29/06/2026
Last year, on her 91st birthday, I held Nanay Esing’s hand and made her a simple promise:
“Nanay, babalik ako sa susunod mong kaarawan.”
She never forgot.
For an entire year, she remembered those words and waited for this day.
And today, I came back.
Not because it was an obligation, but because some promises are made from the heart, especially to people who have quietly become part of our life’s journey.
Nanay Esing is the mother of Jun Gutierrez, one of our family’s most trusted and loyal associates.
In 1991, fresh out of school, Jun’s very first job was at Goodluck Commercial, the business founded by my late father. He started as a simple counter boy and all-around assistant, doing whatever work needed to be done and learning every aspect of the business from the ground up.
Thirty-five years later, he is still here.
Thirty-five years.
In a world where people come and go, where loyalty has become increasingly rare, thirty-five years is not just a length of service—it is a lifetime of trust, friendship, and commitment.
I still vividly remember the early days when I was just starting in business. Jun was my companion on my very first assignment as a rolling salesman.
We would load our products into an old Volkswagen Kombi van or a worn-out Ford Fiera-type delivery vehicle and travel from town to town across Sorsogon—Casiguran, Gubat, Magallanes, Juban, and Bulusan—selling general merchandise and simple household items like Datu Puti vinegar and Silver Swan soy sauce.
There was no air-conditioning, no comfort, no luxury—just an old utility vehicle, long roads, tired bodies, and two young men carrying products and dreams.
From early morning until late at night, we went from one public market stall to another and from one small sari-sari store to the next.
Back then, we had very little.
Back then, we could not have imagined where those long, tiring days on the road would eventually lead us.
Today, Jun heads our entire Electrical Engineering Department, overseeing the electrical operations and maintenance of more than 60 malls and town centers, our Oriental and Proxy hotels, our McDonald’s stores, our agarwood plantations, and even Goodluck Commercial—the very place where his journey with our family began.
From a counter boy and all-around assistant to becoming one of the pillars of our organization, his story is a beautiful reminder that loyalty, hard work, and faithfulness still matter.
People like Jun are the reason I sleep more peacefully at night.
Because businesses can grow, buildings can rise, and success can come and go—but trust, loyalty, and faithfulness cannot be bought.
They are earned over a lifetime.
Knowing that there are still people who remain loyal, who stay through the difficult seasons, and who treat our businesses as if they were their own is one of life’s greatest blessings.
Jun once shared with me that Nanay Esing would remind him again and again of one thing:
“Loyalty, loyalty, loyalty.”
Looking at his life, I realize that he listened well.
And I realize where that loyalty came from.
It came from his mother.
From a mother who raised her son with honesty, humility, hard work, and unwavering faithfulness.
A mother whose values shaped a man who stayed through every season—through the difficult years, the uncertain times, the victories, and the blessings.
This year, we are set to renovate Goodluck Commercial. As we prepare to give new life to the place where so much of our story began, I cannot help but think of people like Jun and mothers like Nanay Esing, whose quiet sacrifices and steadfast love are also woven into its story.
At 92 years old today, Nanay Esing reminded me of something very beautiful:
Love never forgets.
She remembered a simple promise I made a year ago.
And I will never forget the smile on her face and the warmth of her embrace when I arrived today.
Some moments cannot be measured by money, titles, or success.
They can only be felt by the heart.
Before leaving, I held her hand once more and made her another promise:
“Nanay, babalik ulit ako sa susunod mong kaarawan.”
And it is a promise I intend to keep.
Because in the end, life is not measured by the businesses we build, the titles we hold, or the success we achieve.
It is measured by the promises we keep, the gratitude we show, and the people who walked with us when all we had were dreams.
Happy 92nd Birthday, Nanay Esing.
Thank you for waiting for me.
Thank you for your prayers.
And thank you for raising a son who has become not only a trusted associate, but family.
Until next year, Nanay.
I look forward to holding your hand again.
