In 1989, Sam Po was a new father facing an unexpected problem—he couldn’t find quality diapers for his son.
“I had a hard time buying diapers for my son, to be honest,” Po recalls. “It was tough to buy a diaper during those times. In fact, I had to drive up to South Alabang to buy diapers, and there was only one local product, and it was not good.”
The Philippines was facing political and economic instability, making it difficult to import goods. “Alam mo yung political instability, we had a difficult time sourcing imported goods kasi walang dolyar nun, and you had to come up with your own dollar in the bank,” he explains. “Hindi sila magbebenta ng dolyar eh to import, so all these goods are gone.”
That struggle turned into an opportunity. Po reached out to a friend in Taiwan, where diaper manufacturing was just starting. “My friend brought me a sample, and I tried it on my son. Then sabi ko, ‘Oh, ang ganda nito ah!’”
Determined to bring the product to the Philippines, Po flew to Taiwan to negotiate a deal. “I spoke to the owner and told him I wanted to distribute their diapers in the Philippines. He said, ‘OK, two containers per month minimum.’”
Without any customers lined up, Po still signed the deal. “Yung dumating na, sabi ko, ‘Wow, nandito na yung two containers, and I don’t know how many customers.’”
That bold decision paid off. What started as a father’s frustration became EQ Diapers—one of the biggest diaper brands in the country. “I just wanted something better for my son. Hindi ko alam na magiging negosyo siya na magbabago ng industriya.”
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
