| Jose Bituin |
Engraving future in furniture After weathering natural disasters like the Mt. Pinatubo eruption and the unpredictable and dwindling Philippine economy several years ago, Jose Bituin has carved his own protection and mastered taking the blows of fate as tough as his internationally-acclaimed woodcarvings.Bituin learned the ropes of the furniture-making industry by helping his father manage his billiard-table making business when he was younger. Although the shop did fairly well and he felt great assisting his father in his errands, Bituin still desired to “have his own ship to pilot” someday. During the Vietnam War In 1972, the handicrafts business was ironically finding its edge in the local and international market. American soldiers who were temporarily stationed in Pampanga would shop for local handicrafts to bring home to the U.S. Having witnessed the growth and popularity of locally-made products, Bituin asked permission from his father to let him join the crafters bandwagon. Although hesitant at first, his father eventually gave him the go signal. But like all big dreamers who finally immersed themselves in the cutthroat business world, Bituin found himself waking up in a tougher reality. At that time, he already decided to start with fashioning woodcrafts out of Acacia trees, which were fairly abundant in Betis. However, in 1978, the acacia business slacked off. There was almost no demand for his excessive product supply that his siblings even became his own clients. So, he looked for other options and eventually ventured into furniture making, which stirred a great following in the local setting. “Exporting to the other countries has also became an option as most of our frequent buyers at that time were foreigners, who were really astounded by the quality of our homemade products,” Bituin shared. The long-standing town of Betis in Pampanga became known for its excellence in woodcarving and furniture making in the country, spearheaded by Betis Crafts Inc. But the fun was cut short with the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. At that time, there was no factory business in Pampanga that survived. Clients stopped knocking on their doors. Bituin found himself looking for more capital to keep the business afloat. But most banks have already denied service to them. “We couldn’t borrow money from them because they think that the eruption totally damaged our land properties that they could not serve as collateral for our loans,” said Bituin. “So we found ourselves starting from scratch.” Fortunately, after many years of seeking help, an upstart money-lending outfit offered Bituin financial assistance that helped them get land clearance from a Mt. Pinatubo disaster commission that helps rebuild businesses. Since then, Betis Crafts Inc. (BCI) has become the country’s most respected conglomerate of furniture manufacturing companies. BCI has even furthered its export transactions to US, Europe, Middle East, Australia , Japan and Russia. It has even branched out to three other companies managed by his children: the More Than A Chair Inc., the JB Woodcraft and the Woodsource, which supplies raw materials for production. BCI products are also carried by popular international firms like And So To Bed in the United Kingdom and the Williams-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware in the United States. BCI’s designs were hewn through Jose and his wife Myrna’s fascination in buying furniture design books during their travels and then incorporating them in their furniture ensemble. Often, their clients also propose their own design concepts as they also provide a more “personalized” touch in their products, veering away from the mainstream, mass-produced pieces and only rendering originally-conceptualized masterpieces. “Most of us are easily discouraged by a simple business deal that we failed to close or an irate customer that threatened to sue, those little things that can be really heartbreaking” Bituin observed. “But if these setbacks didn’t come in the way of an entrepreneur, if they aren’t pushed hard enough, they wouldn’t know that there are better things ahead of them, just waiting for them behind the barriers.” For his outstanding contribution to Pampanga’s entrepreneurial legacy, Jose Bituin will be honored by Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III as an Inspiring Pampanga Entrepreneur, an award given by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship as part of the Go Negosyo sa Pampanga slated on October 8, 2007 at the Bren Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando. Go Negosyo sa Pampanga is part of PCE’s latest campaign, the Go Negosyo Caravan, which aims to bring Go Negosyo forums and expositions in key cities nationwide. The Caravan has already penetrated in Cebu, Bacolod, Baguio, and Manila. Go Negosyo sa Pampanga is presented by Philippine Airlines, PAGCOR, Globe, Hyundai, PLDT, Smart, Islands Souvenirs, Philippine Trade and Training Center, DTI-OTOP, and RFM Corporation. Other partners of the event include The Philippine Star, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Bulletin, GMA Network Inc., RPN9, NBN4, Aspac-Law, Ideal Minds Corporation, The Master’s Lighthouse Foundation, and Full Circle Communications. |
