The Innovator: Chef Gene Gonzales

(originally published in 100 Magazine, 2009, 2nd edition)

Who would have thought that a former banker would turn out to be one of the most successful restaurateurs in the country? That’s the story of Chef Gene Gonzales, who, despite everyone’s skepticism, became one of the most popular chefs in the local culinary scene. When he decided to open Café Ysabel in 1981 without any experience in restaurant or business management, he went through a hard time. Good thing Susan Roces was just around the corner, and rented out a part of their home in Wilson St., San Juan. Since then, the humble 11-table restaurant has become one of the best restaurants in the country.

Something Old, Something New

“Café Ysabel has always been an innovator,” shares Ched Gene. Part of what made it so successful is its willingness to try new things. One of the myths that Café Ysabel has busted was that chocolate can not be served all throughout the meal, a feat that the restaurant pioneered in the country. Another is that cigars couldn’t be paired with meals, which Chef Gene has also disproved. Another thing that sets Café Ysabel apart from all other restaurants is its homey ambiance. Stepping inside the restaurant is like stepping back in time. “The ambiance is not contrived, it’s never manufactured,” boasts Chef Gene of the refurbished 1920’s home which houses Café Ysabel today.

Thousands of Islands, Thousands of Dishes

Now that he has established himself as a restaurateur, Chef Gene now seeks to conquer the world with Filipino food. He says that he is still in pursuit of his dream to put Filipino cuisine on the world map. “We have an archipelago of a few thousand islands, and if there’s a unique dish for every island, it will take you more than a lifetime to try all of them,” shares Chef Gene. In order to do this, the great chef says that it has to start with the Filipino. Before the world can appreciate Filipino food, Filipinos themselves need to appreciate it better. And to do that, Filipinos need to be more knowledgeable about the food they eat, which Chef Gene also advocates. In late 1999 to early 2000, Chef Gene established the Center for Asian Culinary Studies, where he shares his mastery of the craft to those who are willing. Along with some of the best chefs in the country, Chef Gene provides world-class culinary education to Filipinos everywhere, and of course, to help promote Filipino food to the world. It is one of the best in the country, as proven by their National Certificate Level 4, awarded by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

Secrets of a Great Chef

With a successful restaurant, culinary school, and consultancy group under his belt, Chef Gene remains grounded. When asked about the secret to his success, he had a hard time answering. “I never really thought of the word ‘success.’ I never even thought of the word ‘goal.’ I was thinking more of words like ‘challenge.’” What’s great about Chef Gene is his attitude towards what he does. “I never considered myself working,” says Chef Gene, indicating how much he enjoys doing what he does. In the end, this probably is his true secret to his success. “One should find the essence of enjoyment,” he advices, not only to would-be chefs or restaurateurs, but to everyone. All jobs can be easy if the people doing them enjoy it, and looking at Chef Gene’s story, it definitely holds true.

Be your own boss!

(published in the SME section of the Philippine Star, May 20, 2011)


Most people are familiar with the daily grind. Wake up early, deal with traffic and pollution, get to the office or workplace, work hard, get home late, repeat. It’s a rigid schedule that most Filipinos are accustomed to. After all, it’s just like going to school, sans the frequent holidays and summer breaks, and instead of grades, you get a salary. It’s a way of life that a lot of Filipinos have adopted all their lives. But the daily grind and the mundane repetition of the things we do can sometimes get boring and unfulfilling. This is the point when employees think of aiming for higher positions, or look for other opportunities in other companies or industries, or maybe study further. If you’re looking for something bigger and better at your own time though, you have to look past the lofty offices of the central business district: opening your own business.

Business class
Opening a business takes a lot of guts, but can also be very rewarding. For one, as the owner, you get to earn income, rather than a fixed salary. Your performance as the owner is directly related to how much you earn, meaning you don’t only get the satisfaction of a job well-done, but a nice monetary bonus as well. You also get to set your own rules. You get to make the key decisions which determine whether the venture will be successful or not, unlike when you’re the employee and simply follow orders. But probably the best advantage of owning a business is being able to take control of your time. Being your own boss means you are not expected to come to work or go home at fixed hours. You can come and go as you please, provided, you’ve taken care of all business matters.

Small or medium enterprises or SMEs don’t only open up the opportunity to earn more for yourself, but also helps the country’s economy. According to an article on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) website, SMEs account for 99.6% of all registered businesses in the Philippines, and employ 70% of the workforce. So instead of taking jobs by being employed, business owners actually get to generate more jobs. You also contribute to the country’s national income through taxation.

Assessment of risk
There’s a big tradeoff to all these advantages though. A lot of things can go wrong in business, and you might end up losing money instead of earning it. One of the largest hurdles in setting up shop is the capital requirement. Before you can start operation, you have to invest money to cover for the company’s expenses: rent for the space you are going to use, utilities such as electricity and water, equipment, inventories, licenses and permits, and the list goes on. If it becomes profitable, then you’ll be able to earn back your initial investment and even make it grow. If it doesn’t, then you better be ready to say goodbye to your hard-earned cash. This is in stark contrast to being employed where your only investments are time and effort. Another barrier that prevents Filipinos from investing is the requirement of management and leadership skills. Business owners have to make key decisions that can make or break the business and its stakeholders.

Grab the opportunity
Think you can give up the regularity of a 9-to-5 job for the volatile world of business? Then you better brush up. Before opening any business, you have to get to know how it works first. If you have any friends in the same or a similar industry, ask them to show you the ropes first. If you were employed for a long time and you leave in good terms, maybe you can even ask your employer to guide you. What’s important is that you get insights into the business world, specifically the industry which you want to enter, before shelling out your life savings. And while we’re on the subject, make sure that you are fully committed to the type of business you want to enter. Not only do you need to know a lot about the subject, you must also learn to love it, whether it be food, beautification, paper manufacturing, ad infinitum. You have to be passionate about your chosen field, otherwise you might just end up regretting your decision and end up in a dismal financial position. Speaking of finances, learn a little bit of accounting, too. It is integral for entrepreneurs to monitor where money is coming from and going to, and whether you make sound financial decisions. Besides keeping a close tab on your finances, keep an eye out for opportunities and threats around the business as well. This includes chances for expansion, new methods of manufacturing, paying attention to what competitors are doing, and so on.

Of course, business is not all about money. What’s more important in running a business is making and maintaining close relationships with other people, whether they be your employees, customers, suppliers, or even competitors. They will help you a lot along the way, and will continue to help you only if you are in good terms with them. Always show appreciation to each of them; if you become successful, it’s most probably because you have good people around you.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a steady-paying job, but if you have the skills and resources to make it big in business, then you better make the most of it. Who knows, maybe in the near future, you’ll find your name in that coveted Forbes list. What is most important though is finding happiness in what we do, whether it be for a large company, or a small local grocery in your neighborhood. No matter how much you earn, if you’re happy with what you do, then congratulations: you have succeeded in life.

Overheard on the news vol. 2: RP Bill

On Umagang Kay Ganda,Alex Santos reports on the state of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill, now called the Responsible Parenthood (RP) Bill:

"...ang Simbahang Katoliko ay rinerespeto ang opinyon ng ibang mga relihiyon ukol sa Reproductive Parenthood Bill..."

...ano daw?

Penitensiya

Photo by Jay Jacome for Flickr

Semana Santa nanaman. Ibig sabihin, wala nanamang pasok. Ang Pilipinas ay isa sa mga mapapalad na bansa na walang pasok tuwing Semana Santa o Holy Week, kahit hindi opisyal na relihiyon ang Katolisismo. Samantalang nagpaplano ng mga outing ang marami, meron namang iba na itinuturing na magandang pagkakataon ang mga araw na ito para mapalapit uli sa Diyos. Bakit? Siguro kasi pag hindi Semana Santa, puro kasalanan ginagawa nila.

Maraming mga tradisyon ang Pilipino sa pag-gunita sa Semana Santa. Nandiyan ang palaspas, ang pabasa ng pasyon, Visita Iglesia, at marami pang iba. Pero pinakatampok sa mga rituwal na ito ay ang pagpuprusisyon ng mga nagpepenitensiya, na habang naglalakad ay sinasaktan ang kanilang mga sarili, at kung minsa'y nagpapapako pa sa krus. Ginagawa nila ito upang magpakita ng pagsisisi sa mga kasalanan nila o para matupad ang kanilang hiling.

Wala nang bago dito dahil taon-taon nang naging tradisyon ito sa mga probinsya. Nagulat nalang ako ngayong taon nang makakita ako ng mga nagpepenitensiya sa Maynila, Huwebes Santo pa lang. Hindi ko alam kung bagong bagay ito o ngayon lang talaga ako nakalabas ng bahay ng Huwebes Santo, pero ayun sila, linalatigo ang mga sarili, naglalakad ng naka-paa, sa gilid ng mga lansangan ng Maynila.

Samantalang nakakatuwa isipin na mayroon tayong mga tradisyon na sariling atin, na hindi natin minana lamang sa mga Kastila o ginaya sa mga Amerikano (kahit base ito sa relihiyon na ipinilit sa atin ng mga Kastila), hindi ako sang-ayon sa pagpapahirap sa sarili para ipakita ang pagsisisi. Una, wala namang iniutos ang simbahan o ang Bibliya na gawin ito, kaya mahirap paniwalaan na may epekto ang rituwal na ito kung ang mismong nagtuturo ng doktrina ay hindi naniniwala dito. Pangalawa, bakit naman kailangan pang sa kalsada gawin ang pagpapahirap sa sarili? Dahil nakakahiya para sa kanila? Oo, dapat talaga mahiya sila, dahil lumalala ang trapik dahil sa kanila. Pangatlo, dapat bang ikaw ang magpataw ng parusa sa sarili mo para sa kasalanan mo sa iba? Parang hindi naman yata tama yun. Kung sa Diyos ka nagkasala, dapat siya ang magpataw ng nararapat na parusa. At hindi ba kung manghihingi ka ng tawad, ang iisipin mo ay kung paano makakabawi sa kasalanan na ginawa mo? Kung may utang ka, babayaran mo. Kung may nasira ka, gagawin o papalitan mo. Kung binastos mo syota mo, gagastos ka ng malaki para sa regalo o bonggang date, at ipapangako na hindi mo na gagawin ito uli. Ano kaya magiging reaksyon nya kung imbes na humingi ka ng tawad ay sugatan mo nalang bigla ang iyong sarili? Iisipin siguro nya emo ka. Baka ipasok ka pa sa mental.

Eh pano naman ang mga nagpepenitensiya? Bukod sa mga sugat na tinamo nila, ano pa ang ginawa nila para mapatawad sila? Baka naman pagkababa nila sa krus, sa beer house ang deretso. O dahil ba nahirapan sila, ibig sabihin kailangan ibigay ang hinihiling nila? Genie ba ang Diyos!? Baka nga Mahal na Araw lang nagsisimba ang mga yan eh.

Well, malay ko ba. Hindi ko naman kilala yang mga yan. Siguro ang gusto ko lang talagang sabihin, kung gusto nyo sugatan ang sarili nyo, wag naman sa kalsada. Trapik na nga eh, isasara nyo pa yung kalahati ng kalsada. O baka naman pag mag-isa lang kayo sa bahay na nagpapakahirap, hindi na pagpepenitensiya ang tawag dun; emo na.

Life, death, and beauty

Photo by Don Farrall for Getty Images

Think your wedding is the most important day in your life? I think not. This may sound morbid, but I'm excited about my funeral. Not because I want to die, but because funerals are where your loved ones look back and echo "he was such a great person". At funerals people can only say good things about the dead, either out of respect, or out of fear of offending the bereaved. Funerals are the ultimate reflection of who you were: the more people show up and cry, the higher the value of your life. At least that's how I see it.

But really, how do we measure the value of each life? And don't give me that "all life is equal" crap. That's just not true. Some people were born with the skills to reach the top, while most people find solace in mediocrity. Some people become presidents, CEO's, actors, astrophysicists, and some people become waiters, construction workers, vendors, or call center agents. You can bet more people will grieve at the first list of people's funerals, with people remarking how "there will never be another" or how the deceased's "contributions to society will never be forgotten". You won't hear a eulogy like that for a janitor.

Which leads me to my main point of contention. What makes AJ Perez's death so newsworthy? Sure, he was way too young to die. He was a good kid. It's sad. It's tragic. But are the daily news updates really necessary? A lot of young, good people die unexpectedly every day. Well, I guess the difference is, they don't have the same fresh, innocent, well-proportioned face, and they don't usually have shows on one of the country's leading TV networks. My point is, AJ Perez wasn't special simply because he had a great personality, or that he had great potential as an actor. Even if those were true, at the heart of it all, AJ Perez was special because he looked good. That was what made him a star in the first place.

This unfortunate event has led me to wonder: just how much do people value physical appearance? Do people think less of us if we aren't aesthetically pleasing? Are we perceived as less intelligent or less capable simply because we don't look the part? And if we were more attractive, would we have better chances? If AJ's death is any indication, we probably would. He's practically a national hero, the way his death is being covered by the media.

I don't think it's wrong to judge people based on how they look. Hell, I do it all the time. It's just amazing to see just how much of our judgment is based on physical appearance, where it could mean the difference between a common high school kid and a well-loved actor. Sure, AJ may have been talented, and from what I hear on the news, was a very good-natured young man. But would the country have given him the same chance if his face was crooked?

Should we condemn beautiful people and rally to raise awareness for ugly people's rights? No, of course not. It's human nature to appreciate beauty. It may not be fair, but very few things in life are fair anyway. I guess it's just something we all have to deal with. So don't judge me if you see me lined up at Watson's holding a basket full of personal care products.

Hope of the poor? Hindi rin.

Photo taken from Manila Bulletin

Willie Revillame, revered game show host of the Philippines, is in the midst of controversy yet again, this time for allowing a 6-year old boy to do a "macho dance" multiple times in his new show, Willing Willie. While I do feel strongly about what happened, a lot of people have already expressed their views on it and I don't think that I can add anything more substantial than what has already been said. What I am more disturbed about, however, is how people still continue to support the show and the embattled host.

Going against the overwhelming number of people denouncing Revillame for what happened on the show, fans of Revillame continue to staunchly defend their hero, saying he gives hope to the masses, that through the show he gets to help the poor by giving away huge prizes. What's sad is these people don't seem to have any idea of how TV shows like Willing Willie work.

Money and TV


First, we have to understand the broadcasting industry, particularly TV. Shows produced by TV networks need a lot of money. From the talents to the production equipment to the actual broadcasting of the shows to homes: it takes a whole lot of money to do. Now, they don't really charge viewers for enjoying these shows, even though they receive the benefit of watching TV. So who pays for everything? Advertisers. That's why there are a lot of commercials in local networks.

Now, how do TV networks attract advertisers to pay for airtime? The answer is ratings. Ratings are measurements of how many people tune in to a particular network at a particular time. Basically, higher ratings=higher demand for airtime=higher prices. These prices can go as low as tens of thousands of pesos, especially for early morning shows like Umagang Kay Ganda or Unang Hirit, or as high as close to a million for primetime shows like Willing Willie. Hence, networks are always battling for higher ratings, especially during primetime (around 6:30-9:00 PM), where they can demand higher prices.

The real reason


From there, we go back to Willing Willie. If anyone thinks that the goal of Willing Willie's existence is to give hope and uplift the lives of the poor, you are sadly mistaken. Just like any other show, the goal of Willing Willie is to gain the highest rating possible at its timeslot, so they can gain more advertisers. If Willing Willie genuinely wants to help the poor, then Revillame should just give away money to whoever needs it. But who would watch that? The show's goal is to get higher ratings by capturing a larger audience. Hence, they make their contestants do embarrassing things, people would laugh, and people would tune in.

Hope of the poor? I think not. First of all, how many people do these shows actually help, relative to the general population? Not that many, I would guess. Very few from the provinces I assume, and poverty is definitely worse there. And since we touched on the topic, does the money even go to who deserves it the most? Does it go to the poorest contestant, or even the one that has the biggest problems? Of course not. Then how can this show ever be called hope of the poor?

The sad reality


In the end, it's all about ratings. Using the poor as makeshift entertainers, so more people would tune in, and more advertising income for the network and the people who work there.

I am not against game shows, and I don't dispute the entertainment value of these shows. They definitely are fun to watch, and I guess to a certain extent, they do help the poor. But don't think for one second that these networks genuinely want to help. It's all theatrics. They give away big prizes and make a big show, not for the poor, but for the advertisers who pay for everything. In the end, it's just another way of making more money for the network. Do you think TV5 would continue airing Willing Willie if it got poor ratings? They'd probably replace it with another show, something that would bring in larger audiences.

I'm not saying game shows should go off the air. What I'm saying is that Filipinos shouldn't defend the shows on the basis of "it gives hope to the poor." All it is really, is a show that's meant to be entertaining, so more people would watch, and more advertisers reeled in. If you want to help the poor, look for a charity that doesn't need theatrics to alleviate poverty.