"Work Hard in Your Youth"...a Wise Reminder from Manny Relova, PAL's Hardworking "Salesman"
Posted on Tuesday, 3 November 2015
“Work
Hard in Your Youth”…a Wise Reminder
From
Manny Relova, PAL’s Hardworking “Salesman”
By Apolinario Villalobos
This blog is about a guy who propelled his
way to success by working hard since his younger days. The name may not be
familiar with other viewers, especially, those who were not connected with
Philippine Airlines. What I would like to impart here, however, is his
philosophy in life which is worthy of emulation, in the face of the prevailing
attitude of today’s youth.
Manny Relova worked his way up the
corporate ladder of Philippine Airlines which he joined after leaving his job
at the Elizalde Publications, as Circulation Manager. The said company was
known for their Evening News and Bulaklak Magazine. The job honed his expertise
in operation and handling of people, a responsibility that he held as a young
man and which became useful when he joined the country’s flag carrier.
In 1970, he joined the Marketing and Sales-
International Department of Philippine Airlines which brought him to Sydney
where he had a stint for two years, followed by a three-year assignment in
Honululu, and one year in Bangkok. He was later recalled back to Manila to head
the Sales Force, located at the S and L Building Extension Office, along Roxas
Boulevard, which was considered as the “flagship” for sales of Philippine
Airlines. The “S&L”, as what travel agents, corporate accounts and
government offices, referred to, was so strategically located, being within the
tourist belt, as well as the community of travel agents.
When Manny Relova set foot on “S&L”, he
could have felt the opportunity offered by such location that he immediately
embarked on the enhancement of the various services of the PAL offices at the
said site. In the process, special desks were set up to serve the specific needs
of the various segments of PAL’s clientele, through its “retailers” – the
travel agents, as well as, the government agencies.
Aside from the regular domestic and
international ticketing offices, other service outlets were Government Travel
Ticket Office (GTTO), the desk for Middle East market, and, Special Services
Unit (SSU) which was tasked with the computation of special fares that involved
connecting flights with other international airlines. These “special sales
desks” were the important sinew or muscle that made the Sales Force formidable,
in the face of cutthroat competition from other foreign airlines that had the
temerity of offering “bargain fares”, to undermine the effort of Philippine
Airlines.
Discipline was instilled in the mind of the
Sales Force, composed of young Account Officers who were trained to persuade
even the most inflexible travel agents to allow their clients to savor the PAL
hospitality, this despite the almost give-away fares offered by other airlines. The exquisite PAL service that speaks of
Filipino hospitality has always been the selling point of the “flagship” at
S&L, and which stiff competitors and trying times failed to erode.
During the incumbency of Manny Relova, PAL
enjoyed the “golden years” of international sales and marketing, such that,
many thought that the office along Roxas Boulevard where the Sales Office was
located, was the entire PAL itself. Those years brought to fore personalities
who became synonymous with “PAL sales”, such as Rene Ocampo, Archie Lacson,
Dave Lim, Danny Lim, Harry Inoferio, Elsie Enriquez, Noel Abad, Millie
Braganza, Dichay Gonzales, Ruby Precila, Tesi Ona, Ginny Gotamco, Ging Ledesma,
Lou Bengzon, Mona Pecson, and Jaime Lucas.
The legacy of hard work was passed on to
Rene Ocampo when Manny Relova was assigned to San Francisco and London. The
tradition of discipline was so instilled among the young Account Officers that
it strengthened their salesmanship in the airline industry. A few years later,
most of them have been promoted to higher positions such as managers and
vice-presidents.
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