At the company’s 2026 Annual Awards Night, Jose Nery “Bub” Ong reflected on SHJDC’s beginnings and shared the values that transformed an ambitious vision into a lasting enterprise.
Sacred Heart of Jesus Development Corporation marked its 34th anniversary by honoring the people whose work, belief and perseverance helped turn a family enterprise into one of the most influential development companies in Capiz.
The milestone was celebrated during the SHJDC Annual Awards Night on August 28, 2026, at the Circulo Grand Hall in Pueblo de Panay, Roxas City.
Carrying the theme “Wika ng Tagumpay, Isang Pagpupugay,” the gathering brought together SHJDC executives, employees, property specialists, sales leaders, brokers and business partners for an evening of recognition and reflection.
The program celebrated the company’s outstanding performers across its sales organization, from quarterly producers and million-sales achievers to top property specialists, executives, managers, brokers and agency leaders. More than an awards ceremony, however, the occasion became a tribute to the generations of people who helped sustain SHJDC across 34 years of challenges, expansion and transformation.
At the center of the anniversary celebration was the message of Pueblo de Panay President and CEO Jose Nery “Bub” Ong, who used the occasion to reflect on his own journey as an entrepreneur and the role of salesmanship in building the company.
“I stand before you tonight in total admiration,” Ong told the company’s sales force. “I have always admired salespeople because, for me, they can do things I could only dream of.”
It was an unexpected admission from a business leader who has spent more than three decades persuading investors, institutions, partners and communities to believe in a vision for Roxas City that had yet to be fully realized.
From a quiet beginning to a transformative enterprise
Ong described his younger self as shy, quiet and deeply introspective. He recalled being hesitant to begin conversations and believing that he could never become good at sales.
When the family business began 34 years ago, however, Ong understood that even the strongest idea could not survive if no one could communicate its value.
“I knew that weakness had to be addressed,” he said. “There was a need for people who did not only talk but could actually sell. Otherwise, the family startup would surely fold up.”
His conclusion was simple and direct: “If you cannot sell, then you will be out of business.”
For SHJDC, selling was never limited to offering properties. In its early years, the company also had to sell a vision of what undeveloped land could become. It had to convince people to believe in future communities, institutions and commercial centers before these were visible on the landscape.
That challenge would eventually define the development of Pueblo de Panay.
During his speech, Ong recalled a time when many of the township’s present-day landmarks existed only as plans. There was no bridge connecting the development to the city’s expanding urban areas. The transport terminal, police station, commercial establishments, educational institutions, business process outsourcing facilities, convention center and government centers had yet to take their places within the community.
Today, these developments form part of Pueblo de Panay, a 670-hectare master-planned township spanning the plains and hills of Roxas City.
“Upon closer reflection, I now agree, and I hope you will too, that I am not too bad as a salesperson,” Ong said.
The remark drew humor from the contrast between his self-described introversion and the scale of what SHJDC has accomplished. More importantly, it captured one of the central messages of the evening: salesmanship is not defined by personality alone. It is the ability to build trust, communicate value and inspire others to believe in an idea.
“There is a salesperson in all of us,” Ong said.
Believing in what one sells
The first principle Ong shared was also the foundation of his anniversary message: a salesperson must believe in the product.
“We cannot sell something that we do not believe in,” he said.
Without genuine belief, sales become exhausting and unsustainable. With belief, however, the work becomes connected to a larger purpose.
Ong encouraged SHJDC’s sales professionals to see beyond individual transactions and recognize the human value of their work. A home or property can represent security, stability, opportunity and a better future for a family.
“Believe in your mission as a salesperson,” he said. “In doing your job every day, you help others and families sleep better every night.”
The statement reflected the larger story of SHJDC. Over the past 34 years, the company has expanded from its beginnings as a family enterprise into a developer whose projects have influenced housing, commerce, employment, education and investment in Roxas City.
Its growth, Ong suggested, was possible because people inside and outside the company believed in what it was working to build.
Turning failure into an advantage
Ong’s second lesson focused on failure.
In sales, he explained, not every prospect will buy. Rather than treating rejection as defeat, sales professionals should examine what they can learn from those who decide not to proceed.
“Failures will always be part of the equation,” he said.
For Ong, resilience is not merely the ability to continue after disappointment. It is the discipline to study failure, make adjustments and return better prepared.
He also challenged SHJDC’s sales force to commit to continuous learning as artificial intelligence and other technologies begin transforming the way companies communicate with customers and conduct business.
The tools may change, but the willingness to learn remains essential.
Success is built on daily discipline
Ong then turned to the importance of work ethic, asking a series of questions that brought the discussion from broad business principles to everyday professional conduct.
Are salespeople excited to work each day? Do clients notice their effort to arrive on time or ahead of schedule? Are customer concerns addressed promptly? Are they consistently building and nurturing their networks? Do they maintain a sales funnel? Are they fully prepared before facing a client? Do they follow through?
The questions were straightforward, but their implications were significant.
Large achievements are often attributed to strategy, vision or timing. Ong’s message was that enduring success is also built through ordinary disciplines practised consistently.
“The simple point here is basic diligence and work ethic,” he said.
The same principle could be seen in SHJDC’s 34-year history. The company’s anniversary represented not one moment of success but thousands of daily decisions made by generations of employees, leaders, sales professionals and partners.
Listening before selling
While salespeople are expected to communicate and present, Ong reminded his audience that effective salesmanship also requires the ability to listen.
A salesperson’s role is not simply to promote a product. It is to understand a need and determine whether the product can provide genuine value.
“Could we really do this without listening with empathy?” Ong asked. “Are we still providing solutions and value to our clients?”
His emphasis on empathetic listening placed the client, rather than the transaction, at the center of the sales process.
For a property developer, this distinction is particularly important. Purchasing a home, commercial space or investment property can be one of the most significant financial decisions a person makes. Trust is therefore not an accessory to the transaction. It is its foundation.
A reputation built across 34 years
Ong’s final lesson concerned reputation.
“Reputation is not gained overnight,” he said. “It is built consistently over time.”
For individual sales professionals, that reputation becomes a personal brand. For a company, it becomes the basis of relationships that can extend across generations.
The principle carried particular weight during an anniversary celebration. SHJDC’s 34 years were not only a measure of longevity. They represented more than three decades of promises made, expectations managed, challenges faced and relationships maintained.
“When we make a career out of something, let us commit to it,” Ong said.
He summarized the values he wanted the organization to carry forward: belief in oneself and the product, resilience in learning from mistakes, commitment to continuous improvement, disciplined work, and a determination to put clients first by staying relevant and listening to their needs.
“If we do these things, we will be shaping our own personal brand as effective sales professionals,” he said.
A tribute to the people behind SHJDC
The anniversary message became more personal when Ong acknowledged “Tita Art,” one of the company’s earliest employees.
She began working with the family 34 years ago as the secretary of Ong’s mother, who was then an insurance underwriter. Ong remembered her as someone with a ready smile, persistent spirit and enduring optimism.
As the business grew, she and other employees became part of the Ong family’s extended family. Together, they experienced business crises, personal difficulties and victories.
“The trials we faced have cemented our bond,” Ong said.
Her presence connected the company’s earliest days with the organization gathered inside Circulo Grand Hall that evening. She represented the many people whose daily contributions helped transform SHJDC from a young family business into an established development company.
That recognition gave deeper meaning to the awards presented that night. While the trophies celebrated measurable accomplishments, the anniversary also honored the loyalty, resilience and relationships that sustained the company between those milestones.
Carrying the story forward
The SHJDC Annual Awards Night concluded with recognition, fellowship and a renewed sense of direction for the company’s sales organization.
Yet the defining moment of the evening was not a recital of figures or developments. It was Ong’s reminder that SHJDC’s accomplishments began with people who believed in something that did not yet exist.
“To wrap up, a salesperson’s journey is a journey through life,” he said. “There is a salesperson in each and every one of us.”
As SHJDC enters its 35th year, the scale of its developments may provide the most visible evidence of its progress. Its deeper legacy, however, rests in the people who learned to communicate a vision, earn the trust of their clients and persevere through uncertainty.
The company’s first 34 years were built by selling more than property. They were built by selling possibilities and then doing the work required to make those possibilities real.
That was the achievement SHJDC celebrated at Circulo Grand Hall, and the challenge it now carries into its next chapter.