Labor of love puts smile on tillers
The Asian crises in 1997 caught up with me, affecting my business operations and unfortunately, I went bankrupt.
A quotation that says, “what goes around, comes around” had helped in establishing Ramon Uy Sr. to what he is now, coupled with the guidance shared by his late father that made him more firm in his advocacy.
Uy told the Daily Tribune that his father once told him that, “it is better to lose money than to lose your face,” which became imbedded in his mind.
From these inspiring words started the journey of Uy as he pursued what he considered could be beneficial for him and his fellowmen.
Uy shared that he became a college dropout after completing his high school studies at the Don Bosco College in 1963, where he gained his practical technological knowledge.
Several years after, or in 1968, he established a small tailoring shop at his hometown in Bacolod City, the income from which allowed him to survive.
In 1974, Uy said he was able to save at least P3,500 from his “labor of love” from his small shop to establish a modest business that he called R.U. Marketing, which primarily supplies locally-fabricated machine parts as substitute for imported ones that he delivers to his clients at the sugar centrals in the province of Negros Occidental.
In 1995, Uy was able to expand the operations of his business in preparation for the implementation of projects under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade under the World Trade Organization, where his company opted to borrow a large sum of money.
“But the Asian crises in 1997 caught up with me, affecting my business operations and unfortunately, I went bankrupt,” he said.
But Uy’s determination and his firm religious belief, coupled with his advocacy of promoting the Filipino’s ingenuity and talent, he casted no doubt on the competence of his countrymen, and continued with his objective to succeed in his chosen career.
“With God’s grace and blessings, I was able to develop a shredder machine, which I believed can revolutionize the agricultural industry in the country,” he shared.
According to him, the equipment is now being used as a waste reduction machine that can be utilized for the implementation of solid waste management programs of the various local government units and non-government organizations in the country.
His company, now known as R.U. Foundry and Machine Shop Corporation (RUFMC), eventually grew to become a multi-million-peso business and a byword in the industry when it comes to production of quality metal products and equipment.
Organic farming advocate
“RUFMSC now caters to the casting, machining and fabricating demands and requirements of the agriculture industry, cement/mining factories, as well as agroindustrial companies in the country,” he said.
Way back in October 2008, Uy said that RUFMSC likewise started to extend its services to the small farmers in Negros Occidental by creating its agribusiness division, which he called the Ecological and Agricultural Development Foundation Inc. or Eco-Agri.
With God’s grace and blessings, I was able to develop a shredder machine, which I believed can revolutionize the agricultural industry in the country.
He said its primary purpose is to advocate organic farming through the conduct of a series of trainings and seminar sessions in an effort to assist the local farmers to become resilient and sustainable in food production and security.
“After all, my advocacy is to aid the farmers by sharing life-changing technologies which can help them improve their lives,” Uy said.
While not all his endeavors made money, like for instance getting “zero profit” from some of the projects he implemented, Uy said, “I have no regrets as long as I see a farmer smiling from the benefits generated by the projects I implemented for them.”
With these developments, Uy said RUFMSC, which is now an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, will continue to develop and manufacture high-quality machinery and equipment to promote and help support the country’s agricultural mechanization program, solid waste management and utilization, and organic farming in the Philippines, which he said can help the small farmers to become economically productive and attain sustainability in the operation of their respective farms.
Rural dev’t leader
Uy also shared that he intends to “stitch” and unite efforts and resources of the different line agencies, private sector, non-government organizations, academe, religious groups, overseas Filipino workers and other concerned sectors to be able to make the marginalized farmers become aware of farming technologies which are now available for them to utilize in their respective farms to become progressive and sustainable.
According to him, RUFMSC is now in the forefront of rural industrialization by providing fabrication and welding equipment in the rural areas.
Likewise, Uy’s company has been very instrumental in the construction and setting up of solar-powered irrigation systems or SPIS in the different provinces of the country, which contributed in enhancing the agricultural output of farmers in the rural areas.
Uy was also instrumental in the development of a practical technology that allows sugarcane farmers to produce organic muscovado sugar in the countryside.
With all these developments, RUFMSC was also able to create conducive atmosphere for employment where the company continuously trains and develops its personnel, generate economic opportunities, help them learn and acquire more knowledge and technologies to become more productive — personally and for the industry.