DISCLOSING THE LOCAL HISTORY:

“ BONGBONG’S PASALUBONG CENTER”

As Partial Course Requirements in Readings in History

Submitted by:

Alelis, Kyla
Lee, Rycell
Putong, Ryza
Vergara, Illa

Submitted to:

DOMINADOR E. TORRES, JR., LPT, MEM

Date of Submission: January 24, 2020

 Introduction

People nowadays believe on what they just heard or read in the internet, they don’t
do further research and collect information from reliable sources about what really
happened. They believe more on fake news or from those unreliable sources that are
commonly created by unauthorized writer.

But as a student, we believed that visiting a place you could fully appreciate its
beauty when we know its history, its origin and any other significant events that
happened in that certain place. There’s some place that could easily catch your eyes
because of how it looks, but there’s also some places where we fall in love because of its
hidden treasures and stories behind.

Our objective in conducting this interview is to know the whole story of how did
Bongbong’s started and become one of the biggest and leading Pasalubong Center in the
Negros. Also, knowing what is the reason behind their success. Moreover we want to
gain more knowledge and understanding about the struggles and success in their journey,
and also, how they managed to be the top Pasalubong Center in the province.

Out of our curiosity, we develop these questions to dig deeper information on the
things that are related to the history of Bongbongs. As student, it is important to know the
history of a certain place to help us understand the changes and development on how the
society we live in came to be. Another thing is that history is inescapable as a subject of
serious study follows closely on the first. The past causes the present, and so the future.

By conducting this interview we went to BongBong’s branch located in Alijis and

asked for their HR Department Head Ms. Dulce Blanca D. Sinangote. We made sure that
our questions are not too personal but focuses in the history and their plan of action on
maintaining one of the famous Pasalubong Center in Negros.

We have prepared 13 questions to be asked to our interviewee:

 Who is BongBong? What is the story behind BongBongs?

 Where is the first store of BongBongs?
 How (when) did you get your idea or concept for this business?
 What is your camapany’s goal?
 How many employees/staff? What are your programs for the wellness/
betterment of your workers?
 Despite of having a lot of competitors, how BongBongs stay ahead?
 What service(s) or product do you offer?
 How do you advertise your business or product?
 To what factors do you attribute your success?
 Do you have branches on other places or abroad?
 What s unique about your business?
 What made you choose your current location?
 If you had one piece of advice especially to us students who are aspiring to
have business someday, what would it be?

Acknowledgement
 First and foremost, we would like to thank God Almighty for giving us the strength,
knowledge, ability and opportunity to undertake this history research study and to
persevere and complete it satisfactorily. Without his blessings, this achievement would
not have been possible. We also want to thank all who in one way or another contributed
in the completion of this project which is Disclosing of Local History: Bongbong’s
Pasalubong Center.

We are so grateful to our parents who provide, encouraged us and prayed for us
throughout the time of our project. We give deep thanks to our Professor and lecturer
Dominador E. Torres Jr. who challenge us to come up with questions that we will used to
interview one of the famous pasalubong center in Negros. For also guiding us, on what is
the proper way on conducting and creating good questions and for correcting our wrongs.
We are also deeply thankful to Dennise Gustilo, one of our friends who guide us
throughout the project and being patient.

To those who helped us to correct the wrong sentences and grammars and being
patience with us, thank you. And to ourselves, we are thankful for being strong and
confident in order to conduct this interview. For staying focus and hardworking students
that wanted to finish this interview and to make those who helped us proud.

Furthermore, we are thankful to the Bongbongs Pasalubong Center and especially to

Ms. Dulce Blanca D. Sinangote the HR Department head who accommodate us and
provide reliable information. Her given information has helped us to complete this. Their
names cannot be disclosed, but we want to acknowledge and appreciate their help and
transparency during this project and interview.

May the Almighty God richly bless us all.

Methodology
1. What is the activity all about?

This activity is all about discovering and knowing accurate information

about BongBong’s Pasalubong Center and having the opportunity to share valid
information about the company. We also wanted to correct and change the point
of view of the public towards the said company.

2. Who are involved with the activity?

The individuals who are involved are four LCC students namely; Kyla,
Rycell, Ryza and Illa the interviewers and also the HR Department head of
Bongbong’s Pasalubong Center Ms. Dulce Blanca D. Sinangote.

3. When do you want to conduct the activity?

As Christmas is fast approaching we wanted to conduct this activity before

everyone enjoy the holiday season. As much as possible we wanted to start
conducting the interview so that we won’t be a delay.

4. Where is the place of the activity?

We held our interview at Bongbong’s Villan Corporation Main Office

located at Bangga Pauline Alijis Road, Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

5. How do you conduct and assess the activity for your life-long learning?

Through this interview we gain knowledge and sense of dedication that

through hard work we can make things possible to happen even it might take a
long period of time. And never be afraid to take a risk because we never know
what will happen next.
 Life-Long Learning Experiences

Kyla Alelis:

My long life experience about this interview is that I was able to learn the history of
bong bong's on how they started to come up an idea to have a small business turn into the
leading pasulobong center here in Negros. The stepping stones of their success really
inspired me to be patience on what tomorrow ahead of me. And having dream and goals
in life keep me motivate to pursue of what I am aiming. And bong bong's is one of the
inspiring stories to be told.

Rycell Lee:

In this interview I learned that success doesn’t come easily you need to have a
patience and dedication that you will harvest a victory. Just like what the Villan Family
did, they work together in harmony and with the help of others they succeed and become
a biggest pasalubong center in Visayas. And be curious and keep learning from other
people and also by seeking out new experiences because when people stop learning new
information, they stop progressing, or even regress, in their careers. And those things can
help me in my future self.

Ryza Putong:

My long life experience, for me as a student I was inspired by the story of

bongbongs on how they build their own business, they motivate me to do better on things
that I really love. Be passionate and take the process in every step that you make. Process
is part of growing up; they teach me how to be responsible in my own ways. And now, I
am not afraid to step forward and pursue my dreams. Because they inspired me a lot for
their bravery. Risking what they have and believing in their selves that they can do it. It
takes a big amount of faith for having that confident to succeed.

Illa Vergara:

When conducting this interview I got a realization on how hard the life can get, it’s
not just about being on top but also facing the struggles so you can stay on top. We, the
teen age only think that if we graduated with high grades we can find a job instantly
because of the numbers in our grading sheets. We only think that it is easy to live like an
adult and only planning how many kids we want. We didn’t think that earning money is
not that easy, we didn’t think the struggles of our parents just to earn and sustain our
needs. Just to keep us in school and to have a better future.

Teenagers now a days only focus on the wealth they have now because of their
parents, but if they know the history of Mr. Villan and how did he manage to create the
most trusted pasalubong center in Negros. They will rethink their plans in the future and
be more realistic in thinking of the future. For us Mr. Villan became one of the
inspirations to work hard because we are sure this hard work can gave us good future.
 Analysis

Kyla Alelis:
Bongbongs Pasalubong Center was derived from the name of the founder Mr.
Reynaldo “bongbong” Villan. He worked in a bakery shop way back before in year 1981
in the City of Bacolod and this became a key way for him to start his own business after
his resignation in year 1983 from the bakery where he worked as a helper. He met a
person which is also one of his co-workers who has a recipe of making “piaya”. And
then, with his hard work and perseverance he was able to make his own version of piaya.
Nonetheless, his mother-in-law convinced him to start his own business and bongbong
together with his wife decided to begin with their home-based piaya business. Their
products were first sold at the Old Singcang Airport but the birth of bongbongs piaya was
at her wife Mira’s house. He was inspired of getting the ideas from his old job and the
purpose and aspiration of the company is to give the best quality of products and services
to their customers. Moreover, to give satisfaction and prioritize the wants of customers
that will elude to a best result and feedback in the company.

Rycell Lee:
Bongbongs Pasalubong Center today, are widespread in Negros and across other
regions in the country and having a good image to maintain they depend the number of
their employees on how big or small the branch of store is. This is also to ensure the
safety and good condition of the products to avoid such untoward incidents. Their
business stays ahead and stable because of their own strategy and they offer and to give
customers the satisfaction that they deserve. They bring out the best quality of their
service to them, because every feedback and suggestions to their service is very
important, they depend and give attention for that because that's how the business will
grow. They are not just after to the income of the business but they are after in their
costumer’s satisfaction. A costumer deserves a great service, aside from selling
pasalubong like their best seller which is the napoleones and piaya. They also offer
souvenirs like shirts, key chains to their customers especially for foreigners. But it is in
selected branches that can accommodate a big area. While they advertise their products
by posting it on social media, because it is very accessible to all, especially in this
generation that people love to use social media. That is the advantage of their strategy.
Soon they will be having their own online pasalubong shop where, you can easily see our
different products. They get the attention of the customers thru TV ads, but it’s pricier
than before. Aside from that, they also put thru billboards so that everyone can see it.

Ryza Putong:
In bongbongs, they attribute their success to those aspiring people that really love
and dream of handling a small or big business, through their success they have become a
role model for the students and teach them the lesson that they should apply if they’re
planning to build a business. Bigger vision comes to a bigger success. And they are proud
to present that they have other branches on different places in Luzon-Visayas area. Like
Iloilo, Kalibo, Roxas, and Antique and even in Kabankalan, Dumaguete and Cebu. But
outside our country they didn’t have any branches but they were planning and hoping that
they will be able to share what Bongbongs can offer. What is unique in BongBongs, they
have their own originality. They know how to create their own advancement. They also
help and build each other so that they can create a huge impact to the costumers so they
can give them the best service that they could offer. In creating or making their own
products, it needs a lot of time to have the final outcome so that they can make their
customers happy and have that satisfying smiles in them.

Illa Vergara:
They have chosen their current location in Alijis, because it is where their main office is
located, and the advantage of that is they are near to the factory. If they have one piece of
advice to students like us who have the passion for handling or creating a business and
that will be; don’t give up and work hard for you to achieve your goal. Even if it just a
small business like selling soimai, lumpia and etc. it has its own advantage especially for
us and our fellow students, because all business came from a small. Even Mr. Villan he
came from the bottom, a small business that he and his wife started. He just works hard to
create a product that will make his costumers happy and satisfied.

Practicing our minds and controlling our own actions will definitely help us to step
forward to our dreams and build a big decision with thinking what will be the outcome of
it. Be on fire on your passion and never forget your vision why you strive well. An
entrepreneur must have a purpose on why they want this or that. And in business it
always requires risk, yes it is not easy to take risk but stepping ahead of it makes you a
person that you are aiming for. To reach the business that you dreamed about, it is not just
about business that you will build but in that you also practice your personality and
perspective in life because we all knew that living in reality is not easy, you should have a
big amount of faith that you will overcome and you will successful at the end of the day.
Teaching yourself to depend your situation and letting your plans to God, it will all flow
with his grace, seeking him and him alone will be your greatest weapon in life and that
will be your success that no one could ever steal from you.
 Transcript

1. Who is Bongbong? What is the story behind Bongbong’s?

- BongBongs name was taken from one of our founder’s nickname Mr. Reynaldo “Bong
Bong” Villan. Ang storya behind sang BongBongs is Reynaldo Villlan worked as a helper
in a bakery sa Bacolod City. And his skills was very much appreciated then he met his co-
worker nga may recipe sang “piaya” and then he practiced the process sang pag himo
sini. Also his mother in-law convinced him nga ma involve sa piaya business and they
decided to start their own home-based business tapos ila nga hard work and dedication
sang mag asawa. That’s why BongBongs became one of the leading pasalubong and the
most trusted brand in negros.

2. Where is the first store of Bongbongs?

- BongBongs is a home-based piaya business nga gn umpisahan nila ka wife ya nga si

mira. And in 1990 the first store of BongBongs was in Singcang the old airport of
Bacolod City nga naging gateway nila to introduce the products in the market.

3. How (when) did you get your idea or concept for this business?

- Mr. Villan got this concept due to his old job which is at the bakery shop in Bacolod city
and also the convincing power of his mother-in law to be involved in this kind of
business.

4. What is your company’s goal?

- BongBongs company goal is to give the best in our customers, and to satisfy them with
our services because every feedback that comes from our customers is very important.
We depend our service in their opinions, reactions and suggestions because we are after
for their satisfaction and also for aiming a best result in our company.

5. How many employees/staff? What are your programs for the wellness/ betterment of
your workers?

- We have 850 employees, for our workers especially in the factory we make sure that
they are in a good health and groom condition to avoid incidents nga maka damage sa
amon products. We also provide company benefits such as SSS, Philhealth, Pag-ibig. We
conduct team building and seminars for our employess.

6. Despite of having a lot of competitors, how BongBongs stay ahead?

- I think our business stay ahead because we give our best quality of service that we can
offer to our customer, kay without them ang amon business will not continue to prosper.
Tapos ga create kami powerful offer or guarantee to catch the eyes of our costumers nga
mag bakal sang amon pasalubongs like negrenses, local and foreigners.

7. What services(s) or product(s) do you offer?

- Aside from selling pasalubong like napoleones and piaya which is our best sellers. May
ara mn kami sang dining areas kag we also sell souvenirs like t-shirt and key chains sa
mga selected branches nga mas dako kag ang lapit sa mga tahu.

8. How do you advertise your business or product?

- We advertise our products by posting it on social media kay tungod accessible sya
especially in this generation and we also have a website where you can see kung ano
amun products and soon available naman sa amon nga online pasalubong shop. Kag ga
advertise man kami through TV ads but medyo pricey siya and lastly ga butang kami sa
mga billboards para makita gid nila.

9. To what factors do you attribute your success?

- We attribute our success to those aspiring people that aims to handle a small or big
business, to be a role model for them that they must continue what they started. And have
a big vision in their lives especially for raising a business like this. They must know that
in every step that they take, Risk will come. But that risk will let them grow as a person.
You must pursue what you started, because you will harvest a great fruit which is success.

10. Do you have branches in other places or abroad?

- Yes we do have branches on different places in Luzon-Visayas area, like Iloilo, Kalibo,
Roxas, Antique even sa Ksbankalan, Dumagete and Cebu. In abroad, we don’t have any
but we are planning.

11. What is unique about your business?

- In BongBongs, we have our originality. We know how to create our own advancement,
we also know how to build and make our own products but it need a lot of time to have
the final outcome so that we can make our customers happy and have that satisfying
smiles in them.

12. What made you choose your current location?

- We choose our current location in Alijis kay amo na siya ang main office sang
BongBongs and it near sa amun factory.

13. If you had one piece of advice especially to us students who are aspiring to have
business someday, what would it be?
- If I will have one piece of advice to you and your fellow students who have the passion
for business even gamay lang sya like selling yemmas or siomai inside or outside the
school and for those who want to handle big business they should have the vision on how
they will achieve their goal, kay indi man na pwedi nga gina asa mo lang sa iban ang
success nga gina damgo mo. An entrepreneur must have a purpose on why they want to
build a business and how much they need to risk for them to reach the business that they
want, because we all knew that ang pangabuhi ta indi hapos. All of us have our ups and
down so is in the business. One time ikaw ang ga top1 then the next thing you know wala
na ang gin pangabudlayan mo. Lastly they also have to know how to focus and learn first
the differences of a strategy for a business. Always remember small steps at a time will
lead you to your destination however it takes some time to reach the end but expect to
have a good outcome and never take a huge leap at the beginning.