Celebrating the illustrious life of a business leader

By Bjorn Biel M. Beltran, Special Features Writer

Top Philippine business leader George T. Barcelon wears many important hats today. His success in life and the well-respected name he has built for himself is a result of decades of grit, resilience, credibility, and genuine care for people.

Mr. Barcelon currently serves as the president of the Integrated Computer Systems, Inc. and Paramount Vinyl Products and Interpolymer Corp.. He sits on the board of BDO Unibank, is a representative of the private sector in the Industry Development Council and National Competitive Council, and is chairman of the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT). He has also been elected as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (PCCI) new president for the second time, after his successful first term in 2015.

But before all of these, he started out as a graduate of chemical engineering at De La Salle University, working with his family’s rubber and plastic manufacturing company that made plastic sheetings and foam materials for footwear in the 1970s. That was when he had the idea to export to other markets besides the Philippines.

“Early on in the late 70s, when I thought that we should not only focus on the domestic market and ventured out into exports, we were able to deal with major US importers and grow the company,” he told BusinessWorld in an interview.

“We ended up with around 2,000 workers doing exports, and that allowed our Philippine-made products to be noticed. We were one of the earliest footwear exporters at the time,” he added.

That venture ended up with him getting involved with PHILEXPORT and the PCCI, with him being inducted into the latter’s Productivity Council in the 1970s.

Mr. Barcelon’s hobby at the time was electronics, and he entered into the computer business shortly before the 1980s. “I would say that I am fond of electronic gadgets. When we entered the computer business, we were rather new. I entered in 1978. We started very small, we started with five people. Now, we’re close to about 500. We work in different disciplines, from cloud to cybersecurity, and we deal with major companies,” he revealed.

Looking back, these are the things he recalled the most as being the catalyst for his own story of success. “Those are some things I personally don’t classify as achievements, but part of my journey,” he said.

From there, he moved on to venture in other areas. In the 1990s, Mr. Barcelon began investing in real estate in the logistics sector with warehouses and other similar properties.

“It’s been quite challenging considering what we’ve gone through as a country, politically, and economically. I’m lucky I fared out well,” he shared.

As for PCCI, the country’s leading and biggest non-stock, non-profit, non-government business organization in the country, comprising of small, medium, and large enterprises; local chambers; and industry associations representing various sectors of business, Mr. Barcelon hopes that he can foster better cooperation with the private sector and the government for a swift recovery from the pandemic.

In his first term serving as president, he has made a major contribution in getting PCCI to be a co-convenor to Sulong Pilipinas, the annual consultative conference between the Duterte administration and various citizen groups. Since 2016, Sulong Pilipinas has been the platform for the government to consult stakeholders on socioeconomic priorities.

“If there is a need for a system to change, we voice out what we hope to change. Other than that, we play by the rules,” he said. “We hope that the new administration will continue allowing us a venue for our voice to be heard.”

The continual pursuit of a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas is how Mr. Barcelon approaches his leadership roles as well.

“Given the mandate that you have, you have to be able to impart to your coworkers or associates that commitment in working. It’s important to be able to learn to listen. In any organization of people, one cannot do everything by yourself. You’ve got to be able to listen to the people you work with and balance things out. You may have your own opinions and ideas, but others may have their own. You’ve got to balance it out. If theirs make more sense, you’ve got to be willing to say ‘I will accept your suggestion’,” he stressed.

As for doing business, Mr. Barcelon emphasized the importance of commitment and integrity to aspiring businessmen. At his core, he also believes that caring genuinely about the people you work with can be the key that leads to success.

“If you want to do business, you better be ready 24/7. You have to be committed. It is something that you should feel that you want to dedicate your life to, and want to learn. Nothing comes easy in business, and it’s important that when you start out you make sure that your integrity is there. With that, there comes credibility, and those things are very important in business. There will be some failures along the way but one should learn from them. If people view you as a trustworthy person who is credible, you can just start again,” he said.

“I’m a people person. I like to meet people. I like to know people, and any way I can help people. One of my philosophies in business is I’d like to make my people successful. Their success translates to my success,” he shared.