Friday, March 21, 2014

ANGUSTIAS DABU CALLEJA

Businesswoman

Born:             July 12, 1939
Birthplace:     Manila





Tita then and now
             















                

           
           
           Angustias “Tita” Calleja is one of the thriving businesswomen in Legazpi City. After some time practising her profession as an optometrist, she and husband architect Panks found success in real estate development, and later, cable TV.  Her family owns the local cable TV industry leader DCTV Cable Network Broadband Services Inc. which has extended its services outside Albay province to some parts of Sorsogon and Camarines Sur.

         In 2011 she was recognized as the “Bicolano Business Person of the Year” in Albay Province by the Halyao Awards of Metro Naga Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Earlier in 2004, she became the first lady president of the Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the oldest local chamber of commerce in the country that is still active. In 1991, she was awarded as an Outstanding Client by the Philippine National Bank, the plaque signed by then PNB president Edgardo Espiritu himself.

          Tita was born on July 12, 1939 in Manila to parents Floro Vitug Dabu, an opthalmologist from Lubao, Pampanga and Josefa Arejola Alvarez, a dentistry graduate from Naga City. Tita is the eldest among seven siblings: Elenita, Carmelita, Floro Jr., Susan, Francis and Cecil.

           Tita spent her elementary and secondary school years at the Colegio de Sta. Isabel in Naga City. During her senior year in high school, she won the annual current events competition of the Bicol Association of Catholic Schools, against top student participants from Catholic schools in Sorsogon, Albay, Legazpi City, Camarines Sur and Naga City. After finishing high school in 1956, Tita enrolled at the Centro Escolar University in Manila where she was active as an academic scholar and treasurer of the student council. In 1960 she graduated cum laude in the course Doctor of Optometry. She is one of the ten topnotchers of the board examination in optometry that year.

            In 1961, the pretty Tita was crowned Miss Red Cross Camarines Sur Chapter and Miss Lions Club Camarines Sur Chapter. That same year, she met the young architect Panks Calleja in Naga City. A year later, on April 28 1962, they got married. The wedding at the Naga Metropolitan Chapel was one of the most well-attended at that time, with guests from  Manila and Legazpi.

          Tita gave birth to three children—Maria Florian who is now a dentist, Marcel Jonathan and Richard Daniel Thomas, now both successful businessmen.

           Tita established the Dabu Optical Center in Legazpi City in 1964 which operated until 2000. She started to dabble in real estate in 1982. In 1993, Tita and Panks setup the Calleja Realty and Development Corp. (CRDC) with Tita as treasurer. The CRDC embarked on the development of subdivision projects such as the Green Hills Subd. in Estanza, Villa Cristina Subd. in Bgy. 15, Vibal Subd. in Cabangan, Calleja Homelots, Gogon Homelots—all in Legazpi City, Bagumbayan Homelots in Daraga, and Villa Josefa Subd. in Pawa, Tabaco City.

            In 1994, Tita and family setup the DCTV Cable Network which later expanded to include broadband services in 2001. Tita, ever astute in money matters, is the Corporate Finance Officer of DCTV. In 1998, she established the Good Shepherd Memorial Park in Taysan which operated until 2006 when it became the Forest Lake Memorial Park through a joint venture with a subsidiary of Landco.

            Tita and Panks are well-traveled. In 1994, the couple toured the US and visited Tita’s sisters Carmelita, Susan and Cecil. They also toured Canada and visited her sisters Elenita and Belle and brother Floro Jr.  and Pank’s brother Godehardo and wife Mia. They then toured Europe—Paris and Lyon and neighboring countries—and visited daughter Maria Florian and husband Philippe Saubier, a French national. In 2012 they toured Asia, including local destinations in the Philippines.

            Tita is affiliated with the Zonta International Legazpi City and Albay where she served as president in 2002, the Albay Chamber of Commerce and Industry where she served as president in 2004-2005 and 2010-2012, the Samahan ng mga Optometrist sa Pilipinas where she was president from 1995 to 1999, the Vel-amor Subd. Homeowners Association where she was president for two terms, and the Philippine Red Cross Albay-Legazpi Chapter where she presently is a board director, since 2013. She is also a member of the Daughters of Mary Immaculate, the CREBA (Chamber Real Estate Builders’ Association), and the OSHDP (Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines) Legazpi City Chapter where she served as vice president.
 
CALLEJA FAMILY
Tita and spouse Panks (center) with their sons Richard Daniel Thomas (extreme right), Marcel Jonathan (right of Tita), daughter Maria Florian (3rd from left, back row), in-laws and grandchildren during the couple's golden wedding anniversary.

IN-LAWS: Philippe Saubier, husband of Maria Florian, 4th from left, back row, behind Panks. Joy Teng Mendiola, wife of Marcel, 5th from right, back row, beside Marcel. Arlene Pabustan, 2nd from right, wife of Richard.

GRANDCHILDREN: Alec, Julia and Nicolas (from extreme left)--children of Florian and Philippe. Nikolai (3rd from right), Chino (4th from right), Andrea (front row) and Armand Gabriel (beside Tita)--children of Marcel and Joy.

            Tita and Panks celebrated their 50th golden wedding anniversary on April 28, 2012 with their children and families, friends and prominent people in the community. Among the guests were Atty. Jose Crisanto Jr.—one of the principal wedding sponsors; Dr. Homobono Calleja—the best man; and Evelyn Caldera Soriano—the veil sponsor.

           As a way of giving back to the community, Tita has extended financial assistance to scores of seminarians, among others, through the corporate social responsibility program.   Bicol Biographies