A DAVID IN GOLIATH’S LAIR

By: Dr. Cecilio Pedro, President, Lamoiyan Corporation

I would presume everybody knows the never-ending story of a young peasant-farmer and future king of Israel named David, whose courageous exploits in leading a small, vastly outnumbered army against the Philistines, whose other claim to fame aside from the size of its army is a soldier of a behemoth called Goliath.

Armed with just a miniscule slingshot but overflowing with faith in God as against a fully armored beast-turned-soldier, David conquered his fears—and eventually the Philistines—in what could be the most dramatic triumph of the human spirit against seemingly impossible odds. His feat thus became the epitome of courage and valor.

For the longest time, I liken David’s story to that of my own personal journey, of how I established a small company and placed it head-on against the behemoths, the multinationals in the consumer product manufacturing industry, and still made a mark in the process.

Just like David, , Lamoiyan Corporation, is armed with only the sincerest of intentions, which is to provide an opportunity to Filipino consumers to avail of a quality alternative product, a little ingenuity and innovative mindset, plus an overflowing faith in our God Almighty. With that in my arsenal, plus hard work, everything went well and Lamoiyan Corporation flourished beyond expectations.

At present, Lamoiyan Corporation products like Hapee Toothpaste, our flagship brand, plus others like Gumtect toothpaste, Kutitap, Dazz Dishwashing Paste and All-purpose kitchen cleaner, Fresher Feminine Wash, , continue to make a mark on the national consciousness. And our efforts to come up with these quality yet affordable products did not go unnoticed.

Lamoiyan Corporation twice became Most Outstanding Toothpaste Manufacturer, in 1990 and 1993, handed out by the Consumers’ Union of the Philippines. In 1992, we were also awarded with an Agora Award as Marketing Company of the Year, a Special Citation for Best Outdoor Advertising by the Catholic Mass Media Awards in 1993.

It is also an honor to be a recipient of recognition from various groups, most specially being one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) by the Philippine Jaycees in 1991 and as Ozanam awardee by the Ateneo Board of Trustees for our work with the hearing-impaired. The PMAP or Personnel Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) accorded us with an award for Most Outstanding Program for Equal Employment in 1993 and the Apolinario Mabini Rehabilitation Award as Employer of the Year. Even today, our focus to give employment opportunities to underprivileged deaf members of our society continues with much fervor.

With these awards in tow, our small company made its mark in the public consciousness by garnering a respectable share of the oral care industry dominated previously by multinational competitors. Somehow, they took notice of what we were doing.

Aside from my faith and creative spirit, I had in my business arsenal trusted allies like Ding Salvador, the acknowledged “guru” in the consumer products business, with his vast experience in his field. He was instrumental in coming out with innovative ideas on how to position our product in the market and his creative genius brought Lamoiyan Corporation products to a level that is unprecedented in the manufacturing and consumer products industry.

However, despite these various accolades for our work, the company’s fete—mine and that of the company’s employees—remain firmly planted on the ground, realizing that our work, our vision of having a Lamoiyan Corporation product in every home and the ultimate mission of improving the quality of life of Filipinos through quality yet affordable products, is not yet done.

Being a firm believer in God, I know that I still have a lot of things to do regarding my business. I never wavered in my faith in Him despite the crises I faced when I started Lamoiyan Corporation and I always turn and pray to God during times of adversity and un-Christian-like acts from some of our competitors and promised to do things that are right in His eyes. And because I placed myself and my business in the gracious hands of God, just like David, I believe that Lamoiyan Corp. will turn out victorious in the end.

At Lamoiyan Corporation, we also live by this mantra of excellence: “In the pursuit of excellence, the company will do things better than before and better than competitors. We believe in the continual improvement of our products, our works and essentially, ourselves.”

It is also my prayer that more and more Filipinos will use Philippine-made world-class products and joins the bandwagon of entrepreneurs that will create wealth and provide jobs for the Filipinos. And in the process making a difference for the Glory of God.