Before National Bookstore became a nationwide retail chain, its growth depended on a decision that went against long-standing family beliefs. According to Adrian Ramos, President of National Bookstore, the push to expand beyond downtown Manila came not from consensus, but from persistence—led by his father and the second generation of the family.
By the time his father graduated from university, he was already deeply involved in the business, even while working elsewhere.
“Based on what I’ve heard, when my father graduated, I think in the late ‘50s or early ‘60s, he started working at Kimberly-Clark. He was already helping out with National Bookstore.”
That involvement went beyond store operations. National Bookstore, at the time, was producing postcards—an early product line that required extensive travel.
“I remember that they were making postcards. Si Daddy yung sumasama dun sa German photographer around the entire country. Sila yung kumukuha ng pictures for National’s postcards in the ‘60s, so by that time, my dad had already traveled the whole country.”
That exposure shaped how his father saw opportunity. While National Bookstore’s first stores were located in Recto and Rizal Avenue, the older generation believed the business should stay firmly rooted in downtown Manila.
“My dad had to beg his parents for many years to open stores outside the first two locations, which were in Recto and Rizal Avenue.”
Convincing them was not easy.
“He had to convince them to open in Cubao and Makati. Kasi sila, yung perspective nila at that time, was everything should remain in downtown Manila.”
At the time, the proposed expansion areas did not look promising. Cubao and Makati were far from the commercial centers they would later become.
“When Araneta Coliseum opened, it was considered to be in the middle of nowhere; there was nothing around it. Similarly, when Makati Commercial Center opened, it was also in the middle of nowhere.”
The resistance was not just about geography. It was also about control and trust, rooted in how the family traditionally managed the business.
“According to the stories, it took a few years, and it was for a very simple reason: everything was handled in a very traditional Chinese way, like sino magbibilang ng pera? Kasi cash basis lahat nung time na yun.”
Expansion raised practical concerns. More stores meant more people handling cash, more distance from direct oversight, and less visibility for the family.
Even today, Ramos says he never fully pieced together how the decision was finally made—but what’s clear is who drove it forward.
“I never got the full story of how it really happened, but my dad was the one, along with his siblings, who grew the business beyond downtown Manila.”
That push proved decisive. National Bookstore began opening branches in locations that competitors had not yet considered.
“Siya yung nag-push for the expansion. Kaya namin naunahan yung mga ibang bookstores nung time na yun.”
The company was among the first to move into emerging commercial areas.
“Kami yung unang nagbukas sa Cubao, Makati, Quezon Avenue, and Harrison Plaza.”
In hindsight, the decision to expand early into these locations gave National Bookstore a critical advantage. What once seemed “in the middle of nowhere” would later become central hubs of commerce and foot traffic.
The story reflects a recurring theme in family businesses: growth often requires challenging the assumptions that built the company in the first place. For National Bookstore, staying exclusively in downtown Manila might have felt safe—but it would have limited the brand’s future.
Ramos’ account highlights how expansion was not driven by formal market studies or corporate strategy decks, but by lived experience. His father had traveled the country, seen how people lived, and recognized where growth could happen before it was obvious.
That willingness to push beyond tradition—and to take risks before others did—set the foundation for what National Bookstore would eventually become.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
