RIDING TO THE TOP
Angkas’ GEORGE ROYECA shares tools of the trade and how his company empowers the Filipino
“Me and my wife, Angeline, we’ve been serial entrepreneurs all our lives,” says Angkas’ George Royceca. “We’ve handled many businesses in tech, retail, and consumer. We are always trying to solve problems.” This husband and wife team is very much both partners at home and work, with Angeline as the CEO handling the operational side while George is in charge of marketing and regulatory. “Angkas is similar to Uber and Grab, but with a focus on two-wheel vehicles,” says George. “We do both transportation of people and delivery.”
According to George, the biggest misconception about Angkas is that it was an overnight success. “I think we’re very far from being a well-established company, I don’t think we’re there yet. We’re on the path to getting there but we still have a lot of challenges,” he says, noting that while the company has been around for three years, the consumer base don’t see the hard work behind the scenes. “A lot of people don’t see that. They only see what happens after, like the awards and the accolades.”
George mentions that in the beginning, the biggest hurdle to conquer was not the government, but the public. “When we first started Angkas, there were so many negative connotations about motorcycles. Everyone hated them and wanted to run them over,” he says. “Our top customers during that time would take Angkas every day but get dropped off three houses away from their house. It embarrassed them.”
Eventually, the government got involved, and their initial actions were confounding to George. Despite having professional, in-house regulations and insurance, Angkas was shut down twice. “I thought ‘Why are they doing this? It makes no sense,’” says George. “And what I realized is there are always two perspectives. Life is not about good versus evil, my side versus your side. The government actually wanted the same thing: Trying to solve the traffic problem while keeping the commuters and the public safe.”
With an accident rate of 0.03% and a safety record of 99.97%, Angkas was able to convince the government that the brand was safe and legitimate. “I realized that in asking the government to accredit and endorse us, they have to be very, very sure that we are safe,” he says. “When you hit a brick wall, it’s not because they’re stupid, they’re your enemies, or they don’t understand you. You need to reach out and bridge that gap, which is our aim when it comes to working with the government.”
“Imagine 1 out of 3 Filipino families, half of them depend on motorcycles for their livelihood,” continues George. “There is not a single law that protects the customer or protects the biker. And because this affects a significant population of our country, it’s high time we have relevant and intelligent laws that we can implement for and behalf of our people.” As of today, there is no finalized regulation bill in the Philippines for motorcycles. This is how Angkas wants to be an agent of change. “Millions of Filipinos' lives are at stake. For most of them, the first purchase they ever make as a family is a motorcycle, because that is the center of their economic freedom,” says George. “We need to take a serious look at how we treat them.”
As a business development person, George believes there will always be issues to contend with in any job. “Nothing is ever smooth sailing,” he says pragmatically. “You will always have to deal with situations.” He realized as he went up organizations that his line of work did not just mean dealing with the business, but managing the people in the business. “Professional honesty is very important to me because there is nothing worse than someone who won’t admit he doesn’t know anything,” says George. “It’s not what you know that will get you the sale; it’s what you don’t that will keep you believing you know for sure.” For George, attitude is the most important factor when he looks at prospective employees. “Attitude is what creates culture, and the right culture in the right company is what makes things go forward. Even if you are super smart but you have the worst attitude about work and life, I will kick you out,” he says.
George believes that anyone can be an entrepreneur. “I want to stop the impression that the Philippines needs to create the next Facebook, or the next Netflix. That’s pangmayaman entrepreneurship,” he says candidly. “What about the base of the pyramid? Entrepreneurs surround us. They just lack the platform to succeed.”
He remains proud and committed to supporting those who drive for Angkas. “My guys earn PHP 1500 a day,” says George, “which is triple the minimum wage, and they own their own time. They get to take care of their children, take them to school, or bring them home.”
An avid motorcycle rider himself, George says that unfortunately, he has not been able to do it much recently. However, when he gets to unwind, he enjoys sharing a nice bottle of wine with his friends. “I also enjoy traveling, and because of technology, I can work while traveling,” he says. “I look forward to going to Niseko every year.”
According to George, work-life balance is very important. “A meaningful life is one where family and personal life is the major priority,” he says. “If you let your work take over, then you’ll end up unhappy.”