Atty. Edilberto “Bert” B. Bravo, chairman and CEO of U-BIX Corp., is known for his entrepreneurial skills with various businesses under his helm, but little did we know that teaching is his passion.
“I was partial to teaching,” said Bravo, who came from a family of teachers. His father was an English teacher and his mother was a teacher nurse.

“I like teaching. Teaching is a noble profession,” said Bravo. He recalled that when he left his law office to join Citibank, he asked permission and was allowed to teach on the side. He taught Management and Law.

“I also taught Negotiable Instruments Law in UP Padre Faura, Manila,” said Bravo proudly.
His love for teaching even went further when he put up a school devoted entirely to the training of healthcare services, aircraft mechanics, and other technical services, such as maintaining airplanes used by its flying schools in Bacolod and Dumaguete City.

Bravo has also partnered with Silliman University, one of the oldest universities in the Philippines founded by American educators over a hundred years ago, for the establishment of the Silliman University Bravo Technopreneur Center in the town of Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

Once completed, the school will be open to students, who would like to train in technical courses in the field of computer science. The school is under the supervision of the Department of Science and Technology. “It has been a source of pride for us,” said Bravo.

OFFICE COPIER
Bravo’s entrepreneurial prowess and love for education started in February 1968 when he and his wife, Dr. Felina, opened a bookshop called Bookhaven along Mabini and Romero Salas streets in Manila. The office supply and stationery company took in Atty. Ike Belo as an investor in August 1969 as they needed capital to expand their business into the importation of copy paper that they supplied to one of the distributors of copying machines.

Their initial success with Bookhaven encouraged them to broaden their business horizon.
A trip to Japan resulted in their first ever business alliance with Konica Corporation (that eventually became the Konica Minolta Corporation). This gave to the birth of U-BIX Corp. on Feb. 11, 1974 and Bookhaven became the holding company.

U-BIX eventually became one of the country’s pioneers and leaders in laser printing and plain paper copying technology.

What sets U-BIX apart is their Free Lifetime Service Guarantee to all machines sold. This is an innovation program to improve the skills of service engineers, who have to undergo training and certification process from Konica Minolta.  Of all the Konica Minolta distributors worldwide, U-BIX prides itself in having the highest number of Konica Minolta certified engineers.

EXPANSION
Bravo, who developed into an excellent salesman, enabled U-BIX to expand its wings as it forged more alliances in office related businesses.

In 1993, Okamura Corp. of Japan, a world leader in office furniture systems, became a partner. From then on, U-BIX distributed and installed premium quality office seating, desks, and work stations.

In 1996, Facilities Managers Inc. (FMI), was established when U-BIX entered into a licensing agreement with the US-based ServiceMaster Company, a global leading service firm delivering professional facilities management to clients.  At present, FMI clients include hospitals in Metro Manila, corporate offices and business process outsourcing companies in Luzon and the Visayas.
U-BIX even acquired the Kodak Imaging Center of Kodak Philippines in 2007. It was later rebranded as U-BIX Imaging Center (UIC). It now provides integrated digital document management solutions to government agencies, banking and financial institutions, hospitals, schools and multinational companies.

U-BIX ventured into other businesses such as hotels, resorts, banking, coffee roasting, and e-commerce.

The Bravo Hotel in Negros Oriental boasts of an 18-hole golf course, designed by a Japanese golf architect, and a licensed firing range. Bravo also operates a resort in pristine Siquijor.

They have also a joint venture with the principals of Hotel 101, the Double Dragon Properties Corp., through its hotel subsidiary Hotel of Asia Inc. in Mactan, Cebu. The hotel will have 550 rooms once completed in 2027.

INTEGRITY
Recently, UBIX celebrated its 50th year in business. Moving on, Bravo is just as optimistic for their next 50 years.

His aim is to strengthen what they currently have. “I would like to think that there’s even more reason for me to believe that the next 50 years will bring us closer to our dream of becoming a major player in the office copier business, office furniture business, and other businesses that we have been able to engage in,” he said. Bravo is a believer in technology to be in step with demands of the times.

The past 50 years of UBIX is a testament of a resilient company, able to ride the changing seasons and adapting to new technologies in the digital age.

Bravo said what he could and U-BIX can leave behind is integrity. To him, integrity is the word that separates “good leaders from the rest” of the pack. It is the choice between doing what is convenient and doing what’s right. Integrity is a crucial characteristic of ethical leadership.

“We believe that all companies, clients, persons, and families need to trust you. Integrity leads to trust. Trust leads to influence. And influence leads to confidence. Those who work with you see you as reliable for your actions. They trust you knowing that their needs are in the company's mind,” he said.

Bravo likened integrity as the two faces of the same coin. “You can't have integrity if they can't trust you. And you can't be trusted if you don't have integrity. Everything boils down to integrity. It defines the character of a leader,” he said. In the case of UBIX, it is their commitment to clients and customers.

Bravo vowed to continue chasing dreams. “I started chasing dreams when I was young and I’m still at it at 87 years old. From poverty, I have aspired to rise above it,” he said.
Certainly, he will not stray far from the field of education.