Art of Beauty: Ever Bilena's Tribute to Gymnast Caloy Yulo and Paris Olympians

By Matias Dennis U. Eroa

When it rains, it pours.

Double gold medalist Carlos Yulo, the poor kid from Leveriza, is not only basking in the glory of his magnificent campaign in the Paris Olympics but is drowning in a wave of financial and material rewards from the government and private sectors.

At the pulsating rate he is getting recognition, Yulo, not surprisingly is going to surpass the country’s first Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippine Air Force in incentives. The likable Diaz is now semi-retired as she focuses on having a child.

Everybody knows that after the flood due to the driving rains, the sun will shine. That’s why I laud Ever Bilena’s decision not to give eye-popping cash to King Yulo and the Olympians.

Ever Bilena’s Chief Marketing Officer and Sales Office Denice Sy said the business package given to Yulo will boost his dream of becoming a self-sufficient entrepreneur in the future.

Ever Bilena, founded by PBA team owner Dioceldo Sy, will be given P1 million worth of direct sales business package, while bronze medalists Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas will receive P250,000 each. Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, fourth placer, will also get P250,000.

I am unsurprised that Ever Bilena made these moves simply because it has a long-standing history of supporting Philippine sports.

Back in 2021, Ever Bilena also gifted Tokyo Games heroine Diaz with a P 1 million business package. During the early years of Manny Pacquiao, the company which, according to its website is an affordable but highly-quality cosmetics brand for modern, hard-working Filipinas, was on the side of the boxing great.

Dioceldo Sy, who described himself as semi-retired, is a long-time supporter of the multi-titled Gilas women’s basketball team, pro boxer Carl Martin, swimmer Jasmine Alkhaldi, wakeboarder Raphael Trinidad, chess prodigy Bince Rafael, and the National University Lady Bull Dogs, the UAAP’s record-holder for 100 consecutive victories.

Ever Bilena’s goodwill, however, isn’t just on sports. The company gained respect and admiration during the pandemic when the elder Sy decided to shoulder the salaries for April of 1,800 employees whether or not they could report for work.

This bold decision happened despite Ever Bilena’s shaky earnings as COVID-19 affected sales in 2019. By doing so, it became clear that Ever Bilena put a premium on the well-being of its employees.

Ever Bilena is beauty.

Author
Recent Posts

Dennis Eroa

Columnist at Sports Bytes PH

After 25 years of working with the Inquirer Group of Companies, Dennis decided to make an early retirement due to the pandemic. Formerly a college editor of UE’s The Dawn, Dennis learned the craft from the country’s leading chroniclers of sports namely Recah Trinidad, Al Mendoza,Jimmy Cantor, Chito Manuel and the late Larry Galvez, Doc Inigo and Tito Tagle. In the early 90s, Dennis became a section editor of Riyadh Daily, Saudi Arabia’s first English newspaper. He is an active member and officer of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, Tabloids Organization in Philippines and the Sports Communicators Organization in the Philippines, He covered local and international sporting events while working at Sports Flash, Malaya, Headline, Evening Standard, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Libre and Bandera.