Thousands of Boholanos migrate to many parts of the world, especially to USA, the fabled land of milk and honey. Many have succeeded in their quest for greener pasture in varied endeavors. Many end up selling pots and pans, or care-giving. In a place where blue-collar jobs earn more dollars, the prospects are endless. Knowing Florentino Cosare Arcamo, Jr. (FCA) is befriending a big-time Boholano in the networking business in California and Florida. As a Salesman he was the top in his field. While many of his compatriots had to content with low income during their stay abroad, Jun was a mega-hit, easily earning more than $10,000 a month. This interview took place at the Buzzz of Island City Mall, with his fourth wife, a very pretty and charming Lady from Panglao. It was a Monday (March 10) and, over lunch, I learned a lot from the Great Salesman.

LMP: How does it feel being considered as a successful Boholano immigrant? Is it a mission accomplished?

FCA: I think so, because very few can really claim success, especially for a person with a shy background and personality who, all of a sudden became successful in a foreign land. Yes, I feel very elated, honored and fulfilled.

LMP: Does it follow that because of this you don't aspire for anything anymore? Is it the end-trail?

FCA: Yes, that is correct. I worked very hard when I was in the US for 26 years. I have already achieved the summit, the top of the mountain in the field of sales. I am very thankful to God, to my parents, and my siblings. I am very much fulfilled and happily living a stress-free life in Panglao. In fact, my business associates in the US still could not believe I retired. Because when I was at the height of my business career, I really had so many followers who begged me to stay, and even asked me to write a book about my success story. Until now, I still receive offers via email. But I guess, there is an end to everything. Now, I am very happy as a retiree. I just want to enjoy the fruits of my toil. I am very, very fulfilled, the fact that, I entered the Seminary to become a Priest, but God has another mission for me. He made my brother a Priest, but not Jun Arcamo. Why? For He wanted me to touch people financially. Because of my association with multi-level marketing, we empower people to become rich. I became an instrument in helping people to pay-off their debts, own nice cars and houses, and many others. I feel very much fulfilled in that aspect, that I was able to help them financially. Another reason of my fulfillment is, I teach catechism to the youngsters in my neighborhood in Panglao, and feed them afterwards. There was even a time, a politician asked me to join his team, but I refused.

LMP: So, you are already through with all of the struggles?

FCA: Yes, I am done with it. I don't need power, recognition, and more money. Even though money is good, but there is an end to everything. I am enjoying my life, I am living a stress-free life, and Praise the Lord for that.

LMP: Let's start from the beginning. Where were you born, and the school you attended?

FCA: I was born and raised in Tubigon. I studied at Tubigon Elementary School. In high school, I went to Christ the King Seminary in Quezon City, Manila.

LMP: So, right after graduation from elementary, you already wanted to become a Priest?

FCA: Yes, because at that time, Holy Cross Academy was run by an SVD Priest, Fr. Aloysius. He encouraged me to become a Priest, and promised to pay my schooling in the Seminary. When I finished high school, and I was about to start my first year in college, I suffered from anemia. I was advised to take a vacation for one semester. After that I didn't want to go back to the Seminary anymore.

LMP: What was the reason of your not going back?

FCA: Because I was heavily involved in a band. Music is my passion, my hobby. Instead of going back to the Seminary, I enrolled at Divine Word College.

LMP: How many are you in the family?

FCA: We are ten, four girls and six boys. Norma A. Camoes graduated from Southwestern University, and is a Registered Nurse in Newark, New Jersey. She got married to a Portuguese Doctor, Manuel Camoes. Msgr. Floro finished Priesthood in Mabolo, Cebu, and is a Diocesan Priest assigned at the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Eden A. Bonin has a Masters degree in Education. She is an Engineering Analyst in Loral Satellite Company in Palo Alto, California. Dario is a Commerce graduate from Divine Word College. He is now retired and is living in Sunnyvale, California. He used to be the Manager of Integrated Circuit Company. I am the fifth. Next to me is Joy A. Jareed, a retired teacher and is now a Consul of the US Virgin Islands. Dennis passed away some years ago. He was an Aeronautics graduate, once associated with NBI-Manila, and became Councilor of Tubigon. Marian (+) was a Doctor of Medicine from Velez College. Nerses finished BS Nursing at the University of Bohol. He is presently a Manager of a Company in Orlando, Florida. Our youngest is Roy, a graduate of Velez College and is a Doctor of Medicine. He is now practicing his profession in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.

LMP: Your parents?

FCA: My father was Florentino Cloma Arcamo, Sr. He was a District School Supervisor in Tubigon. My mother, Marcelina Basio Cosare was also a Public School Teacher.

LMP: How would you assess the way you were brought up?

FCA: Our father was very strict. All of us were brought up as God-fearing and obedient individuals. He always reminded us the importance of education, that is why all of us were able to graduate from college.

LMP: How many children do you have?

FCA: I have four. My eldest, Dirk Jonas, is a graduate of BS Physical Therapy from Our Lady of Fatima University. He is happily married with one kid, and is currently working as a Physical Therapist in New York. Second is Dean Jason, who took up BS Psychology at the University of Florida and graduated Summa Cum Laude. He is now connected with the Veterans Administration in Virginia, USA. Third is Debjuter; he is a BS Medical Technology graduate, and is based in New Jersey. The youngest is Crystle; she finished BS Psychology, and after working for 2 years, she decided to take up Nursing. She will be graduating this year.

LMP: Let's talk about your wife.

FCA: My first wife is Teresita Tripoli Arcamo, she is the mother of my first three kids. The mother of my fourth child is Judith Velez. She is a Puerto Rican whom I met in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. When we got divorced, I met Maria Elena Ang. We lived together for 27 years until she passed away because of breast cancer. Presently, I am happily married to Maria Rina Bongcac.

LMP: What were the jobs you had before you went to the States?

FCA: After I graduated from Divine Word College for my degree in Commerce, I taught religion for one year at Tubigon High School. After that, I went to Cebu City, and landed a job as a salesman of Collier Encyclopedia. Since it was a tough job, I decided to look for another opportunity. I was employed as Sales Supervisor of Sustagen and was assigned in Butuan City. After one year, I applied at BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands), and worked with the bank for four years.

LMP: What encouraged you to leave your job and go to the States?

FCA: When I was still with BPI, I became in-charge of the Savings Department (the dollar remittances). Upon the arrival of the remittances, I was the one to notify the beneficiaries. That made me aspire to earn dollars in the future. So, I called up my two sisters who were teachers at St. Mary's Catholic School in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. I talked to the Nun running the school if I could teach there. Even though I don't have a degree in Education, I was able to experience a one-year teaching job. She told me, if the immigration office permits my documents, they would accept me. Fortunately, my papers were approved. I left for the US right away.

LMP: How long did you teach there?

FCA: For 5 years, from 1974-1979.

LMP: After that, you settled in Daly City, right?

FCA: Yes. When I landed a job at AT&T as Supervisor of the Accounts Payable, that was when I transferred, because I used to live in Sunnyvale, California. On weekdays, I worked as Supervisor of the Inventory Control of Advanced Micro Devices, and in the evening, I played with my band.

LMP: Why did you transfer to an insurance company?

FCA: It started when, Baby (Maria Elena Ang), whom I had not met yet at that time, attended a party in San Francisco. One of the guests was from Sunnyvale who happened to be my friend. They talked and she asked for referrals, and this friend of mine gave my number to her. Baby called me up, and she told me, she got my number from Tess. She asked me, if she could see me because she had something to discuss or share with me. I told her, I was so busy because I have a full-time job from Monday to Friday, and also on weekends from 6 AM to 6 PM. But, she said, “You must have a holiday?” So, I relayed to her the schedule of my holiday. She came into my house, and convinced me to buy insurance. When my application was done, she asked if I want to sell insurance as a part-time job. To make the story short, she was able to convince me. The reason I succeeded in selling insurance was because I happened to browse a magazine, and in the last few pages there were these advertisements recorded on cassette tapes about Psychology and Selling, Peak Performance, and many others. So, I bought these cassette tapes, and made my car a university on wheels as I listened to the topics I mentioned earlier. That was the time I realized that you are what you think.

LMP: So, that was the start. You grew up, and made your own group. When you were on top of it, how many were working for you?

FCA: I had about 800 people.

LMP: Are you still receiving commission until now?

FCA: Yes, aside from my pension.

LMP: When you transferred to Florida, was it a good decision comparatively, economically?

FCA: Yes, God is so good to us. I was already receiving over ten thousand dollars a month with Surety Life Insurance at that time, when Excel Telecommunication was introduced to me by Pastor Corpuz, one of my team leaders. At first, he was planning to recruit me, and that made me angry, because I appointed him to manage one of the groups, since we were transferring to Florida, and who would manned the team, if he was serving two masters at the same time? Without me knowing it, he talked to my wife about Excel Telecommunication. Baby attended their first orientation in Orlando, Florida, and was amazed of their presentation. Slowly, my wife opened the subject to me again, and told me to attend their business presentation, because she wanted to join, and she needed my opinion about it. Their concept was very simple. Everytime someone picks up the phone, and dial 1 plus area code, which means a long-distance call, you were already making money. The longer they stay on the phone, the more money you earn. My interest started to bloom. The income we could get from Excel was much bigger than Surety Life Insurance. So, we applied to become Excel Agents.

LMP: How does it work?

FCA: In networking, you don't have to open a store, just like any other businesses do. No monthly rental for the office space or store, no need for personnel, no electric bill, no inventory, etc. All these extra baggages are eliminated, and all you have to do is to sell the product through word of mouth. The reason why our networking business prospered was because we approached the warm market first, meaning, our brothers and sisters, relatives, cousins, and friends. When we joined Excel, we were tasked to recruit 20 customers. When these customers paid their monthly bills, 10% of it would be our commission. We didn't become wealthy with our monthly commission, but through recruiting more agents and taught them to do the same, that's the time our income went up. So, my wife and I had a division of labor, she was in-charge of the recruitment of customers, and me, for the agents. We went over our address book at home, and scrutinized each listing whether they belonged to the customer side, or possible prospect to be an agent. We implemented a 90-day plan of attack. For 3 months, we initiated our business presentation at home, three times a day from 9 AM, 3 PM, and 7 PM. What we did was a blueprint of success.

LMP: After all that you have been through, what are your plans now?

FCA: All I do now is to live one day at a time. I am ready and excited to meet my Creator.

LMP: What is your philosophy in life?

FCA: I always go for fair deal. God created all of us equal and unique. My premise in life is to treat everybody fairly, no matter who you are or where you come from, because in the end, God will judge us equally.

After the razzle-dazzle of high-end living in Florida. Jun has come back to Bohol. The young man who wanted to be a Priest, has ended up an excellent Salesman. Just like Jesus Christ who was able to spread The Gospel through his 12 Apostles, and to the millions all over the world, Jun Arcamo, the shy guy from Tubigon, was able to conquer his fears and became a top-notch businessman in the networking circuit.

But, as he said, “Everything has to end.” The years of conquest are a thing of the past. He is now happily settled in Panglao, teaches Godliness to a group of children, and feed them regularly. Money in not an end by itself, but a means to an end, an instrument to spread the Word of the Lord. Stress-free and fulfilled, he is ready to face his Creator.

(Website: www.loypalapos.com ; Email: loy.pal@gmail.com ; Cellphone: 09981701129)