PGMA learns value of hardwork from former boss Joecon

MANILA, Oct. 15 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo says much of her work ethics, marked by punishing 14-hour six-day work weeks, can be credited to her “former boss” at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Jose Concepcion Jr.

President Arroyo served as undersecretary of the DTI during the time of Concepcion from 1986 to 1991.

In her speech Monday (Oct. 13) keynoting the 50th Anniversary celebrations of Republic Flour Mills (RFM) Corporation, which Concepcion heads now as chairman of the board, President Arroyo said that she learned the value of hard work while working with Concepcion.

“If you think I’m such a hard-working President, you can blame my slave driver boss in the Department of Trade and Industry, Joe Concepcion, for training me to be hard working,” the President said at the start of her speech.

She added that Concepcion’s motto -- “Yes, the Filipino can!” -- which he brought to the Department, was instrumental in instilling in her a strong work ethic.

“He brought this motto with him when he joined the Department of Trade and Industry. And I guess, that’s where I learned from him not only the value of very, very hard work because we used to start our days with breakfast meetings, and worked well into the night,” the President said.

She lauded the family of her former boss, particularly his father Jose Concepcion Sr. and son Jose Ma. Concepcion III, for pioneering the growth of the RFM company “into a huge, diversified conglomerate, steered successively by three able generations of Jose Concepcions.”

“Under the leadership of my boss, JoeCon Jr., RFM strengthened its forward and backward linkages, venturing to feed milling, hog and poultry-raising, and meat processing,” the President said.

The President likewise heaped praises on Joey III for having the keen business sense to continue what his grandfather and father started at RFM.

“And when his turn at the helm came, Joey III held on to his grandfather’s vision and his father’s philosophy as he further expanded into other products that are now household brands like Selecta, Sarsi, and now Fiesta, to name just a few,” the President said.

She said that with “this third generation of Jose Concepcion’s leadership, RFM will continue to be a giant in food processing in our country and even abroad, in foreign shores in the next 50 years.”

As proof of this, the President said that she was informed by Trade Secretary Peter Favila that RFM products, particularly its pasta line, “are going to be exported to Vietnam.”

“See, hindi ba sabi nila, ang Vietnam ang ating kakumpetensya pero nagbebenta tayo sa Vietnam dahil sa competitiveness ng RFM. Congratulations!” the President said.

“We encourage continued activity by big and sturdy business groups like RFM. This also means we hope RFM will participate in the bidding in the privatization that government continues to promote, as a counterpoint to our own pump priming,” she added.

RFM was established in 1958 as the first flour mill in Southeast Asia, producing feed-milling, hog-and poultry-raising products in the late sixties, and then diversifying to meat processing under the Swift brand in the seventies.

In the late eighties, RFM expanded to branded businesses by acquiring heritage brands like Cosmos and Selecta, which have grown from insignificant market players into major leading brands in their respective industry categories.