LIWANAG CANDLES - Malabon, Philippines

The pioneering spirit that led to the establishment of Sevilla Candle Factory, Incorporated was Bartoleme Uy, a Chinese salesman and shareholder of Hoc Guan Manufacturing Corporation, for almost twenty-five years. Having envisioned a bright future in candle making, he decided to go on his own and plunge into this business in 1964. He started with only a manpower of four people under the name of “Bagong Liwanag Candle Factory”.

The specific public of SCFI’s candles in its early stages was mostly the wholesalers in Divisoria and the customers of Hoc Guan Manufacturing Corporation. They booked orders for delivery and peddled their products by truck.
When the founder died in 1966, his wife, Segundina Sevilla and his three sons Jose, Pio and Eugenio took over the managerial functions  

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of the trading business under a new name - Sevilla Enterprises. The death of the company’s founder did not hinder the high spirits of the men he left behind.

The three brothers directly managed the corporation. Despite the different roles they play in the organization, they have equal responsibilities in running the family business. They discuss together their transactions and follow a common decision. Family cooperation and teamwork are among the firm’s success factors.

Under the leadership of the brothers, the business grew steadily and included wax products in their product line. Sometime in 1997 however, they decided to fully professionalize the corporation by sharing their leadership with their elder children. The second generation of family members have then completed degrees and have had exposures in leading corporations in the metropolis. Amidst this back-ground, the corporation started hiring professional mechanical, electrical, industrial and chemical engineers as well as chemists.

As a result of organizational revitalization, the business grew to a national level. Now, the company is beginning to reap good returns from their provincial operations in addition to their Metro Manila Sales.

The Company’s pride remains to be the world class quality of its candle and wax products. Quality and production efficiency keeps their business solid despite the changing demands and economic upheavals the country faces.