For Dennis Sy, Senior Pastor of Victory Makati, leadership didn’t begin in a pulpit—it started behind a fabric counter in Divisoria at just six years old.
“My first job was working in our family business,” Sy told Financial Adviser PH. “As early as six years old, we were already helping out in our textile store in Divisoria. Summers were spent learning the ropes of entrepreneurship.”
While most children spent school breaks playing, Sy spent them immersed in the daily hustle of Manila’s busiest commercial hub. That early training wasn’t just about helping with sales—it was foundational to how he views work, faith, and purpose today.
“We were raised with the belief that nothing in life comes for free—you have to work for what you want,” Sy said. That principle didn’t just stick—it became the core of his personal and professional life.
Even after Sy left the business world to follow a full-time calling into ministry, those childhood lessons stayed with him. When asked about the most important thing he learned early in his journey, he was quick to point out how faith and work are never separate.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that faith must be integrated into every aspect of life—business, ministry, or otherwise,” he said. “There’s no divide between the sacred and the secular.”
That mindset shaped how he leads others and why he believes purpose must come before profit. “When we integrate the message of Christ into everything,” he added, “our work—whether in the marketplace or in the church—is driven by purpose, not just by profit.”
For young leaders hoping to lead with conviction, Sy’s advice is clear: go back to the basics. In his case, it started in Divisoria—with family, hard work, and the values that never left him.
