In my previous post, you discovered that my first real job was at the Soft Drinks Division of San Miguel Corp in 1980. While working there as Market Analyst, I was juggling several informal side hustles.
Makati Sales Office had a total of 150 personnel including the contractual sales truck helpers. All men except our Manager’s Secretary, the Nurse, and me.
The Secretary and I shared the same filing cabinet. On the first drawer was her files. On the second was her belts for sale. On the third were my files and at the fourth were my PANTS FOR SALE. The last drawer contained pure Cacao Tablea from Kablon Farms.
Name it—Levi’s, Wrangler, Jordache, Gloria Vanderbilt, etc. I’ve got it. The men just told me their preferred brand and their sizes. They also ordered for their wives, mistresses, sons and daughters. I then relayed the specifications to my Ate Alma (Nanay’s youngest sister) and she delivered my orders once a week. I paid her the full amount in cash while my buyers paid me in 2 installments—on the 15th and 30th. We called this arrangement 2 GIVES. My aunt charged me ₱100 per pair of pants. I sold them for ₱180 each.
Every payday, I would give the Payroll Master the list of my customers’ names with the corresponding amount to be deducted from their payroll. He would set aside this in an envelope and hand the payment to me. This way, I didn’t have to run after anyone. No sweat.
We all received our allowances on the 5th day of the month. Some of the men were already struggling on the 3rd. They would ask me to buy their allowance for ₱100. Then on the 5th, the Payroll Master handed me their ₱130 allowance.
SMC provided us with free sack of rice every month. My room would be filled of sacks of rice during giving day. Some of the men sold me their sacks of rice for ₱85. Then after office hours, outsiders were allowed to buy sacks of rice from me. I would sell them for ₱130 per sack.
Kablon Farms was (it still is) being managed by my friend Jun Pantua. He supplied me with Pure Cacao Tablea and I sold them in our Office and to some restaurant owners.
Lastly, Tatay’s friend who was migrating to the US sold me his Dodge Coronet 440 for ₱5,000. When my uncle saw it, he instantly fell in love with it. According to him, that was the kind of car fancied by tourists from Saudi Arabia. Long, hard, stable and spacious. He offered to rent my car for ₱2,000 a month, net of all expenses. Without even thinking, I immediately said YES!
