Two of the country's billionaires - one renowned as among the wealthiest women in Asia and the other a self-made man of hardwork and fortune - showed us all lessons on humility and gratitude despite their awesome power and wealth.
Tessie Sy Coson, vice chair of the country's biggest universal banks and active and hardworking heiress to the SM empire. was spotted at Iloilo airport waiting at the carousel for her luggage just like everyone else and keeping herself abreast of news and movements in her company and in the country through her cellphone without any assistants doing the simple chore for her.
None of those in her entourage was seen at the airport, perhaps their luggage were being waited on by those beneath them.
"Simply Tessie" was how Bilyonaryo described her with a photo.
Another is San Miguel Corp.’s big boss, a self-made billionaire, Ramon S. Ang (RSA as he is more known) thanking his employees and those that made the company into a huge conglomerate during the 134th founding anniversary of SMC.
Billionaires’ lessons on humility, gratitude
Both virtues of humility and gratitude are hard to come by these days, esp. among government officials (local and national) who always demand special lanes and passes whenever they travel here or abroad and they always have assistants to attend to their every need including their luggage.
One would argue that such perks come with the territory, meaning there are special operating procedures in their offices that they would always be assisted for their every move by protocol officers and underlings.
Yet these two billionaires could also have such SOPs in place in their offices but insist on having their own way.
Gratitude
In a speech marking the 134th anniversary of SMC CEO RSA posted in his Facebook page on Sept. 29 that “being in the business for 134 years is no small feat.” (Why of course it is hard to stay afloat and thrive in these uncertain times).
“We wouldn’t have reached this milestone without the hard work of our employees, past and present, and the support of millions of Filipinos who have chosen our products and services,” he said.
“Thank you for making us part of your lives, your celebrations, and your everyday moments,” Ang added.
His Facebook post was accompanied by a collage of photos of SMC employees, products and its various business interests.
Simple tastes
Sy-Coson, or TSC to SM employees and close friends, is well-known for her simplicity.
She does not adorn fashionable gowns and fancy jewelry and watches (would you believe she still uses common brands like Seiko– even though the latest release– in office and in formal events) and she adorns her signature blazer and white blouse and black skirt or pants in most of her photos. One may say she has a wardrobe full of this style. Nevertheless, she still sports that simplest fashion sense.
She often rides the car with the sparest number of bodyguard, if at all. She and her siblings after all were raised by the great philanthropist Henry Sy Sr. in the culture of work– they all had to go through the ranks in the SM companies until reaching the top.
No wonder then the Sy siblings just blend with the crowd and are so simple and down to earth. They were never raised to think that they were born with a silver spoon in their mouths.
“It tells you something when one of Asia’s richest women waits patiently for her luggage to come off the carousel,” crowed retired UP Professor Dr. Jose Butch Dalisay, who shared a snap of the Sy family heiress on social media.
“The board of one of her companies had a meeting in Iloilo over the weekend, and we met some of them taking a tour of the city, and we met them again at the Iloilo airport, but I saw none of the others at the carousel, with assistants presumably delivering their baggage to their cars,” award-winning writer, Dalisay was quoted by Bilyonaryo saying.
Former presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said: “Rarely does one see a person of wealth lining up in solitary silence waiting to pick up her luggage.”
“There have been many photos of her in public but this one may be the most iconic – a woman steep in wealth and means but far steeper in humility and grace,” Lacierda said.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonStories #RamonSAng #TessieSyCoson