Gerald “Gerry” Santos may not be a familiar name is showbiz, but he is close friends to many celebrities. He was the best man of Derek Ramsay when the actor wed Ellen Adarna, business adviser to Isabelle Daza, golf buddy to Aga Muhlach and fellow car aficionado of Albert Martinez.
These A-listers are not “just friends,” but have become family for Gerry, who have been in the ice business – he is the owner of Mr. Freeze Purified Tube Ice – for close to 40 years, earning him the moniker “Mr. Freeze.”
At the launching of his show, “Negosyo Goals,” last Tuesday at the Coffee Project at Worldwide Corporate Center in Mandaluyong, the cool CEO regaled the press with how he rose from being his dad’s employee to “Ice King.”
“Since I was a kid, negosyo ng family namin ice dealer. Kumukuha kami ng yelo ice plant. ‘Yung ice block tinitibag ng ice pick. During those times wala pang tube ice. Yung bloke hinihila, walang purification system,” he related.
“To make the long story short, I worked with my dad after graduating from college. Pero nung bata aka, may role ako sa father ko. Kunwari walang driver, sampa ka. Kung walang pahinante, sumasampa ako. So I know the ins and outs of the business.”
He was a dutiful son, working for his father for 13 years before starting from scratch and entering the buy-and-sell car business.
“When I excelled in the buy and sell business, sabi ko, siguro kailangan ko balikan ang business ng father ko, kasi naaawa ako. Pumipila siya pag summer. Wala kaming planta. By the year 2005, I decided to build my first 15-ton plant facility in Quezon City.
“Where did I get the name Mr. Freeze? ‘Di ba sa Batman pag binaril ka nagiging yelo? Nung ginawa kong Mr. Freeze ang brand ko, everybody started calling me Mr. Freeze. So parang ang branding aka ang nag create, ako rin ang marketing, so dun nag start.
“After 2012, Meralco, bought by MVP, was looking for a luminary, so after having 6 plants, I decided to, why not I share ito sa mga mahirap? Nag ano ako yelo sa tricyle drivers kung paano sila magkakabuhayan because they’re just earning P150 24/7 so, sabi ko, eto ang ice, P50 ‘yan per sack. Ilalako mo sa mga tindahan ‘yan, magbebenta ng tingi. And the rest is history.
“I started in Malabon, dumami ang mga tricycles na nagbebenta. That time I was nominated under SME Meralco Luminary and that was the start of the success of Mr. Freeze. I was the first Meralco Luminary and nilagay nila aka sa commercial ng Meralco. Dun na aka nakilala and na inspire ako to expand. Tuloy-tuloy ang expansion namin. Up to now, 90% of our volume goes to urban.”
The many lessons he learned growing his businesses are just some of the things he wishes to impart to the guests and viewers of “Negosyo Goals.”
“I gui-guide natin ang mga manonood kung paano magnegosyo nang maayos. … i-e-enlighten ko sila. Saka ang interview ko very light, hindi serious. Gusto ko may sense of humor, kasi ako ‘yun. Ayoko ng serious talk. Talaga ako by nature laging nagpapatawa.”
Gerry has discovered that happiness lies in contentment. And that realization has left him with no other goal but to help his fellowmen better their lives and see others succeed – including “Negosyo Goals.”
“Ang goal ko ngayon ay maging successful itong ‘Negosyo Goals.’ Kasi nag effort lahat, nag effort silang dalawa,” he said, pointing to his producers, Makers Mind Media Production’s Ivy Ataya and Joyce Selga,” ‘yung mga staff, cameramen, director. Para sa akin, part ng success ‘yung nabigyan ko sila ng trabaho. At the same time, itong AllTV kailangan ngayon i-angat. Kasi kung ano ‘yung natulong mo, babalik sa yo ‘yan.”
“Negosyo Goals” which airs every Sunday, 11:30 a.m. beginning March 19 on AllTV.
