MANY say that the line up of awardees in the highly successful 2005 Mayoral Awards conducted last June 17 at Magdalena Hall of Crown Hotel was impressive enough that it was thought that Naga Mayor Jesse M. Robredo was actually conferring the awards not just on outstanding Nagueños, but on outstanding Nagueños who can be outstanding Filipinos.

Consider the three champion swimmers — Bordado, Dee, Sunglao from Naga — who brought honor and pride to the country by reaping gold medals in various international competitions, including a slot in the forthcoming ASEAN Games that Manila is hosting this year.

Think of J. Anselmo Cadiz who as national president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines took the frontline to defend democracy and the country’s judiciary system at a time when controversy was fomenting a call to impeach the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. This Ateneo de Naga salutatorian is now urging GMA to speak up on the pestering “Hello Garci” tapes, to set this forlorn nation free.

But one other awardee I wish to write about is Graceland Food Industries whose success story eloquently translates the Nagueños’ competitive spirit, grit and industry.

Cited by the awards committee (chaired by Monsignor Romulo Vergara) for its entrepreneurial vivacity, this home-grown food service company expanded from a 4-table eatery into one of the leading food chains in Bicol, making a strong statement that local enterprises, powered by hard work, dedication and innovation, are as competitive as the more established national and multinational firms that have been invading the local food service industry.

Graceland’s patriarch, Felipe Dy, or Tyo Peping, was born to poor Chinese immigrants who worked odd jobs in Divisoria – as kargador and tindero – before he settled in Naga with his wife Felicidad. Tyo Peping worked as sales clerk in a hardware store here and Fely made ice candy and ice drop that gave them fresh cash to augment the growing family’s income.

With P10,000 borrowed money, the couple opened in 1976 a 4-table eatery in a rented garage along Elias Angeles where Naga Optical is now located.

It soon incorporated the ice cream parlor concept to follow the trend in the early 80s. The fast-paced lifestyle that evolved in Naga prompted the parlor to offer “turo-turo” with a wide array of “ready to eat” viands. The mid to late 80s saw the proliferation of hamburger chains in Naga, mostly local players. Graceland, too, joined the bandwagon and opened a store in 1986 which became instant hit among the younger customers. It even introduced pizza way ahead of its time in Naga.

Graceland’s bakeshop concept started with chiffon cakes from a cousin which they sold in their store. Slowly, they learned the trade and started producing their own breads and cakes. Soon Baker’s Plaza was born, the first of its kind in Bicol. The store lay-out, the lightings, color motif, fixtures, and equipments were comparable to the ones seen in Metro Manila such that many first time buyers thought that the food stuffs were brought from Manila.

The stiffest competition came in the 1990s when the big players (Shakeys, Jollibee, McDonalds, Greenwich) entered the Bicol region, specifically Naga City which shook the local food industry so badly. The Dys thought they could not compete. But instead of throwing up the towel, the family enterprise fought back. As a result, Geewan was born which soon positioned itself as the first Bicolano must-go for tourists, transients and even Nagueños for a taste of Bicolano dishes, with such frozen items such as pinangat and Bicol Express.

Seeing the entry of giants as benchmarks rather than rivals, two Graceland outlets, starting in 1996 were opened one after the other in Legazpi. Sorsogon was next in 1998 while Tabaco in 2001. With the opening of Pacific Mall in Legazpi, Graceland also opened its first outlet in a mall in 2002. Still in Legazpi, it opened Benjo’s, a pizza parlor that offers light, fancy and affordable pizza to the Bicolanos. Only recently, two of the Graceland outlets in Legazpi have been placed among the top ten taxpayers in that city that speaks well of its top-ranked sales income and hefty contribution to that city’s investment growth.

Another Graceland baby was born in the heart of Naga in March 2004 – Red Platter –which serves steaks, chops and ribs, a fusion of the best Asian and Western dishes with the ambiance of a fine restaurant at fast-food price.

These days, visiting Naga’s centro is walking through the remarkable business ascendancy of the Dy family. Along P. Burgos St., one can easily find Red Platter, Geewan and Baker’s Plaza all in the same row. Towards Barlin St., one finds the three-storey spic-and-span bakehouse and commissary where restaurant and bakeshop supplies and food products are prepared round the clock, to be transported fresh to its 10 different outlets in Bicol, and still expanding. Graceland – truly Nagueño, truly Bicolano.