Sisters embark on business adventure

Some people equate adventure with irrational risk-taking. But Daez sisters Carol and Cris, armed with family support, passion for travel, and knowledge about the business terrain, are confidently embarking on a new voyage: I-Discover! Tours & Adventures, Co., a travel agency at Oriental Gardens on Pasong Tamo in Makati.

The siblings were exposed to business management very early on. The Daez family have been involved in various ventures including a record bar, and a production studio that creates commercials and AVP’s. Cris and Carol are the only girls in a brood of five – 33-year-old Cris is the third child while Carol, 11 years younger, is the bunso.

The family traveled a lot, which made the siblings naturally fond of taking trips. In fact, Carol’s wish before graduation was to have her own travel agency. But it wasn’t until the two experienced a particularly frustrating trip in an Asian city that finally pushed them to follow their heart: the ladies were billeted in a dingy hotel located in a crowded, palengke-type locale and were not advised of tour kinks by their agent so they came home vowing to do the travel agency work themselves.

Unlike other travel agencies that typically get the job done in three to four days, the girls’ turn-around time is so quick that close relations used to come running to them for help in solving travel troubles, "All for free!" Cris enthuses, "So we decided to turn it into a business."

Finding A Place

Starting a company is not without frustrations but their story looks headed for success. Cris recounts how they happened to find the best location for their business: "We were scouting for a good place – good, meaning one that will meet all the requirements that we had in mind: it has to be in a residential and commercial building at the heart of a really good business district – either in Makati or Ortigas. We were originally eyeing the posh places in the Legaspi area and Salcedo Village."

Despite their three-week scout for a place "by foot, under the heat of the sun", the search proved fruitless. That is, until a close friend suggested a residential/commercial condo being developed by Federal Land along bustling Pasong Tamo in Makati.

Federal Land is the three-decade old property arm of Metrobank that set the trend of living in vertical apartments and condominiums in the Philippines. Oriental Garden Makati is one of its prime projects.

Cris remembers driving by Pasong Tamo and seeing the place, noting that it looks like a beautiful condo in a good location. The place also met all of the aesthetic requirements she had in mind: a ground floor unit with floor-to-ceiling windows and a parking space for the clients. She finally decided to set up a meeting with the developer of Oriental Garden Makati.

Residential And Commercial Winner

What sealed the deal for the two was the presence of three things that one won’t normally find in one building: "What we first loved about the place is the location, plus the fact that it is a residential condo," which means they have a ready market, excellent for their business. They asked their parents’ advice, showed them the place and the Daez elders like it.

"I really appreciate that the Federal Land people make themselves available to us when we need to contact them, even on Saturdays and Sundays." The girls narrated a dismaying experience in a different condominium, which happened when they had just moved in: Cris was given the right key to enter the unit but were handed the wrong key for their bedroom. When they discovered the mistake, it was evening, the end of a backbreaking workweek, and no condo personnel could provide them the right key. They ended up sleeping on the floor of their unit, outside their locked room sans bed, pillows, blanket and aircon. They were given the correct key only the following Monday, leaving the two feeling so upset about the incident. "We’re certain it won’t happen with Federal Land," says Cris. Carol adds, "And that condo doesn’t even have parking for our visitors!"

It’s All About Service

Carol is currently I-Discover! Tour Director and enjoys ‘family tours’ best where she gets to scout places that can be offered to tourists as possible destination. According to her ate, the newly graduated Management major is the company "handywoman", a quick-thinking/fast-acting troubleshooter.

It is Cris who takes on the bigger responsibility of managing the travel agency. Despite the heavy workload, she still finds time to teach high school math although she admits, "It’s difficult right now because of the birth pains." The two are thinking of adding more personnel to handle the operations.

There’s no place like home for Cris who has gone to many places around the world and still considers the Philippines her favorite travel destination. "We have pristine waters, we have nice people here. And you get to travel by sea, land and air – you experience everything!" Carol, on the other hand, is a young romantic who loved her stay in Spain.

For someone who has experienced the downside of looking quite young to be a manager, Cris knows not to judge by first impressions and instead takes the time out to discover the true worth of things: "Not all places that look posh on the outside are great inside," learns Cris. "The place has to have good people to support you." Right now she can say that Federal Land provides impeccable service to clients like them.