Their curious obsession with office supplies, particularly Post-Its. They buy office supplies wherever they are, collect and keep track of these down to the smallest item. Menchu Concepcion wrote of husband Raul, “He personally puts numbers on them. He knows the critical minimum level when he has to replenish…”
Their strict adherence to daily regimen. “In the morning, his daily routine after exercise and breakfast is to turn on the two-way radio. He calls the guard-on-duty to conduct a roll call on the staff so he knows immediately who are late and who are absent,” wrote Menchu.
They’re both “OC” (obsessive-compulsive)—Raul lists down what he eats. Joecon always has a casette recorder in which he tapes (sometimes secretly) his dictations, instructions to his staff.
They love food. The book said Raul can’t live a day without ChickenJoy. Joey Concepcion recalled in the book an incident during President Cory Aquino’s visit to China, as she visited the home of her forebears in a village of Hongjian in Fujian province. “No food was being served on this segment of the trip so the President was puzzled when she saw dad munching on fruit. When she asked dad where he got it, he pointed to an altar on which there were bowls of food veiled in incense smoke. “Joe,” the President was said to mutter, ‘the food is for my ancestors.’”
They’re both not only hands-on in running their companies, but are also taskmasters. Joecon’s office, the book wrote, was laid out in such a way that he faced the rest of the office so he could see who was absent or who was running late. The book recalled Joecon’s staff meeting where he was dressing down a salesman who claimed he had been robbed. His younger brother Rene Concepcion remembered the exchange—“Why didn’t you shoot?” Joecon asked. “I don’t have a gun,” the salesman replied. “Why don’t you have a gun?” “Because a gun is expensive.” Joecon asked back—“Why not buy a balisong?”
According to wife Menchu, “He (Raul) has an uncanny sixth sense. If you give him a 50-page report and there is a page or two you hope he does not read right away, he will find it… When his fingers go through the report, guess what page he turns to? It is a gift.”
Both are religious. Menchu wrote, “At the end of each day, Ronnie spends an hour in meditation, praying the rosary and thanking the Lord for a wonderful day.”
Both are devoted family men. The book cited how when his kids were young, Raul once turned back while on his way to the office because he couldn’t bear the thought that his son was crying as he was leaving the house.