Jo Soliman

It started as a vision of one man whose pioneering spirit enabled him to touch lives by the millions through his entrepreneurial and socio-civic endeavors.

Once upon a time, this young man gave up his own dream, to help his father and his family navigate through turbulent and tough times, and build an agricultural business monolith responsible for providing affordable, quality rice for most Filipino families.

The vision was ensuring that every Filipino will have sufficient rice on the table. And the mission was accomplished when Santa Rosa Farm Products became a prominent name in the agri sector, after which it was reinforced by its sister company Purefeeds Corporation which became included on Philippines's Top 600 Corporations List on 2011.

The two companies best exemplify the meaning of synergy, as Santa Rosa Farm was the "kanin" and Purefeeds was the "ulam" representation. The first took care of the grains business, while the 2nd handled the livestock, feeds, and animal husbandry.

But our man has always been committed to excellence and surpassing expectations, that is why he has been pursuing continuous improvement in the grains business, as showcased by how he has consolidated the same under Pure Rice Milling and Processing Corporation, which manages a US-designed, state-of-the-art, high-tech milling facility with cleaning, dust collecting, drying, tempering, storage, hulling, milling, polishing, misting, sorting capabilities, producing 20 to 30 tons milled rice an hour.

But having achieved success in a very competitive but highly lucrative business did not satisfy the man as much as he wanted to. There is a certain emptiness even as the business thrived and grew exponentially. And this is were the man's humanity suddenly emerged outside of the financial reward.

Remembering how his mother brought him and his siblings up with honor and cherished values of respect and dignity, the man dedicated an all-out endeavor of saving lives, and giving back to the community.

The establishment of the Rosita Soliman Foundation (RSF) became the great equalizer for the man who had always felt that he needs to give back to a society which has been very kind to him in his attainment of entrepreneurial success.

The Rosita Soliman Foundation has been the bedrock of the man's humanitarian efforts, as it endows school buildings, classrooms, educational scholarships, and learning aid materials like books, journals and school supplies. To date, the RSF has already gifted the nation with 45 classrooms across regions.

But it does not end there. Our man's magnanimity extended to the most fragile amongst us - children. Through the Rosita Soliman Foundation, children with genetic physical defects like cleft lip, and those suffering from Hirschsprung Disease, were medically adopted and given the opportunity to undergo corrective surgery. More than 40 children have been beneficiaries of the foundation, and there is continuing commitment to provide for more. Each and every episode of the child who is a recipient is in itself a story about miracles, of how our man and the benevolence of his mother, has significantly changed the life of a child.

Not only that, it has more that 10 different types of firetrucks and equipments and 5 ambulance with 2 of it with Advance Life Support units and 3 State of the road Toyota Land Cruisers same as that of the United Nations. The Foundation partnered with Raha Volunteers Fire Department in managing its fleet of rescue and firefighting equipments.

Again, it is essential that we highlight how our man considers saving previous lives as a significant part of his persona. It is for him, a mission in life and a calling. It is why, aside from the aforementioned educational and health assistance being extended by the Rosita Soliman Foundation, it also developed a disaster and emergency response team which is on standby 24/7 with a full complement of volunteer firemen and emergency rescue personnel.

To make the said disaster and rescue team even more responsive and efficient, our man invested heavily in top-of-the-line, high tech rescue equipment and systems, to the point of even establishing an ultra-modern command center and digital app for rescue and emergency assistance, under his Pure Force and Rescue Corporation.

Currently, his Pure Force App has been downloaded by Filipinos here and abroad, and many have attested to how it was able to help, especially in very critical moments in saving lives. It is also important to note that the efficiency of Pure Force is due to its land, sea and air capability in emergency response, as it even deploys helicopter units through Rotors Leasing Inc., another proactive endeavor which offers charter flights and free medivac operations. Even foreigners have been so amazed on its functions just on the recent Sea Games 2019 which catered to 783 live medical emergencies. It has proven its participation on APEC, ASEAN events as well.

Over the years, and personally seeing through and experiencing a number of calamities such as earthquakes and typhoons, our man continue to seek ways in rendering assistance not just during actual emergency situations, but even through the post-disaster environment when basic services remain unavailable.

This is where Pure H2O and Solar Equipment Corporation came into being, offering clean water technology and solar power to communities severely affected by calamities. When a deadly, magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal in 2015, Pure Force H20 was crucial in readily providing the devastated country with the much needed clean water needed by its weary citizens. Shortly thereafter, even the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) recognized the value of what our man has offered in producing clean water during emergency situations that it has invested in it, and has considered it essential in disaster preparation and management.

Our man is quite proud of his Filipino heritage, and to showcase Filipino ingenuity skills and business acumen to the world, he has put up foreign versions of his local enterprises in agriculture, establishing Pure Agri USA LLC as well as acquiring prime agricultural lands and investments in Papua New Guinea.

And as part of his promise to his father to be prudent and circumspect in investing, our man founded a Company, which is the property holding firm which is into real estate acquisition here and abroad.

With all of these, you think our man is done?

Not yet.

Our man has learned his lessons, and even the most painful ones are challenges that only emboldened and strengthened him further. Even when he was pressured and harassed by previous governments and rivals, he never wavered in his resolve to establish his name that has stood out among the many. At times he may have been outfought, outmaneuvered, or manipulated, but never has he given up, nor completely surrendered.

Yet with all the accomplishments and endeavors, he still is on the lookout for opportunities in various fields, and is relentless in seeking to establish his niche even in cement, generic, own-brand drug distribution and retail, and other enterprises.

In the coming year, he is raring to go and launch 5 to 6 NEW business ventures, which he feels will be able to substantially contribute to the country's economic progress, and provide his fellow Filipinos the opportunity to make their lives better than before.

This is our CEO. This is our leader. This is our man.

And there can be no one like Jo Soliman.

AFFILIATIONS

AWARDS