A MEANINGFUL LIFE

Romy Sia’s visionary mindset, entrepreneurial approach, and genuine heart for service continues to put Healthy Options on top of its game

Marga Nograles and Pinky Tobiano’s philanthropic pursuits benefit Filipino communities

Beginning the interview, Romy Sia narrates the story behind his successful business. Having come back from living in the UK, he and his wife were surprised to discover that their son developed a food allergy. At the doctor’s advice, they were told not to give him anything with artificial ingredients. This proved to be a huge problem when he discovered that all products in the local supermarket contained one or more artificial additives. The dilemma prompted him to develop a store concept that provides all-natural chemical-free food products.

Healthy Options currently has 33 stores across the country. Next year, the brand is celebrating its silver anniversary. From a 106-square-meter space, its flagship store has expanded 4 times to 650 sq. m. at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Romy proudly says that the Uptown Mall branch to be launched after the ghost month is even bigger. And with it, a café that serves glutenfree and sugar-free bread, a much-appreciated gesture to their continuously evolving consumers.

With his years of experience in the industry, Romy has seen several food and fitness fads come and go. And with it, the increase in customers who are more informed and more attentive to their well-being. “I’m very excited. We have really seen the journey of transformation from 1995 to here,” he tells us. “I’m happy to say, people now are not only very aware but also very conscious about the connection between health, wellness, and food. In the 90s-2000s, people just wanted the pills and supplements. But now, no. People know that to control diabetes, hypertension, premature aging, [you don’t just need to] work out, [you also have to] fuel your body, eat the right stuff.”

This new sense of awareness doesn’t just stop with their bodies, as Romy observes. The rise of conscientious consumerism brought a clamor for more sustainable products and genuine concern on how these products are sourced. Healthy Options is very transparent when it comes to this. “That’s the trend I see in the future. People will be more aware of the planet. It’s not just about food or health anymore.”

Romy maintains that inside their stores, buyers are assured that all their products are of the best quality. “Our mission is to educate our customers because an educated customer is a good customer,” he states. “You can’t bullshit customers because

they will just go and check Google. If you step into our store, you don’t need to read the labels. Rest assured, everything we carry here has no chemical additives, no artificial ingredients— except for the diabetic products because sugar is natural, and the only way for diabetics is to have artificial sweetener. But we have very little of that.”

Cognizant of the complications in the food industry, Romy shares his learnings, “Part of the problem of sustainability I think is that we eat too much meat today. Good food costs money. If you go back to about 60 years ago, people just eat meat about once a week. Because of industrial farming where they grow chickens in less than 28 days, costs went down.

But at what cost? They bombard them (the chickens) with antibiotics and growth hormones.” Consuming these products, according to him, has led to the prevalence of many illnesses and growth disorders among children.

Visits to abattoirs here and abroad have made him realize the huge difference in how animals being raised for food are treated. “This is something we are very way behind in. My frustration with our local advocacy with helping the local farmers is that they are very passionate (about their animals). They really go all out to help them. The problem is, though they give their pigs and chickens TLC (tender loving care) when they arrive at the slaughterhouse, they are beaten to death. In the US, they use gas or electric [methods]. They knock them out instantly. Here it’s like a horror story,” he explains.

The noble mission of Healthy Options is something that Romy ensures is ingrained in his employees. To earn a spot in his team, candidates should believe first and foremost in the vision of the company. As ambassadors of wellness, they must be health conscious. And with the mandatories come the rewards as well. Employees are provided with a viable career path. Romy says that he understands that the battle of talent plays a crucial role in making a business successful, and bringing in the best talent will make this achievable.

At the end of the day, Romy’s success is a product of living a meaningful life. He says, “When you wake up in the morning, you’re happy, you feel fulfilled, and do what you want, and it’s not about money. When you’re doing something for the society and you’re giving back. Just like in Healthy Options, it’s not just about having more sales, but what you can share with the public. It’s about sharing what you know, sharing your values.”