| Wilfredo Tan |
Making homes out of houses Wilfredo Tan couldn’t help but smile upon seeing the happy couple bidding each other goodbye in front of their beautiful house. He felt that somehow the happiness shared by the two was part of his.“I thought to myself, if I didn’t pursue my business of building houses especially for those who could not afford mansions, then they (the couple) perhaps would be homeless,” Tan said. “The incident gave me a feeling of satisfaction, very much like fulfilling a mission.” Tan has been in the construction industry for almost 21 years now. He is the President and CEO of HausLand Development Corporation, the entity conferred by President Arroyo with the 2003 Developer of the Year award, which, according to him, humbly started as a single-proprietorship business named HausLand Assets and Realty. An avid Cabalen and the 2004 Most Outstanding Entrepreneur awardee of the Development Bank of the Philippines, Tan has literally developed numerous communities in his hometown through economical yet quality houses built in areas like Angeles, Mabalacat, and Florids Blanca. His development projects have spanned success, expanding to neighboring provinces like Tarlac and Nueva Ecija. Tan’s brainchild, which started operating with only a one-bagger cement mixer and a makeshift renegade jeep as roller (pison) for its 4-hectare maiden project, the Villa Regina Subdivision in Angeles City, currently boasts an average of 500-700 houses a year. For the 51-year-old entrepreneur, who started out by distributing 3M products and setting up Marcs Audio-Visual System, passion to deliver equitable co-existence, through HausLand, means a personal and unending feat as it “helps embellish the economy, promotes dignity in labor, and, most especially, comprehends human values.” At present, Tan is frenzied in developing his latest project colorfully tagged F.I.E.S.T.A. (Family Investment Environment Shelter Technology Affordable) communities. He said that the project, which is solely for the benefit of the masses, is set to further his goal as a socially inclined entrepreneur. He has since delved into socialized housing, a pro-poor strategy of providing people affordable and quality homes, which he pinpoints as the defining mark of his business. “If there is one thing to identify the success I’m experiencing, it has got to be my social concern,” he said. “HausLand is not merely about building houses but making homes.” On October 8, Tan will be meeting again with President Arroyo, this time with Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III, as he will be honored as an Inspiring Pampanga Entrepreneur, an award given by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship as part of the Go Negosyo sa Pampanga slated 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 in the country. The Caravan has already visited 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. |
