By Roselle Marisol Belleza Andaya, Chief Executive Officer, MR.DIY Philippines
In retail, growth is often measured in numbers — how many stores open, how many customers walk through the doors, or how much sales increase each quarter. But for us at MR.DIY, growth carries a deeper meaning. It’s about how many lives we can touch, how many communities we can uplift, and how many opportunities we can create along the way.
When we began our journey in the Philippines, our commitment was clear: to make everyday living simple, joyful, and complete for Filipino families. Today, that purpose lives in more than 800 MR.DIY stores nationwide, serving communities from city centers to far-flung towns. We open an average of 20 stores every month — a pace that reflects not only operational discipline but also our belief that accessibility and affordability are essential to improving daily life.
Yet behind every new MR.DIY store is a story of livelihood. Each branch creates new employment for residents in the area — cashiers, store associates, and stock personnel who now have the chance to work closer to home. For many, this means more time with family, greater financial stability, and pride in contributing to their community.
“We don’t just open stores; we open doors — to employment, inclusion, and empowerment for communities across the Philippines.”
Our vision of inclusion extends beyond location and livelihood. In late 2024, we launched the Store Internship for Special Learners, a pilot program providing neurodiverse individuals on the autism spectrum with real-world retail experience. Beginning in partnership with Candent Learning Haus in Parañaque and Marvelous Minds in Marikina, the initiative helps interns gain meaningful experience in customer service, visual merchandising, and store operations — building confidence, independence, and inclusion in the workplace. The program follows an internship-to-employability phased approach, designed to gradually transition participants into potential long-term employment opportunities within MR.DIY, ensuring sustained growth and inclusion beyond training.
As a woman leading in retail, I’ve always believed that empowerment is not something you declare — it’s something you demonstrate. Since the beginning, many of MR.DIY’s store managers, department heads, and team leaders have been women who bring compassion, creativity, and resilience into their roles.
Empowerment, however, goes hand in hand with accountability. When you empower people, you promote a culture of ownership. Empowered individuals gain confidence and authority to make decisions, while accountability ensures those actions are guided by responsibility and shared goals. Empowerment without accountability risks freedom without direction; accountability without empowerment breeds frustration and fear. But when the two coexist, you build a culture of trust and performance — where people feel both capable and answerable, trusted and responsible.
We carry this people-first philosophy into how we operate as a business. Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our use of renewable energy in our warehouse and some of our stores, our Acts of Kindness (AOK) community programs, and partnerships that support education, disaster relief, and livelihood initiatives. Every effort is anchored in a shared purpose: to serve not only our customers but also the communities that welcome us.
Leadership, to me, is not about commanding growth — it’s about cultivating it: in people, in values, and in the way we create shared progress. Retail, at its heart, is about connection. Every shelf we fill and every family we serve reflects our belief that true business success is measured by the good it brings to others.
As we continue to expand, MR.DIY remains committed to scaling with purpose — empowering communities, fostering accountability, and helping every Filipino household live more simply, joyfully, and completely. We are Responsible by Design, guided by our ESG Champions and continuous learning initiatives that strengthen our responsibility toward our operations, our people, our customers, our communities, and the environment. Because when we grow with heart, we don’t just build a retail brand; we build a movement that uplifts lives, one community at a time.
Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by publishing their stories on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.
Join us on Viber at https://bit.ly/3hv6bLA to get more updates and subscribe to BusinessWorld’s titles and get exclusive content through www.bworld-x.com.
