To our mind, the lady who put up a small retail store in the living room of her house in Malate initiated the rise of women empowerment in the country. That was 65 years ago when men dominated the hierarchy of business in the Philippines and elsewhere. While gaining the support of her husband Bienvenido, Gliceria (Glecy) Rustia-Tantoco brought Rustan’s (for Rustia-Tantoco) from the little outlet to the top of today’s retail establishments.
Rustan’s has grown and is the preferred shopping destination for discriminating women and men. Glecy had the sixth sense to perceive what shoppers wanted – style, comfort and the right price. She spotted talent where it lay hidden, as when she threw her confidence and support to the aspiring young designer Larrie Silva. While he has apprenticed for Pierre Balmain in Paris, Larrie was an unkown entity to Glecy. Yet she ventured into taking him. The rest is history.
She plucked the lovely Criselda Lontok from modeling to fashion designing. She still sells very well.
She established Rustan’s Supermarket with a combination of local and imported products. Today, it caters to homemakers (and housebands) who want quality food stuff. Here the Jabuco ham is displayed side by side with Purefoods’ own. The chain in some branches is now called Market Place.
Glecy’s legacy is alive in her children and grandchildren, who now carry on what she started.
One other lady we know is the genteel Diane Santamaria who had the foresight to see the many possibilities of cooking bangus, which we would like to call our national fish. Thirty five years ago, she opened Bangus Specialty Restaurant in the parking area of the Greenhills Shopping Center, with a Filipino ambiance consisting of ventanillas and balustrades. Here she introduced chicharon balat ng bangus, molo soup, sashimi, bangus lumpia, among others.
Her daughter Nina now manages the restaurant, where she has bangus belly aardines, All Busog breakfast meals, inihaw sa bilao which is good for three to four diners. To end a meal, there is the unique piniritong leche flan. Visit any of their two restos in Greenhills and Mall of Asia.
Both ladies – Glecy and Diane – have each left a legacy, something that their respective heirs are upholding very well.
Cheers!
E-mail me at lydiadolores34@gmail.com