How Sarabia Optical Built a Century-Long Eyewear Legacy in the Philippines

What can Filipino business owners learn from Sarabia Optical, an optical shop that has survived for over a century?

If you were to ask Jan Vincent S. Ong, great-grandson of the first Filipino optometrist, Dr. Federico B. Sarabia, the answer is personalization over discounts, service over product, and transparency as brand equity.

 ”The competition is tough because of fast fashion, but what brings people in is the connection,” he said in an April 23 Google Meet interview. His mother, Dr. Vivian Sarabia (granddaughter of the pioneering optometrist), has a shop that is not located in a mall, yet people seek it out.

“An optical shop is more casual than a doctor’s office; you build rapport with the customers,” said Ong, who handles marketing for his family’s enterprise.

The story started in 1906, when Dr. Federico established the business in the Visayas city of Iloilo. He opened a second location two years later in Escolta, Manila, attracting a clientele that included Trinidad Rizal, the national hero Jose Rizal’s sister, and Manuel L. Quezon, who would go on to become president of the Philippines. 

Dr. Federico was later appointed chairman of the Optometry Board of Examiners and president of the Philippine College of Optometry.

There are 13 branches of the family tree, with 4 to 5 of those operating about 50 stores nationwide at present. Ong’s uncle, for one, owns a 30-branch network across Metro Manila and southern Luzon. His mother, on the other hand, owns a single appointment-only boutique with the tagline, “You’ve been framed.”

“My mom has been focusing on eyewear styling since the 90s,” he said. “You can buy glasses, but where we’re helping you is finding a frame that would fit the shape of your face, the style of your hair…even your character.”

His mother, Ong said, is very social and took to Facebook naturally.

“She likes talking to people. That’s really her strength,” he told The Business Manual. “She gets excited [whether] she meets celebrities or…regular people in the neighborhood.”

Optometry has always been part of the family DNA, especially since having an optometrist is a requirement when opening an optical shop. 

“The interesting thing about the optical business, as compared to being a doctor, is that it straddles the line between retail and the medical field,” Ong said. 

Optical shops in the Philippines are regulated by the Professional Regulation Commission (for the clinical and professional side of the business) and the Food and Drug Administration (for the product and retail side).

“The traditional sense of the medical field is not to sell, but if you’re in a mall, what can you do, right?”

That said, Ong believes that business should be viewed through the lens of care, not only commerce.

Advocacy is built into the sales floor, he said, as when staff talk to customers about blue light from screens and the importance of taking regular eye breaks.

Digitalization has made maintaining client relationships easier, he also pointed out.