PHILIPPINE Franchise Association (PFA) Vice Chairman Ma. Alegria “Bing” Sibal- Limjoco is known as the “Mother of Philippine Franchising.”
Limjoco’s tireless efforts that made her the driving force behind the PFA has allowed the Philippines to emerge as one of the top franchise markets in the Asean region.
Beginnings
Before she discovered franchising, Limjoco said she dreamt of being a diplomat. But her father—the owner of Phoenix Publishing House—convinced her to go to New York to study. Her father hoped that this would convince her to take over the business someday. New York, the center of the world’s business and commerce, was a world away from Manila. The busy streets, the skyscrapers, and the hustle and bustle of daily life in a big city helped create a highly competitive environment.
Limjoco became inspired. The competitive spirit and the drive that only a city of New York’s stature can bring, has made Limjoco see herself in a different light—that of an entrepreneur.
“I became a business minded woman when I studied in New York. Studying overseas makes you more active, competitive and business-minded because you have to prove what you are despite the discrimination. That way, I become engaged in business and served my father in the publishing industry,” she enthused.
Limjoco earned her A.B. Foreign Service degree from Saint Theresa’s College, Interior Design from the New York School of Interior Design, and her Masters in Business and Economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific. She took her mini MBA in Franchising at the University of Saint Thomas in Minneapolis, USA.
The PFA
The PFA vice chairman recalled that her entrance to the Philippine Retailers Association (PRA)—then later PFA—was attributed to their publishing business being a member of the retailing organization. Since then, Limjoco has been in the roster of PRA’s board and with the help of her colleagues, formed the PFA.
In her 22 years of serving the PFA since its establishment in 1993, Limjoco said the concept of franchising is still not introduced in the country compared to its Asean neighbors already engaged in the sector since the 1970s and 1980s.
“The Philippines back then was partnered side by side with Bangladesh—being the sick man of Asia. But with the wave of the future that is franchising, we see businesses like Jollibee, Bench, Penshoppe, Plains and Prints and others who grew from nothing into something which now contributes to the economy,” she noted, adding, “That is the beauty of franchising.”
It all started with a franchising roadshow conducted by the PRA in 1993 when Limjoco saw people’s interest and hype about franchising.
“People really wanted to know about franchising, and they are willing to pay just to be engaged in it. That was the time that we decided to put up PFA because we saw the future in this industry,” she stresed.
“We thought: How can we make this an industry and grow it? Because this is one way of giving the middle class the chance to expand and grow through their own businesses. So with that, we decided that an organization like the PFA should be there to guide them,” she added.
Together with other PRA executives led by the country’s franchising and retailing stalwart and the universally acknowledged Father of Philippine Franchising Samie Lim, chairman emeritus of the PFA and PRA, Limjoco founded PFA.
In the course of 22 years, the franchising organization has expanded its members from less than a hundred to more than 300 members at present, mostly from the consumer food and fashion and apparel sectors.
To date, PFA members include Max’s Restaurant, Goldilocks, McDonalds, Jollibee, 7-Eleven, Wendy’s, Shakey’s, Seaoil, Fruit Magic, Bibingkinitan, Mister Donut, Potato Corner, The Generics Pharmacy, K2 Drug, Oryspa, Chowking, Mang Inasal, Crystal Clear, Hungry Juan, Island Souvenirs, Pizza Hut, Pancake House, David’s Salon, Bench, among others.
Limjoco, who is CEO of Francorp Philippines, director of Phoenix Publishing and president of Central Books, said the PFA targets to grow its members to 500 given the advent of the upcoming Asean economic integration.
“Compared to our Asean neighbors, we are ahead. In franchising, we will bring nothing but the best for the industry,” she pointed out.
Moving forward
Given the Asean Economic Community (AEC) integration which allows free flow of goods and services inter-Southeast Asian economies, the PFA has conducted programs, roadshows, seminars and other initiatives that can help aspiring and existing franchisers and franchisees to develop their enterprises.
Some of these programs include international franchise roadshows, as well as the Franchising Regional Enterprises by Women (FREE Women) project, which aims at providing support for woman entrepreneurs to use franchising as a strategy for growth.
The FREE Women project is something the PFA is focusing at, Limjoco emphasized, as Filipinas take most of the small scale businesses in the country. She cited that according to statistics, 70 percent of the registered small and medium enterprises are owned by women.
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor also said that despite established businesses being dominated by men with a share of 66 percent, (businesses running for more than three years), some 69 percent of the start-up businesses are owned by women, while 51 percent of businesses established from one to three years were operated by women.
In order to raise more start-up franchising businesses, Limjoco views that it is through empowering woman entrepreneurs via its FREE Women project to increase competitiveness in the franchising industry.
The growth of the franchising industry does not limit to women, Limjoco noted, as she said one “must have a dream and continue to dream on” to achieve their full potential to grow individually, and eventually grow the industry and contribute significantly to the economic growth of the country.