COMMITTED TO SERVE HIS ROOTS

A Boholano trait that markedly distinguishes himself from the rest of his Filipino compatriots is his tenacity to cling to his roots even if he is safely ensconced in comfort with all the amenities in a foreign land. For him, he is never complete unless he has fulfilled pay-back time. It is only when he has served his “paisanos” that he can proudly declare he is a real Boholano. Victor Mirafuentes Migriño raised his family and built his fortune in the fabled land of milk and honey. After these twin tasks are commendably accomplished, he could have retired and live a life of leisure; but he has decided to come home to fulfill a dream of serving Dauis and its people, a noble dream that encapsulates his Christian faith.

He was born in Biking, Dauis, Bohol on April 24, 1945 . His father, Florentino Migriño, Sr. was an ordinary farmer. His mother, Rosario Mirafuentes, was from Barilis, Cebu . The couple raised five boys and three girls. Crispulo used to be a clerk in an architectural firm, and is now based with his family in Pasig City after retirement. Juanito and Perfecto are both deceased; the former was connected with the Manila Doctors Hospital , and the latter was a Lieutenant in the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines ). Milagros Labad married an officer from the Air Force and is now based in Zamboanga City . Maria Flores Labuni also married an Air Force officer. Florentino, Jr. worked in Manila before his demise. Angelita passed away at age ten. Victorio is the youngest in the family.

Vic studied at the Biking Elementary School in his first grade and transferred to Tinago Elementary School in his second grade, prodded by his father who had a transient job there. He enrolled at Holy Name College , then Bohol National High School , but finished his secondary course at Southeastern College in Pasay City . Because his parents cannot afford his college education, he decided to be a working student and was an accounting clerk of Medical Center , Manila while he took up a course in Business Administration, major in accounting, at FEATI University . After graduation he worked with Gotty Oil Company for a year, and PCI Bank for another year. Until it dawned on him that the best way to test his talents and his resolve for upliftment was to put up his own business. It was a decision that was not born overnight, but which he broaded over for months, after consulting some entrepreneurs and friends.

He opened “Mama's Favorite”, at the Manila Shopping Center , along Claro M. Recto Avenue , vending, perfumes, cosmetics, stockings, lingeries, and “anything that makes a woman beautiful.” The business venture progressed from 1970 to 1981. It was also during this time that he met, through some business deals, a beautiful lass form Calbaryo, Loay, Bohol . Perlita Baguio Pabatao was a Boholana with big dreams. She was a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major in Banking and Finance. The intense courtship ended in a wedding ceremony on January 9, 1970 , the Feast of the Black Nazarene of Quiapo. Two minds again proved better than one. Their knowledge about business entrepreneurship dovetailed. It was not an easy climb, but they persevered, propelled by their belief that some good things are always in store for those who labor and make things happen, not just wait. They opened “White Gold” a beer house along Harrison Boulevard , Pasig City, complete with singers and dancers. Simultaneously, they started a manufacturing company in Quezon City , specializing in cosmetics and perfumes, with distribution outlets from Aparri to Julo.

Unfortunately, fire razed the Manila Shopping Center in 1978, not sparing their first original store. This did not deter them from pursuing new business ventures. They branched out to mass production of RTW, with 2 outlets in Divisoria, 2 in Central Market, 2 in Pasig , and 3 in Baclaran, employing more than a thousand in his main office, warehouses, and stores. Their hands were full. The responsibilities kept on pilling up. At the same time they started to raise a family. It compounded the problems, but they proved equal to the tasks. The business kept growing, and with it came more demands for their time. The course they had in college paved the way for them to know time management.

Needing a respite from the problem in entrepreneurship, the family decided to have a vacation as tourists in USA . They stayed with a sister-in-law in New Jersey . It was a vacation that changed their outlook in life. Their friends and relatives advised them to stay in the States for good and do business there. It was an opportunity they took advantage of. They decided to try their luck in a foreign land. Besides, a cousin was already managing their business in the Philippines. Vic's first employment was a Sales Assistant at “Bambi”, a Japanese firm that imported watch items and assembled them in Ridgefield , New Jersey . Later, transferred to EAF (Executive Air Flight), a private aircraft management firm in Totorboro , NJ . Until the entrepreneur in him took hold of his resolve in 1983, and they decided to put up their own business, a retail and wholesale distributorship of perfumes and cosmetics. A luck, would have it coupled with their business acumen. Their new venture grew. They had 5 outlets in New Jersey and Jersey City , and 2 in New York , employing more than 30 workers in varied capacities.

Vic and Perlita have four children, all of them now living their own lives. Pamela married Miguel Franco from the Dominican Republic . She graduated from New York University , and is now a successful real estate broker. Voltaire has a degree in Business and Finance from Arizona State University , and is now the Vice President of Chase Bank in Tampa , Florida . Varon, a Computer Science graduate, is married to Edgar Balatbat, and is now connected with Quest Laboratories. The youngest, Pecchy, is married to Arnold Buquirin, and is a much in-demand mall showcase contractor. With seven grandchildren, and all the blessings the Divine Providence has bestowed unto him and his family, Vic is grateful and cannot ask for more.

Except, perhaps, being given a chance to serve the people of Dauis. He always nurtures in his mind pay-back time to his roots in Dauis. Even before, he already served his compatriots in various capacities. In 1973, he organized “Dauis Tinabangay Association” in Manila to help and to ease spiritual and basic needs in the community. In 1994, he became the founding President of Dauis Bohol Society International which was a non-government organization based in New York, U.S.A, and whose memberships were from different countries all over the world. In 1996, he became the President of the Bohol Circle of Eastern U.S.A, which was based in New Jersey , U.S.A. Equipped with management skills, he is now ready to lead a Municipality to progress. This is his dream, not for himself, but for the Dauisanon.

The gateway to his house in Biking beckons with a sign “Victory Hill”. To the right, upon entrance, is a chapel he built for his barrio-folks. The winding road to his house is bedecked with mango trees on both sides. The house itself speaks well of his accomplishments, as it welcomes anybody who wishes to exchange pleasantries with him. His doors are always open to all who come. As open as his desire to serve the community. Soft-spoken and very reachable by both the masses and the upper crust, Vic Migriño has long proven his worth as an entrepreneur both here and abroad. He is a successful family man. Humble in his accomplishments, he has but one wish in his life; to show to the people in Dauis how he loves them, by allowing him to serve them.

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