GFT Foundation Inc., the corporate social responsibility arm (CSR) of Gold Fortune Textile (GFT), held its medical mission last December 20 at Armal Village, Brgy. Sta. Ana, Taytay, Rizal.
It was led by its 23-year-old GFT President and CEO Enrico Sy along with his parents, chairman Eduardo Sy and vice chairman Jackie Sy. Taytay Mayor Allan de Leon, Brgy. Sta. Ana officials, as well as GFT employees also participated in the event.
The medical mission included medical and dental check-up, free ECG, RBS, eye check-up and reading eyeglasses, flu vaccine, reflexology, HIV test, and congee. Patients who were given prescriptions were also provided with medicines for free. It benefited more than 200 residents of the barangay and from nearby areas.
Gold Fortune Textile
Gold Fortune Textile (GFT) is making a mark in the local textile industry by building its capacity in order to become a world-class supplier for manufacturers’ textile needs. The Philippines used to be a major supplier not only of fabrics but also of apparel products and GFT, through the younger Sy, is positioned to help the industry regain its former glory.
The company recently inaugurated its flagship showroom in Taytay, Rizal. Here, customers can check out their products in a well-lit and comfortable facility and their queries can be addressed immediately by courteous staff who are trained in sales. They have also expanded their range of products that keep up with trends from overseas not only in apparel but also in home linens. Sy has likewise harnessed the power of social media to engage and build a customer base that has the distinction of putting a priority on quality products for their apparel brands.
From his parents’ 30-year-old RTW business, Sy has transformed the company into a modernized solution to address local entrepreneurs’ textile needs, such as more variety and better-quality fabric blends and prints, providing a one-stop-shop with their accessory products, and even customization services for bulk orders. “As time went by, we saw the demand and started to upgrade our production. We realized that the Philippines is following fashion trends in countries like Bangkok, so we decided to import different kinds of fabric instead of just pure cotton.”
Sy studied in the UK for his college degree and is pursuing Masteral studies. It was his background that prompted changes to do away with outdated practices. “When I took on the leadership role in the company, I also saw an urgent need to change its organizational structure and professionalize our business model, such as separating warehousing from sales and ensuring that our sales representatives are equipped to handle client inquiries.
Building bridges
The UK-educated young leader has also formalized its CSR component, through the GFT Foundation, which conducts community medical and dental missions that provide free healthcare services. Last year, they were able to serve 500 senior citizens with free basic medical and dental services. This year, they provided more services such as free blood sugar check, eye check up and free reading glasses, flu vaccination, among others. They are also brought in reflexologists to help senior citizens relax while waiting for their turn. Next year, they aim to add components related to family planning.
“It was my father’s dream to help our society. That is why we put up the GFT Foundation, which is also SEC-registered to formalize our CSR efforts,” said the young Sy.
Having experienced feelings of isolation as an overseas student also prompted Sy to build a community among second-generation Filipinos who were born in the UK and those Filipinos who are there to study. The Filipino Students and Scholars Association of UK will launch an activity featuring a support group that is universally loved by Pinoys—basketball. “Having this community will form a support group among Filipino students, so that they will feel less lonely. It will help to enrich the Filipino culture among those who were born in the UK, by getting in touch with their roots.
His vision is to also encourage these highly educated individuals to come home to the Philippines and invest in local industries such as garment manufacturing. “We need these people to start businesses here, to promote local livelihood and create more job opportunities. Filipinos are masipag (hardworking) and friendly to everyone, so why not invest in our own countrymen? If 50 students [build] garment factories, they can create up to 500 new jobs, from pattern makers, sewers, packaging, and more. These can create more chains and channels for employment. They can also establish trading companies that can showcase our products for exportation,” he said.
“My dream is for us to have big factories like they have overseas, producing world-class products that we can proudly export,” Sy said.
For more information about Gold Fortune Textile, visit https://goldfortunetextile.com/.
