| Chiong & Paras |
Sultans of homegrown innovationWhen life pitched ominous challenges in the fledgling business careers of Alonzo Chiong and Elpie Paras, calling it quits was  apparently the wise thing to do.But both men, natives of Cagayan de Oro, did not yield, instead they focused on what their ingenious eyes caught amid the storm: an opening for innovation. In 1980, Chiong established the Oro Asian Automotive Center. Ironically, it was also the same year in which assembly plants of major labels (Toyota and Ford) closed down due to an alarming decline in sales. As was the case, Oro Asian tried to pull things together by keeping vehicles aged 10 years and older on the road. It specialized in restoring conked out cars and catering to other needs of the automotive market under tight circumstances. In the heydays of his business, Chiong tripped on the idea to manufacture double-cab pickup conversions as, during that time, “new cars were very expensive and hard to come by.” This design would soon go down in history as the Aero-D (for Aerodynamic), the only locally branded pickup truck to be manufactured as a “light commercial vehicle” using off-the-shelf components. Meanwhile, Paras had his own share of mishaps four years after the establishment of his video-rental business, which was known for introducing first the Sony Betamax VCR in their town.  “It was life-threatening,” recalled Paras. “I suffered fractured arms and an injured pelvis after the ultra light plane I’m testing came crashing to the ground.”That plane accident became the turning point in his life, for the only thing he could do afterwards was tinker with a satellite dish that a friend had brought him. The dish, which came from Wisconsin, was shaped to become a bigger and more efficient dish antenna in the welding section of Paras Machinery, Elpie’s expanded business. Shortly, clear pictures of satellite TV programming from CNN, AFRTS, and Indonesian TV began flashing in the TV sets of family friends who wanted to catch the latest news and watch the NBA finals direct from the U.S. Paras’ satellite, like Chiong’s Aero-D, soon became a historical item as, for the first time, satellite technology allowed the world to witness eventful accounts of the first EDSA Revolution. Paras’ satellite dish provided Cagayanons a blow by blow account of the epic bloodless coup. During Aero-D’s production run, which ended in 1998 as commercial-scale importation of used vehicles from Korea and Japan has already claimed the new trend, Oro Asian put together approximately 500 Aero-Ds, with three models, many of which are still operating today. For his efforts in introducing and maintaining the Aero-D, Chiong was honored by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) as a Model Entrepreneur in 1991 and an Outstanding Partner in Progress in 1992. He was cited as the Outstanding Regional Entrepreneur for Northern Mindanao-Automotive Repair during the DBP’s 45th anniversary celebration which was graced by then President Corazon Aquino. From his larger-than-life satellite dish, Paras went on with other entrepreneurial quests. He set up Arriba Telecontact, the first homegrown callcenter in Mindanao, and Paramedix, a medical transcription company. His latest project sets Cagayan de Oro as the spot for the first citywide wireless fidelity (WiFi) Broadband Mesh network in the country. “In the next three years, when I would be taking a back seat in managing all these ventures and when my children can fully take over, I would like to be in the pilot’s seat and fly to anywhere in the country, land on water when needed and start enjoying the sights that the Philippines 7100 islands have to offer,” said Paras, baptized as the “I.T. Champion of Northern Mindanao.” On October 19, Chong and Paras will each be recognized by Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III III together with MSME Czar and PMS Director General Cerge Remonde as an Inspiring Entrepreneur from Northern Mindanao, an award given by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship as part of the Go Negosyo sa Cagayan de Oro slated at the at the Atrium, in the Limketkai Center. Go Negosyo sa CDO is part of PCE’s latest campaign, the Go Negosyo Caravan, which aims to bring Go Negosyo forums and expositions in key cities in the country. The Caravan has already visited Cebu, Bacolod, Baguio, Manila, and Pampanga. Go Negosyo sa Cagayan de Oro is presented by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship in partnership with the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Major partners include PAGCOR, Globe, Hyundai, San Miguel Corporation, Splash Corporation, STEAG State Power Inc., Limketkai Sons Inc., Unilever, PLDT, Smart, RFM Corporation, Concepcion Durables Inc., Del Monte and Entrepreneurs School of Asia. Media partners include The Philippine Star, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sunstar CDO, Goldstar Daily, GMA Network Inc., RPN9, NBN4, Aspac-Law and Creativoices Productions. |
