EDGAR SIA

EDGAR SIA

• Born to second-generation Chinese- Japanese-Filipino parents, Sia grew up in Roxas City in Capiz, a small town 280 miles south of Manila.
• His parents ran a grocery store where Sia worked on weekends as a cashier from the age of 10. He went to the University of St. Agustin in nearby Iloilo City to study architecture but dropped out one year short of graduating.
• Edgar "Injap" Sia II is the man behind Mang Inasal, one of the fastest growing food companies in the Philippines, which has become a modern icon of the Ilonggo culinary culture.
• His parents gave his the nickname Injap because Sia is originally from China while Jaruda, his mother's name, is originally from Japan. Injap stands for Intsik-Japan.
• His parents are businesspersons and it was expected that he take up some business-related course in college. He took up Architecture instead.
• At age 10, Sia already helps out in the family business, stacking merchandise, taking inventories or manning the counter after school. It was with the family business that Sia developed the sixth sense for business.
• By age 20, he was already running multiple businesses which include a photo developing store (Injap Color Express), a 58-room three star hotel (Four Season Hotel), and a laundry shop (Mister Labada).

SUCCESS AND EXPANSION

Sia had a lot of franchise inquiries but he held off until 2005. He joined the Philippine Franchise Association Not long after, he brought the Mang Inasal to [[Luzon]. He also developed several monitoring procedures to safeguard quality and cleanliness. He also established a research and development team for product development. He also implemented advanced online supply ordering system for his branches. To date, there are 306 branches nationwide.

Aside from Mang Inasal, Sia also revived the Deco in 2007 after he partnered with the owner’s children. Deco is considered the original batchoy, started by a young butcher name Deco Guillergan Sr. in 1938.

AWARDS 

Sia was the Small Business Entrepreneur winner handed out by Ernst and Young in 2010. He also received the Urban Leadership Award from the Canadian Urban Institute because of his outstanding contributions to the enhancement of the public realm and the quality of life in the Metro Iloilo-Guimaras area.

Sia, a father of two, says that the family has put some of their newly acquired fortune to good use. The Sias are building a church in Roxas City and recently donated $500,000 to a new public college in Iloilo. “It’s our gift to the cities that embraced Mang Inasal and gave us the confidence to take it places.”