Jose Pardo: 2011 TOFIL Awardee for Business

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Category: Pinoy Entrepreneurs

Mr. JOSE T. PARDO. From instituting policy reforms in government to uplifting the lives of countless Filipinos with innovative social enterprises, Mr. Pardo has shown that it doesn’t matter if you’re in government or in the private sector. Giving back to your country is a lifelong mission that every Filipino must tirelessly pursue.

While attending college at the De La Salle University, he set up a car and air-conditioning repair shop by the shed of the family home. With some help from a well-to-do relative, he formed a team of mechanics, in what would be the beginning of a long and fulfilling career in business.

Mr. Pardo’s first stint as a public servant was with the National Economic Council, which eventually became the NEDA. He then joined the Productivity Development Center, an affiliate of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organization, where he championed human resource development, a feat that earned him a "The Outstanding Young Men" (TOYM) award at age 33.

In 1983, a time when the country was undergoing great political unrest, Mr. Pardo brought the 7-Eleven and Wendy’s franchises to the Philippines. The move was risky, to say the least, as the more prudent choice at the time would have been to pack your bags and migrate. When the 1986 People Power Revolution broke out, he gave away food from his stores to the soldiers at Camp Crame.

In the process of making his businesses thrive, he also helped found the Philippine Franchise Association. The pioneering effort not only created jobs and boosted the economy, it also became a key reintegration option for migrant Filipino workers. Today, franchising accounts for some 5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

In 1998, Mr. Pardo joined the cabinet of President Joseph Estrada as Secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry. One of his legacies was the formation of the Economic Coordinating Council, which improved efficiency and transparency in key government projects. He was also successful in promoting investment in the country, and at one point secured a massive US$340-million additional quota for the Philippine garments industry.

Two years later, he was appointed to the Department of Finance, where he put in place major reforms, including the scrapping of the SGS pre-shipment inspection contract that translated to some Php400 million monthly savings for the government, and the institution of a reward and incentives fund that improved revenue collection at the Internal Revenue and Customs bureaus.

In 2011, he was elected chairman of the Philippine Stock Exchange, just one of the key positions he now holds. But no matter what hat he dons, Mr. Pardo never loses sight of his goal: to help his countrymen in whatever way he can.

And with a reputation as spotless and highly regarded as his, it is no wonder so many Filipinos – businessman or not – look up to him as a role model.

(Jose Pardo is the awardee for Business in The Outstanding Filipinos (TOFil) Awards 2011. This is the TOFIL's official writeup for Mrs. Pendon. The other 2011 awardees are: Dr. Jesus Estanislao for Governance; Sylvia D. Pendon for Entrepreneurship; Dr. Ramon Nery for Government and Public Service; and Dr. Emerlinda Roman for Education. President Benigno S. Aquino III led the awarding ceremonies at the the Heroes Hall of Malacañang Palace on 12 January 2012.)