Socorro Ramos, also known as Nanay Coring, together with her late husband Jose Ramos, established the National Book Store (NBS) in 1942. Over the years, the company became the largest books, school and office supplies retail chain in the Philippines.
Born on Sept. 23, 1923, Nanay Coring got married and established National Book Store in the same year in 1942. In 1965, they had their nine-story building in Avenida inaugurated, christening it as the AlBeCer Building.
They opened National Book Store in Rizal Avenue in 1969, getting their license from Hallmark in 1974 to produce greeting cards and more. In 1988, Cacho Publishing, Inc. was founded, and Nanay Coring was the recipient of the Pres. Corazon Aquino Gintong Ina Award for the Business and Industry Sector. By 1990, NBS’s publishing arm, Anvil Publishing was put up. The following year, she was the recipient of Philippine Marketing Association's Agora Award.
The loyalty program, Laking National, was launched in 2000. In the same year, she received the Millennium Plaque of Appreciation from the Book Development Association of the Philippines. She was also awarded by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies' Maverick Awards in 2002, even winning awards such as Entrepreneur of the Year award from Ernst and Young, and Book Development Association of the Philippines' Legacy in 2004. She also established the National Book Store Foundation, Inc. in the same year.
She was awarded Outstanding Filipino Retailers by the Philippine Retailers Association in 2005. The year after, they launched the NBS Website while simultaneously earning the Ateneo de Manila University Doctor for Humanities degree. She was also awarded the Honorary degree from Ateneo de Manila University in 2007.
The book, Nanay Coring: The Story of National Book Store's Socorro Ramos, was launched in 2012. By 2016, the first NBS Foundation Dome Library was turned over and NBS won the Hall of Fame for PRA. NBS Academy, an in-house training center for their employees, opened in 2017. That same year also marked the 75th year of NBS, awarding Nanay Coring as one of Go Negosyo’s Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs and launching of An Open Book: Thursday with Nanay Coring.
People who have met and worked with Nanay Coring praised her for various qualities. Her entrepreneurial spirit, innate charisma, sense of humor, and wit have left a lasting impression on those around her.
Nanay Coring became an inspiration to Filipinos because, despite her achievements and influence, she remains approachable and down-to-earth, treating everyone with respect and warmth.
As she celebrates her 100th year, Manila Bulletin Lifestyle asked her grandchildren, "Who is Nanay Coring beyond her professional accomplishments and what makes her truly exceptional? They all agree that she is more than a woman of inspiration, she is a loving Lola. Despite her busy schedule and demanding responsibilities, she never fails to shower her grandchildren with love, care, and affection.
Their favorite moments with Lola Coring
Martin, Cito, Trina, Anton, Adrian's mentioned their favorite memories with Lola Coring, highlighting her generosity, hard work, and the special moments they shared with her.
Martin appreciates Nanay Coring’s giving nature. "My favorite memory with her is she always provides so much food and is always giving in everything she does.”
"When I was around six years old in 1978, seeing lola work at the kitchen table in Manga Avenue (old house) most of the time, just before meals, working on the model line and checking different hallmark cards in her house clothes," Cito says.
Trina cherishes the times when they would have a merienda together and have meaningful conversations. "Lola would often come into my room, sit in front of my desk and ask what our merienda is. We would order simple (and not so healthy food), and this is the time we would catch up about anything and everything.”
Anton recalls a proud moment when Lola won the Entrepreneur of the Year award. "My favorite memories come from the one long trip we spent traveling together for the Entrepreneur of the Year award in Monaco. It was a very proud moment for the whole family when she won.”
Adrian's favorite memory with Nanay Coring is when he wrote an essay about Lola's success and heard legendary stories about the National Book Store. "My favorite memory of lola as a child was when I was in Grade 4, so I must have been 8 or 9 years old. We had a homework assignment to write an essay about a successful person, and I thought to write one about her. I went to her office in Rizal Ave., and I believe that was the first time I heard all the legendary stories of National Book Store and Nanay Coring that we all know today.”
Lesson they learned from Nanay Coring
Xandra, Martin, Anton, Cito, Trina, and Adrian shared the valuable lessons they learned from their lola.
Martin shared that Nanay Coring always reminds him the importance of being nice to people. "She always tells me to be nice to people and that good communication is important for success. It's always important to know what's going on around you and to be up to date with current events.”
Cito highlighted that the lesson he learned was to be present and enjoy every moment on the path to success. "There is no fast and remote control way to success. You have to be there everyday and enjoy every moment of it- then it does not come off as work.”
Trina learned the importance of having an open mind and being receptive to ideas from others, regardless of their experience level. "One of the most important lessons I learned from Lola is to have an open mind. She is always willing to listen to ideas or new ways to do things, even from those who had much less experience than she had.”
Anton loves her lola's belief in the power of knowledge and the importance of continuous learning. "She has always believed that knowledge is power, and was eager to learn new things. As she said, 'Invest in your mind. Read more. Know more. Earn more.”
Xandra learned to have courage. "Kailangan kapag negosyante, malakas ang loob. Don’t be afraid to ask. The other person is also human.”
Adrian shared how her lola's teachings became especially meaningful during the pandemic, providing strength and perseverance. "I think all of the lessons we learned from Lola came to fruition for me during the pandemic. I couldn’t talk to her directly, but she was a voice in my head all throughout. In the past, when we would have problems, she would always say, “Wala yan, kami nga giyera ang pinagdaanan naming eh.” I never fully understood that until we went through the pandemic, but it gave me the strength to persevere and to believe that we too could overcome our own difficult challenges. Everything else that she ever taught are also so important as we go through our journey today—be humble, be kind, be compassionate, think of your customers. These are so basic, yet so profound.”
Nanay Coring received an Honorary Degree from Ateneo De Manila in 2007, while National Book Store was honored with the Hall of Fame award by the Philippine Retailers Association in 2016.