Nedy Tantoco: ‘Rustan’s is all about knowing people and fulfilling their dreams’

Rustan’s is painting the town blue these days, and it has nothing to do with any school rivalry. For the iconic retail company, feeling blue this year is feeling great, as it celebrates its 65th Christmas and its sparkling sapphire anniversary.

So out of the blue, just slightly less than two weeks before Halloween, Rustan’s pulled out all the stops to unveil a trove of Christmas décor that is surely going to awaken something magical, something hopeful, something childlike in all of us. We are a visual type of creature, and festive surroundings transmit a happy vibe to our hearts. (‘Discover’ 65 Ways to Entertain through Rustan’s Home Styling Exhibit, which showcases tasteful displays all over Rustan’s stores — from whimsical to romantic, from nature-themed, to carnival-themed.)

Lighten up. Be merry. Be hopeful. Be childlike. There are enough problems in the world as it is, but the minute you walk into Rustan’s and gaze at its Christmas exhibits, you lighten up.

Out of the blue, be happy. Let Christmas lift the corners of your lips as well as the sails of your faith.

* * *

“Working at Rustan’s is all about knowing people and fulfilling their dreams,” Rustan’s chair Nedy Tantoco told me.

And truly it is. (For the grand prize in Rustan’s Extraordinary Christmas Promo, one big winner will be chosen to receive round-trip Business Class tickets for two to London via Philippine Airlines.)

 When I was a little girl, I liked going to blue-tiled Rustan’s Building (called the jewel box because its façade glimmered under the sun and glowed under the moon) in what was then known as the Makati Commercial Center, in the ‘80s.

Happiness was wearing a Rustanette frock as a gradeschooler, then the clothes worn by Rustan’s Young VIP as a teenager, and eventually Lady Rustan’s shoes as a working girl.

When I could afford branded leather goods before I even had a passport, I bought them at Rustan’s. Just the smell of the store made me feel as if I were part of the perfumed set.

Rustan’s was both an aspiration and a reality. Despite the luxury goods on the shelves and the posh interiors of the store, the sales ladies were always friendly, and there were signs all over that encouraged one to “Handle our merchandise. You’ll love it.” Shoppers thus got to feel, not just look at, the merchandise of the Philippines’ premier luxury retailer.

Indeed, Rustan’s, which began in 1952 in the elegant living room in San Marcelino of enterprising couple Benny and Glecy Tantoco, defined the landscape of luxury retailing in the Philippines and continues to do so. It paid tribute to the Filipino by letting them experience not just the finer, but the finest things in life.

It even raised the bar — unparalleled till now — for giftwrapping. So much so that gifts covered by the trademark Rustan’s wrapper and bound by its artful ribbon have become a status symbol — not just for the recipient but for the gift-giver as well. No wonder people queue up patiently at Rustan’s gift-wrapping counters during Christmas, and even return for their packages the next day. Such trust in the product, and in the store!

Rustan’s believes it is “more than just an elegant destination. It is above all else the home of the extraordinary shopping experience.”

* * *

Rustan’s chairman Nedy Tantoco once told me that her late mother, the former Glecy Rustia, was the “marketing wiz,” while her father Benny, still active at 96, was the supportive husband who made sure business was humming.

“My mother would not have been the success that she was without my dad, who took care of the back office — accounting, warehousing, security. Somebody had to do that.”

“From my mother, I learned the importance of hard work and perseverance. She and my father started out in the living room of their house, selling merchandise that my mother bought abroad. They set up a small gift shop on San Marcelino street, which was actually their living room.”

According to Nedy, her mother also taught her that “working at Rustan’s is all about knowing people and fulfilling their dreams.”

Nedy told me one of the things she is most proud of is how she and her siblings (only brother Rico and sisters Menchu Lopez, Marilou Pineda, Marilen Tantoco and Maritess Enriquez) have preserved the legacy of their mother. “I believe she would have been proud of what her family has accomplished, and that makes me proud as well.”

(On PeopleAsia’s cover this month are four of the third-generation Tantocos, who are all active in the family business: Paolo and Dina Tantoco, Mike Huang and Quito Lopez.)

* * *

Last Christmas, I asked Ambassador Benny Tantoco what his Christmas wish was.

Without a second thought, without further prodding, he replied, “I already have so much. I have nothing more to wish for.”

Indeed, “Lolo Benny” has been blessed not only with years in his life, but life in his years. He started working at age 16 as a movie house usher after his father passed away, sometimes taking on 15-hour shifts. He worked for his uncle Don Ernesto Rufino while pursuing his studies at Jose Rizal University. When he was eventually promoted, he quit his job to concentrate on the business he started with his wife Glecy.

But According to Nedy, her father has a new wish now: to live till 100 so that he will receive P100,000 from the city government. What will a man who has everything do with P100,000?

“He plans to give it to the third-generation who are already working,” says Nedy. I presume Lolo Benny wants his apos to continue being entrepreneurial.

Rustan’s is not only Glecy and Benny Tantoco’s legacy to their family. It is their living, thriving legacy to a nation.

(You may e-mail me at [email protected].)