:50:08 +0000

Entrepreneur Paco Magsaysay is best known for building Carmen’s Best, one of the Philippines’ most successful premium ice cream brands. The company earned a loyal following by focusing on quality ingredients, careful craftsmanship, and a clear positioning in the premium segment of the market. But recently, Magsaysay made what many people saw as an unexpected move. [...]

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“There Was Nothing but Cogon Grass”: How SM Supermalls Bet on Vision—and Made Mall of Asia Work

FinancialAdviser.ph — Thu, 28 May 2026 03:48:35 +0000

When SM Supermalls decided to build Mall of Asia, the project did not come with obvious signals of success. There was no established market, no surrounding commercial district, and no guarantee that customers would follow. What it did have was conviction from the people backing it. Steven Tan remembers what the site looked like before [...]

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The Business Idea Nobody Saw: How Rubbing Alcohol Became a Filipino Household Habit

FinancialAdviser.ph — Wed, 06 May 2026 03:01:47 +0000

Some business empires begin with groundbreaking inventions. Others begin with a simple observation: a product is already in the market, but nobody knows what to do with it. That was exactly the case with rubbing alcohol in the Philippines in the late 1940s. In his memoir “Greencross Saga: My Autobiography,” Gonzalo Co It—founder of Green [...]

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How a Third-Generation Entrepreneur Expanded His Family Business Into Fuel Distribution

FinancialAdviser.ph — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 05:20:11 +0000

Before helping grow Top Line Business Development into a diversified company that includes fuel distribution, its co-founder and CEO Erik Lim began his career in a place that was already familiar: the family business. After graduating from University of San Carlos, Lim immediately joined the family’s real estate operations, becoming part of the third generation [...]

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