When we think of a businessman, we think of someone cunning and competitive who’s all about money. It’s hard to picture them as kind, caring and compassionate. But in a world where cutthroat competition often defines the business landscape, one remarkable entrepreneur stands out, proving that success can be achieved while keeping kindness and respect at the forefront. Meet Gerardo “Jun” Cabochan, the founder of Pandayan Bookshop.
Jun founded Pandayan with his family in 1993 four years after working in the government (he was a chief of staff of one of the senators and secretary of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee). Now, he is the managing director of Pandayan, one of the largest bookstore chains in the Philippines, with over 140 branches and 2,000 employees across the country.
Pangarap Para sa Panday
While many business owners adhere to the standard protocols of employee welfare, offering only benefits mandated by law, Jun surpasses the ordinary and goes the extra mile to ensure his employees enjoy a high quality of life, with a special focus on their family well-being.
Aside from the company’s mission and vision, Pandayan Bookshop has a five-pronged vision for their employees, which they coined Pangarap Para sa Panday. This goes beyond what any Filipino employee is mandated to receive from their company, including genuine support for their family life.
“We wish every regular employee to own a house and lot, send children to good schools, eat nutritious food, wear decent clothes, and spend leisure time once in a while. We survey how many are able to build or buy houses,” shared Jun.
“For the Pangarap para sa Panday to happen, we have monthly bonuses and annual profit sharing. We also have two employee-owned cooperatives that release healthy dividends every year.“
He also shared the benefits that they give to all their regular employees:
- Kasalang Pandayan (every two years, sponsored by the company)
- 3 Days Wedding Leave
- Wedding Anniversary Leave
- 7 Days Paternity Leave
- Calamity Leave
- 5-7 Days Bereavement Leave
- Scholarship Program for Children of Employees
- Graduation Benefit
- School Family Day Benefit
- Solo Parent Benefit
- Spouse and Child Hospital Care Benefit (up to 30 days)
- Company excursion with family members
Empathy as the Driving Force
What inspired Jun to develop these extensive benefits and embrace a family-oriented approach as a business owner? It all comes down to his profound empathy and ability to put himself in others’ shoes. He believes that empathy is key to coming up with relevant benefits.
He related an instance where an employee suffered a devastating loss, which led them to create a valuable benefit that supports all their staff who are parents.
“For instance, more than a decade ago, an employee was unable to work because she needed to care for her child in the hospital. Her child died. It was heartbreaking. She lost her child and used her vacation leave during the time she took care of her child.
This event triggered the creation of the Spouse and Child Hospital Care Benefit whereby an employee will be fully paid for taking care of a family member confined in a hospital for up to thirty days,” he shared.
They also welcome suggestions from employees on what changes and benefits would be very meaningful to them, and implement these suggestions.
“We try to maximize the impact of every benefit. For example, once there was a request to add more rice to the sack of rice given to every regular employee during birthdays. We decided to add another sack of rice for each regular employee during his or her Pandayan employment anniversary,” he shared.
Because of his efforts to elevate the standard of living of his employees, Jun has been fondly called “Ama ng Pandayan” by his employees. And this is a title that Jun is happy to receive.
“I have been referred to by employees as “ama ng Pandayan” many more times than “may-ari ng Pandayan”. I like to think of “ama ng Pandayan” as a term of endearment, that workers feel more secure when their “ama” is around.”
On Making Other People Happy
Why does a successful man such as Jun Cabochan give utmost importance to improving his employees’ well-being? Where does his compassion for others come from?
“In a college retreat, when asked what I wanted to do with my life, I replied, ‘I want to make people happy.'” he shared.
He attributes his commitment to bringing happiness to others to the influence of 2 individuals and 1 institution. The first was his late father who served as a government official and was a very thoughtful, approachable, and helpful person.
“He gave away money as if money was created to be given away,” he recalled.
The other influence was his alma mater, Ateneo de Manila which encouraged every student to be a man for others. Jun remembered doing community work in rural villages while he was a student volunteer in college. That is where he met his wife of 46 years, Luz, who he describes as a “very generous woman.” She was also a fellow student volunteer during their time at the university. Together they have four children and nine delightful grandchildren.
For Jun, knowing that his employees are happy gives him peace of mind.
“I sleep well at night. I don’t worry about employees treating me as an adversary. We form one community in Pandayan. We help each other. My sister thinks Pandayan is a cult,” he joked.
On a practical level, he believes that happy employees treat customers well. This means repeat customers and success for their business.
“Employees who feel cared for are able to focus on work. This focus enables them to enter a flow state wherein all their energies and talents are used to do good work. Many employees work without noticing the passage of time. Quality work leads to fulfilment whereby work and life goals are realized,” said Jun.
Meanwhile, he noticed that when an employee is having problems at home, their work and productivity is affected.
Many business owners see minimizing payroll as a justified method for maximizing profit. After all, financial statements are computed that way. This makes it hard to accept the workability of treating employees well and making more money at the same time. But for Jun, treating people well is compatible with greater profitability and prosperity for everyone.
He firmly believes that if more individuals earnestly wished for the success of others, it would lead to a better quality of life for everyone.
“Kung mayroon tayong pangarap para sa sarili natin, dapat mayroon rin tayong pangarap para sa kapwa natin. Palagay ko kapag ganiyan, uunlad tayong lahat.”
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