For 26 years, Benjie Dela Cruz has worked at Manila Golf and Country Club. He knows the course, the game, and the importance of helping people feel welcome. Now, at 42, he is building on that experience as he works toward a long-held dream: starting a small business.
Benjie joined the Customer Services NC II course through the technical vocational scholarship program of Manila Golf and Country Club Foundation, Inc. (MGCCFI) and Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI). When the opportunity was introduced to the caddies, its entrepreneurship component caught his attention. He hoped the training would help him prepare to run a business and earn an additional source of income.
“Ang goal ko ngayon ay magkaroon ng secondary income, dahil sa mahal ng bilihin, yung kinikita namin medyo kinakapos na rin,” he shared.
An education put on hold
In 2000, Benjie passed the entrance examination for BS Accountancy at the University of Makati. But his family was facing financial difficulties, and one of the children had to stop studying so the others could continue. Benjie stepped away from school.
A neighbor then introduced him to Manila Golf and Country Club. Knowing nothing about golf at the time, he began as a ball boy, retrieving balls on the course.
“Masaya na akong kumikita ako ng 100, 150. Siyempre, tuwang-tuwa ako kasi nakahawak ako ng sarili kong pera,” he recalled.
Over time, Benjie learned the game and became a caddie. He even competed with caddies from other golf courses. As his experience grew, he began sharing what he learned with newer caddies. For Benjie, helping them develop the right attitude matters as much as helping them understand the game.
Yung attitude kasi, para sa akin, ang number one na pinakaimportante. Sana kung gumaling kayo someday, i-share niyo rin ang tamang knowledge para sa mga susunod na henerasyon ng caddies, para sila rin, ma-share nila ang tamang pag-uugali at pag-assist sa mga players.
He is grateful for the trust and support Manila Golf and Country Club has given him throughout his years there.
Learning for the business he hopes to build
The Customer Services NC II course gave Benjie a chance to develop skills he believes he can use in a future business, particularly when serving customers and working with partners and employees. He is glad to have the opportunity to learn something new at 42.
The program also brought him closer to his fellow scholars. Although they had worked alongside one another, the training gave them time to hear each other’s stories and understand the challenges they face. Benjie hopes they will continue to support one another as they pursue their goals.
One of his most memorable experiences was the Leadership Enhancement and Attitude Development (LEAD) workshop. A lesson about understanding others stayed with him: “Hindi ka basta dapat nanghuhusga ng tao kasi hindi mo alam kung ano ang mga pinagdaanan nila.”
Benjie hopes to carry that lesson into his future business. Whatever someone’s position may be, he wants to treat the people he works with with respect, care, and trust.
For now, starting a business remains a goal he is working toward. If he succeeds, he hopes to extend the same generosity he has experienced through the scholarship opportunity.
Kung may mga taong nangangailangan ng tulong at humihingi ng tulong na kaya kong ibigay, ibibigay ko. Maliit man o malaki, basta nakatulong ako. Yung blessing na natanggap ko, gusto ko ring maranasan ng iba.
Benjie once had to put his education on hold to help his family. Twenty-six years later, a new chance to learn is helping him take a step toward the future he wants to build.
