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Cebu is rich in commercial trade with people selling almost anything under the sun. Businesses are starting up each day to serve unfulfilled needs of the Cebuanos. Nowadays the bulk of firms engaged in commercial trade can be found in malls and department stores.
But in the late 60s and 70s, the downtown area was the place to be. It was in this area that one of Cebu?s oldest clothier was born.
The year was 1976 when a couple from Negros decided to come and try their luck in Cebu.
Antonio Arles and his wife were a young couple then, and they had only one question in mind at that time: ?What business to start with in the then young city of Cebu??
They later found out that there were not many clothiers or people selling ready-to-wear clothes such as uniforms, which was the business that Antonio?s father, Toñing, was engaged in Negros.
And so Antonio Arles decided to put up the same business in the downtown area in Cebu City specifically in Sanciangko Street. It was an easy choice for Antonio Arles because aside from having a father who already knew how to run the same business, he also can have his father and uncles as his suppliers of uniforms and clothes.
Antonio Arles also named the clothier after his father - Toñing. And so Toñing?s Clothier was born.
?They started the business right here in this same area we are occupying still,? Joseph Charles Arles, son of Antonio Arles, who now manages the business after his parents migrated to America.
Joseph Charles said that his parents did not have to invest a huge amount of money back then as they could easily borrow supplies from his grandfather.
The business grew over the years and the couple gained ownership of the area of the shop to establish a permanent address of their business.
Until now, the business, despite it's having grown to almost five tailors and 10 more staff including sales attendants, is still managed hands-on by the family with Joseph Charles and his wife now functioning as managers.
?I remembered helping out even when I was as young as an elementary student. My parents really taught us how to run the business properly as this was our livelihood, supporting our studies and all the needs of the family,? Joseph Charles said.
The clothier business has since evolved from just supplying ready-made uniforms to having their tailors make the uniforms for those customers who wanted their uniforms custom-made.
The clothier also make and rent togas for graduation especially since Cebu has become an education hub in the Visayas and Mindanao with its many colleges and universities.
For graduation this month of March, they have already prepared the black and white toga which college and high school graduates use for their graduation ceremonies.
?For the black and white toga, we charge only P250 with a P350 bond in case they don't return the toga to us because these are just for rent,? Joseph Charles said.
However, he said that they have not considered approaching any university in Cebu and offering to supply their toga exclusively as they want to cater to those who don't avail of their school's offered togas as well as those schools from outside Cebu.
?We don't want to limit our reach so we decided not to tie-up with any school,? he said.
Despite not having any tie-ups with schools, Charles Joseph said they still get customers who rent their togas because there are instances when a school supplier can?t supply all the toga requirements of a university especially those with many graduating students.
Joseph Charles also said that being a businessman, they just don't rely on a certain market, such as the seasonal renting of togas.
?We have other markets served to ensure the sustainability of our business,? he said.
Joseph Charles said that his family has no plans of expanding or opening other outlets anymore.
They instead plan to strengthen relationship with other customers outside Cebu like their customers in Leyte universities who always come to them for uniform requirements.
?We don't have plans to open new outlets. What we'll do instead is just to make ourselves more known not only in Cebu but all other neighboring provinces especially that Cebu is now considered a gateway to many other places in the region,? Joseph Charles said.
He also said that in the future, once they go to America and settle there with other members of the family, they also plan to hire a manager whom they can leave the business with.
?That's a possibility siguro and we'll just visit once in a while from the States,? he said.
