Long before Dioceldo Sy built Ever Bilena into one of the Philippines’ most recognizable cosmetics brands, he had already been immersed in the business—without fully realizing how formative those early lessons would be.
“I was born in the family of cosmetics, because my angkong is a pioneer,” Sy says. His grandfather entered the industry decades before beauty brands became household names. “When he came in 1938, before the war, he started a pomade business.”
The business thrived in an era with little competition. Sy remembers the economics clearly, even as a child. “Sabi nya yung piso ko na puhunan nabebenta ko ng sampung piso kasi walang kalaban eh.” The margins were extraordinary—simple products, strong demand, and almost no rivals.
Distribution, too, was straightforward and personal. “Sabi ko, ‘Angkong pano ka mag-deliver?’ Sabi nya, ‘I used a bicycle.’” His grandfather would load products and go directly to customers. “Nagde-deliver siya mga 12 dozen.” What stuck with Sy wasn’t the scale, but the efficiency. “Hindi ko na alam kung magkano yun, pero naalala ko yung margin niya, 10 times na mabilis.”
Even at a young age, Sy was already absorbing the fundamentals of business—pricing power, logistics, and the advantage of being early in an industry.
That foundation, however, would be shaken abruptly.
In 1969, when Sy was just 11 years old, tragedy struck. “Nung 1969, namatay siya at 58 years old kasi nasunugan kami,” he recalls. The fire was devastating. “Mga 80 percent nasunog siya.” The loss wasn’t only personal—it crippled the business.
After his grandfather’s death, Sy’s uncle stepped in. “Uncle ko yung pumasok, siya nag-handle ng business,” Sy says. But the transition came with limitations. “High school graduate lang siya, syempre walang training eh.”
Despite that, the business continued to operate and even expanded. “Yung pumasok na yung uncle ko, kompleto na yung Angkong ko ng mga products,” he explains. The company was no longer just about pomade. “Hindi lang pomade. Meron na siyang lipstick, powder. Nag-expand na.” At its peak, the business dominated the market. “He was number one na may 70 to 80 percent ng market share.”
Sy remembers how strong the company was during those years. His uncle continued innovating. “When my uncle passed away in 1969, I remember he was already (selling) sabon, yung bath soap,” Sy says. At the time, local manufacturing was rare. “Kasi at that time, lahat ng sabon natin importe.” His uncle saw opportunity where others didn’t. “Wala pa kasi gumagawa ng sabon and shampoo noon.”
Looking back, Sy believes the business could have grown even larger. “So sabi ko, pag ginawa nya yun, pag hindi sya namatay, baka mas malakas pa siya,” he reflects. The foundation was there—product range, distribution, and market dominance—but continuity was fragile.
By 1976, Sy entered the business himself. “In 1976, when I was 18 years old, pumasok ako, doon ako nag-work.” His first role was far from glamorous. “I started as a bank messenger.” There were no structured roles back then. “Kasi dati naman walang job description.”
Instead, he learned by doing everything. “Basta kahit ano ang utusin sa’yo, ginagawa ko lahat.” That lack of structure became his education. Over time, he touched every part of the operation. “From messenger, nag-purchasing ako, nag-ahente ako.” He describes himself plainly. “Nag-jack-of-all-trades ako.”
Those years gave him something formal schooling could not. “Kaya I knew how the business was running.” He understood cash flow, sourcing, sales, and operations—not from theory, but from necessity.
Yet despite that knowledge, the business did not survive. “Pero within four years, nung 1980, nagsara yung business kasi ang daming utang.” For Sy, the closure was painful but clarifying. “But I knew the ins and outs na of the business.”
By the time the family business collapsed, Sy had already learned what many entrepreneurs only discover later: knowing an industry early does not guarantee survival, but it builds instinct. The exposure—good and bad—shaped how he would think about risk, margins, and control in the years ahead.
Dioceldo Sy’s entrepreneurial story did not begin with Ever Bilena. It began with watching a bicycle-delivered pomade business earn tenfold margins, witnessing expansion without formal systems, and experiencing how quickly dominance can disappear without continuity. Losing the family business at a young age did not discourage him—it educated him. Long before he became a founder, he learned that opportunity favors those who understand the business deeply, but survival belongs to those who can rebuild when everything is lost.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong
