She may be the president of the country’s premier chain of upscale department stores but Zenaida “Nedy” Tantoco, of the 61-year-old retail giant that is Rustan Commercial Corp., still writes her own Christmas cards.

She has done so year in and year out despite the demands and enormous responsibility of seeing through the legacy of her parents Bienvenido Tantoco Sr. and his late wife Glecy who began the iconic company, now estimated at P1.64 billion (according to the latest filing of the Securities and Exchange Commission), with an assortment of goods randomly displayed for sale in their living room.

Add to this her supplementary duties as concurrent president of Stores Specialists Inc., which brings major luxury brands from all over the world to the Philippines; as well as her active participation in the diplomatic scene as head of the Philippine-Italian Association among others; and her numerous philanthropic endeavors.

It is certainly admirable that despite an overflowing cup of obligations, the Rustan matriarch painstakingly writes personal notes aside from the customary “Merry Christmas” to go with the countless gifts she sends to her family, friends and business associates, who are now very familiar with her graceful calligraphy.

Her reason for doing so is simple. And it is neither a business tactic nor the result of an obsessive-compulsive personality. It is just because Christmas has always been and will always be a very special time for the Tantocos.

“My father always said, if you want to remain a Tantoco, you have to be there on Christmas Eve,” Nedy, the doting daughter of the former Ambassador to the Holy See, told The Sunday Times Magazine. “So every year, the whole clan gathers at the family home, carrying their little babies, and we would celebrate Christmas all together.”

The family man’s orders
In almost every news story or feature article published about the Tantocos, the subject—whether he or she is from the second or third generation—never fails to talk about their patriarch, Bienvenido Tantoco Sr., as a family man.

When Tantoco Sr. turned 91 in April of this year, his children and grandchildren were very generous in sharing personal stories about “Daddy” or “Lolo Benny” who is known to say that his family has always been his inspiration in life. Blessed with six children, 21 grandchildren and great grandchildren as of last count, they gave the public the glimpse of the man, not as the Philippines 38th richest man (“The Philippine’s 40 Richest,” www.forbes.com, June 20, 2012), but as a father who is at your beside when you are sick, and a grandfather who dutifully passes on his valuable lessons in life.

Naturally, the entire clan is most especially drawn to the senior Tantoco at Christmas time and feels very fortunate that he continues to be with them during the cherished season.

Granddaughter Katrina Tantoco-Lobregat, daughter of Tantoco’s only son Bienvenido “Rico” Tantoco Jr. and his wife Nena, shared with The Sunday Times Magazine that part of the family’s traditional Christmas celebration would be to “pay tribute to our Lolo.”

But the rest of it, just as the family man ordered, is as normal as can be—save perhaps for an occasional guest appearance.

“I would imagine most families share the similar elements that make a Christmas get together special,” continued Katrina. “In essence, what makes any Christmas celebration special is family.

As Tita Nedy mentioned earlier, Christmas Eve is always reserved for the Tantoco family. And during the eve, we celebrate Mass, have noche buena, take many photos, bond after a busy year, pay tribute to our Lolo, exchange gifts, open presents with the young kids. Sometimes Santa shows up, and towards the end of the night we play parlor games.”

Beyond having the whole family together at Christmas though, the Tantocos also strive every year to uphold their patriarch’s mandate to share and give back to those who work for and with them, and to the public that continues to patronize Rustan’s.

Sharing the feel of Christmas
On Monday, Nedy led key members of the family to officially signal the start of the Christmas season at Rustan’s. A very select group of representatives from the country’s eight national broadsheets, which included The Sunday Times Magazine, was invited to witness the special occasion, as well as to appreciate the newly renovated department store at the Shangri-La Mall in Mandaluyong City.

In introducing the company’s chosen theme for the year, Nedy’s son Anton Tantoco Huang, who serves as Rustan Commercial Corp.’s executive vice president, said in his remarks,
“Christmas is very important for all of us. It is the most magical and festive time of the year, and we take pride in sharing what we hold most special. So we hope that after seeing what we have to offer, you will all have a keen sense of what it means for us to ‘Feel Christmas’ at Rustan’s.”

To be sure, the Tantoco patriarch will approve of the handiwork of his daughter, and his grandchildren and their spouses in generously sharing the Christmas spirit with their patrons.

Besides Nedy and Anton, Anton’s wife Nina; Katrina and her husband Paolo Lobregat; and Dina Arroyo Tantoco, wife of Tantoco Jr.’s son Paolo, took an active participation in decking out the refurbished store besides their respective duties for the company. (Nina Huang is senior buyer for the Children’s section; Katrina Tantoco-Lobregat is senior buyer for Women’s; Paolo Lobregat is senior buyer for Men’s; and Arroyo-Tantoco serves as marketing and communication’s manager).

As if a towering Christmas tree, with its delicate branches lit by hundreds of twinkling gold and silver lights, is not enough to stir the feel of Christmas in everyone who sees it, each of the department stores’ four levels is decked out in the same lavish yet elegant display that has long been the Rustan’s trademark.

Eyes of the young and old widen at the sight, evoking a feeling of awe, while rousing sentiments of family and friends, which is precisely what the season is all about.

A family affair
More than the festive décor, the Tantocos worked very hard in making sure to offer their patrons choice merchandise to give to loved ones this Christmas.

As Anton put it, the selection is a “testament” to his grandparent’s vision to bring the best of the world to Filipinos, side by side with Rustan’s time-tested homegrown brands.

For the Women’s section, Katrina Lobregat, with the help of longtime family friend and renowned fashion designer Inno Sotto, selected a mix of classic and cutting edge styles from such exclusive global brands as Tadashi Shoji, Halston Heritage, Natori and enduring local labels, namely Criselda Lontok, Culte Femme and Jill and Luna by Jojie Lloren.

For the Men’s section, Paolo Lobregat zoomed in on his personal favorites, classic men’s fashion from the likes of Faconnable and Pedro del Hierro, and the more laidback looks from Rudy Project and Tommy Bahama, among others.

For the home section, Zeny personally saw to the exquisite selection of decorative and one-of-a-kind pieces, with the help of another longtime family friend, the respected architect and interior designer Chito Antonio, which brings to the Philippines for the first time Spain’s beloved Tengra porcelain and the famous bronze sculptures of Ebano.

Finally, for the Children’s section, which is the heart of Christmas gift giving, Nina Huang—who her husband Anton refers to as Rustan’s newest “draft”—thoroughly enjoyed scouring for classic children’s collectors’ items to creative finds from the lines of Adora Dolls, Gund, Autoart Traxx, House of Marbles, Stephen Joseph, Lamaze and Kid Kraft. She was also instrumental in bringing to Rustan’s Spain’s favorite children’s clothing label, Neck & Neck early this year, which showcases its latest collection for Christmas.

Ultimately for country
The Tantocos’ continued promise to bring the best of the world to the Filipino shopper is also recognized by many as a great benefit not just to the nation’s economy, but also in the sphere of foreign relations and now more than ever in tourism.

This year alone, the embassies of Italy and Spain have singled out Rustan’s as a driving force in strengthening the Philippines’ ties with their countries, not only through the company’s continued patronage of their labels, but also in Nedy’s tireless efforts to expose Filipinos to their respective traditions and customs by means of supporting cultural presentations. The most recent proofs of this are Rustan’s successful events, namely the much-lauded exhibits, operas and concerts it supported to celebrate with Italy in its 150th anniversary of unification in 2011, as well as “Corazon de España Festival” in September of this year to mark the annual celebration of Philippine-Spanish Month.

In a statement to The Sunday Times Magazine, Tourism Secretary Albert del Rosario recognized the Tantocos’ efforts in promoting the Philippines as an “attractive shopping destination” in Asia, much like Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.

Rustan’s marketing and communications manager for Cosmetics, Perfumery and Toiletries Division, Sevrine Miailhe effectively echoed del Rosario’s sentiments during the Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza visit when she disclosed that the design and layout of the new Lancome counter on the ground floor has been singled out by the international cosmetics label as the standard for the entire region to follow.

“With the amazing efforts of the Tantocos, there will be no need for Filipinos to go abroad for specific labels in the very near future; instead, tourists will be the ones coming to the Philippines to shop,” she predicted.

According to del Rosario, the Tantocos’ contribution to country throughout the rich history of Rustan’s comes as no surprise for he has long witnessed its founder Bienvenido Tantoco Sr.’s patriotism through his many years of untarnished service as ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.

For the new generation of Tantocos, however, these are all but in a day’s work. The orders of “the family man”—to give back to co-workers, friends, patrons and country.

This Christmas, every P5,000 purchase from Rustan’s will automatically earn a donation to the World Wildlife Fund “Light up the World” project. In turn, patrons will receive an eco-friendly LED Magic Bulb for accumulated purchases as well as the Rustan’s Timeless Planner.

WITH REPORTS FROM BERNICE CAMILLE V. BAUZON AND EUDEN VALDEZ

Sources: www.rustans.com.ph; ‘A Tycoon Nourishes His Roots,’ Ellson A. Quismorio, April 6, 2012, www.mb.com.