by Queena N. Lee-Chua
BLUEWATER Maribago Beach Resort in Mactan, Cebu, turned 25 last July 2014.
Given stiff competition, including foreign resort chains on the island, how was Maribago able to register a more-than-90-percent occupancy rate during the low season? Answer: Family.
In July 1989, Arcadio Castillo Alegrado, a gentle 80-year-old Cebuano who does not look a day over 60, and his Butuanon wife, Marle Montalban Alegrado (now deceased), established the Bluewater Resorts group, of which Maribago is the flagship.
Through hard work and remarkable savvy, the couple managed to make Bluewater Maribago a household name and at the same time raise their three children.
June Alegrado Ugarte, 48, the eldest, runs gift shops in all their properties, which include Bluewater Sumilon near mainland Cebu and Bluewater Panglao in Bohol.
Jovi Alegrado, 39, the youngest, was based abroad for years, but has been undergoing management training since his return.
At the helm
It is the middle child, Julie Alegrado Vergara, 44, who has taken the helm.
“I appointed myself president,” laughs Julie. “We did not have a formal structure before, and professionals were coming in, some as vice presidents, so I decided to name myself president.”
If only succession were this smooth for all family businesses!
Certainly there were no complaints from June and Jovi, both hands-on parents busy raising their families, and relieved at the turn of events.
“Who else would be the successor?” asks Arcadio rhetorically.
With a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Hotel Management in Austria, Julie also went for masteral studies in Entrepreneurship at the Asian Institute of Management, graduating with distinction under the tutelage of experts such as Eduardo Morato, Jr. (now with the Ateneo Graduate School of Business).
Aside from possessing the educational requisites, Julie also has years of practical experience. She, together with her siblings, grew up in Maribago, and started working there in 1995, when she was 25 years old.
She knows the ropes, and indeed, was the one responsible for company expansion into other resorts, including Almont Inland Resort in Butuan and Almont Beach Resort in Surigao.
Togetherness
In the Alegrado Family Constitution can be found this declaration: “We value togetherness and enjoy each other’s company. We complement and bring out the best in each other. We seek to foster an environment of openness and transparency through acceptance of individual differences.”
Family members are open with each other. It helps that three generations live in the same residence, albeit in different wings.
“We see each other every day,” says Julie, “so we talk about things big and small, at mealtimes, or when we bump into each other.”
Instead of siblings who live far from each other and who need formal board meetings to thresh things out, it is convenient for the family to discuss issues the moment they arise.
Valuing family harmony does not mean that there is never any conflict. All families face conflict, but the successful ones know how to deal with it.
The Alegrados were raised to not be aggressive with each other.
“We do not shout in the family,” says Arcadio.
“Instead, we give each other the silent treatment,” laughs Domiku Ugarte, 25, June’s eldest son,
“but only for two to three days.”
Domiku, a finance major, works as duty manager in Bluewater Panglao.
“Then everything is all right again,” says Jovi. “We live in the same house. We cannot be mad at each other for long.”
“Afterwards, we discuss the problem,” says Julie. “So there is no resentment on anybody’s part.”
Accountability
“We are conscious of our roles and tasks, and we endeavor to maintain an awareness of the consequences of our actions,” reads the Family Constitution, “We value discipline and refrain from a sense of entitlement, keeping always in mind our responsibilities, not only in the stewardship of the family business, but also towards the community through philanthropic activities,” Julie said.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
