A Boholano-Canadian Civil Engineer Back to His Roots
By Loy Palapos
Sunday Post Columnist
Success takes many forms, so varied that its categorization becomes an uncalled for limitation. For indeed, it can’t just be compartmentalized in terms of money and material wealth being accumulated, although these have incessantly been used as the barometer.
In the case of Engr. Luvino Uy, he transcends self-interest and seeks more green pastures not just for himself but also for his fellow Boholanos. For him, success has to be shared to make it more significant and meaningful. After several years of working and raising his family in a foreign land, he found himself ready for retirement, which he resorted to. But not to become less active nor dormant.
Instead, he started his own business. After Canada, he has branched out to the Philippines, most specifically in Bohol, where he just put up Lu & Friends Builders. He registered the new establishment with DTI (Department of Trade and Industry), which allows him to operate until October 2013.
Engr. Luvino Bastes Uy (LBU) belongs to a new breed of Boholanos whose projections in life go beyond what their eyes can see. This seal of service through entrepreneurship is what the country needs. Through their investments, employment is generated, and the economy of the nation grows. Even the present governance knows that the progress of the country is accelerated through the capital invested in small and medium enterprise.
Engr. Uy commutes to and from Canada, being a holder of dual-citizenship. He breezed into town to lay the groundwork of his new venture, and when this paper reaches the readers, he is already back in Vancouver for his other business concerns. But he will soon be back to concentrate on his new project.
LMP: Was Canada the first choice when you decided to go abroad?
LBU: I already had an approval in the US, but it took me too long to go there. Since my other siblings were already in Canada, I decided to go there instead. It was in 1977.
LMP: Where did you finish your course?
LBU: I took up Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering at the University of San Carlos.
LMP: After graduation, what were the jobs you held?
LBU: I was Personnel Manager of Palawan Development Corporation. The company is into export-import of logs.
LMP: How long was that?
LBU: It took me 4 months to recruit 30 people from Bohol.
LMP: After 4 months, what was your job?
LBU: I went to Manila and worked with Continental Construction Company as Resident Project Engineer. I stayed with the company for 4 years. After which, I went to Davao to manage Mr. Alfonso Uy’s UTC Marketing. We got edible oils from Baguio and repacked them in Davao. I lasted for about 4 years. Then I worked as Project Manager at Master’s Builders, Inc. in Manila and stayed there for 3 years. In 1977, I went abroad.
LMP: When you arrived in Canada, was there a job waiting for you?
LBU: I was already interviewed by a construction company in Canada while I was still here in the Philippines. But when I arrived in Canada, I found out that the company had to cost-cut, so I didn’t push through with the employment.
LMP: What did you do to while your time?
LBU: I worked in a shipping company, then in a plastic manufacturing company which manufactured containers; then I became a Maintenance Mechanic.
LMP: What year did you build your own company after working from one firm to another?
LBU: The Luvino Uy Real Estate Brokerage is already registered in Canada. I have been in business as Sole Proprietor since 3 years ago.
LMP: What other business do you have?
LBU: I also have my water-filter business of which I’m a distributor. I have one in Canada already. Way back, there was still no bottled water. Supposedly, I would have started it in Loboc but didn’t push through.
LMP: Regarding the brokerage business that you have now, do you think that it would still be growing despite the fact that there is a crash in the stock market?
LBU: I don’t worry because that’s in the USA alone. Canada’s not affected.
LMP: Do you consider that you are now at the peak of you career as a businessman, or are you planning to change into another course?
LBU: I am planning to branch out here in Bohol. My dream is to build a construction business.
LMP: I noticed that if someone from a foreign country puts up business in Bohol, that means that they can’t leave the province. In your case, do you find it hard to maintain your businesses in both countries?
LBU: I don’t find it hard because most of my clienteles are from abroad. Tabok-tabok lang ko from Canada and the Philippines.
LMP: What are your guiding principles in life?
LBU: Hardwork, determination, and perseverance.
LMP: What is the difference between life in Canada and life in the Philippines?
LBU: In the Philippines, the people are happy-go-lucky. In Canada, we have to work doubly hard.
LMP: What is the name of your wife?
LBU: Fidela Sarigumba, a BSC-Accounting graduate of Divine Word College. She’s one of the Managers assigned for security and exchange at the Royal Bank in Canada.
LMP: What can you say about Bohol today?
LBU: Bohol is already progressing, and I believe that it will progress more in the future.
LMP: You are a dual citizen. Which is more significant, Canadian or Filipino?
LBU: Filipino, of course.
LMP: What is your message to the Boholanos in other countries?
LBU: You come back to Bohol because the province is already progressing. Be a part of that progress.
We greatly admire Boholanos who don’t forget their roots, especially those who achieved success in their endeavors. For them, success should be shared…that there is more meaning in life where help is extended. Resting on one’s laurels and gratifying oneself alone is not an altruistic act, nor is basking in glory while the rest of the world suffers.
For Engr. Luvino B. Uy, the Christian tenet of being his brother’s keeper is an expression of nobility. Not that he wants to be branded noble, because that is not a necessity, but extending a helping hand makes a difference to the have-nots. Thus, his decision to put up Home Suite Home through his newly registered establishment, LU and Friends Builders. Through this project, he can give some jobs, give solace to retirees in their twilight years, and contribute to the
progress of Bohol.
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