"Writing is something that I also love, that's why I didn't have second thoughts about venturing into the book business."

PRECIOUS Pages Corp. (PPC), the company that publishes romance paperbacks, started in the early 90s when Metro Manila was gripped with 12-hour brownouts almost every day.

"There was a power supply crisis at that time," owner Segundo Matias Jr., who is a writer on TV and films, told The Manila Times. "Brownouts were regularly scheduled every day."

"We edited manuscripts in advance. We adjusted everything that we needed to do according to the schedule of power interruptions. Later, when everything was fixed, we bought our own machines."

Matias and his partner, Richard Reynante, dauntlessly started the pocket book business. It was not a family business enterprise.

Matias was used to creating content, so the format of translating the stories into pocket books was nothing new to him.

"Writing is something that I also love, that's why I didn't have second thoughts about venturing into the book business," he said.

Three decades later, when the pandemic came, Matias and his team were faced with another challenge. All the retail stores were closed.

"We had to cut production," Matias said.

Understandably, that became difficult for Matias.

"Difficult because it was the first time, that's why it was hard to find a solution," he admitted.

Matias still plans to expand Precious Pages Corp. in the coming years.

"I'm happy with the company's growth through the years," he admitted. "From the time we came out with popular pocketbooks in the country, Precious Hearts Romances, PPC diversified into other imprints.

"To encourage online readers to switch back to reading books, we created Life Is Beautiful (LIB) Books which became our imprint for trending stories online. For Filipino comics and illustrations, we have Black Ink.

"We also have a light novel imprint, that's Manila Pop, inspired by Japanese pop literature. For erotic novels, we have the Red Room imprint. For those who love horror stories, we have 'Librong Itim,' 'Mga Kuwento sa Dilim' anthologies at Kilabot.com audiobooks.

"We give light to LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) stories through the Pride Lit imprint. We also have the World's Bestsellers imprint as we acquire translation rights of global bestsellers.

"For the children, parents and teachers, we put up the Lampara Publishing House Inc., publisher of Lampara children's books like 'Mga Premyadong Kuwentong Pambata,' 'Mga Modernong Alamat,' 'Kuwentong Nanay,' 'Easy-To-Learn' and 'Big Books.' Through these titles, we can provide education and progressive values from award-winning authors and illustrators."

Just recently, PPC partnered with Wattpad WebToon Studios, so readers can expect more trending stories to hit bookstores nationwide.

"I believe that Filipinos read, and we will continue to support that with quality stories and materials from talented storytellers," Matias said.

Through more than three decades of running Precious Pages Corp., Matias considered managing the business "fulfilling" for him.

"I love what I'm doing," Matias said. "I find joy in my job. At present, me and my partner are into the real estate business, too."

Being a business owner has its advantage and disadvantage, too. Your job will not always be easy.

"If you are the owner, you need to perform by example," Matias pointed out.

"You should know how to answer for everybody. If there are mistakes, I have to answer for everything. So you need to hire efficient employees. There are content that are available online. We have to compete and rise above the clutter."

Matias started an apparel business before he went into publishing.

"We own fishponds," he said. "That's our family business. I grew up with that business."

He wanted to be a stage actor and a director that was why he took up AB Mass Communications Major in Broadcasting at the Centro Escolar University. Thankfully, he was able to put into good use his college course after graduation.

For his Masters, Matias took up Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Before the virus stopped everything around us, Matias hied off to Tokyo, Japan.

"Just recently, we went to Italy and Switzerland," Matias granted. "We were invited to the Bologna Children's Book Fair, where we showcased Lampara's Filipino children's books.

"There were a lot of times we were invited to join book festivals locally and internationally. Just recently also, we joined the Philippine Book Festival 2024, where we launched new releases for our different imprints like LIB Books and Lampara Books. We also initiate author meet-and-greets, book signings, workshops and online contests."

To this day, Matias manages to juggle time between work and home still by writing children's books. He still keeps a balance between the two.

"I write novels, mostly for mid-grade and young adults," he said. "Most of the time, I work as a publisher in the office. I write at home. I take care and play with my kids, Agila and Lawin."

Being a father of Agila and Lawin, Matias finds time to unwind with them.

"We travel, eat outside, go to the beach with my family — that's Richard and our sons Agila and Lawin. That's what I like doing best in bonding moments with my family. We also enjoy traveling."

Spending quality time with his partner entails traveling or staying at home. "I cook merienda or any Kapampangan food," he said.

"My partner (Richard) understands the kind of work that I do because he's on the creative side of our job, too.

"He loves giving suggestions and creative inputs, so we can always improve the company. He gives inputs in marketing and finance, since Richard is a BS Economics graduate."

His parents are his role models. "Aside from being both industrious, they taught me humility," asserted Matias. "They taught us how to deal with everyone, whatever status that person may be."

Our stores for Wittypedia are our official PPC store at SM North EDSA. We have official Shopee, Lazada and TikTok shops. Our books are available in all National Bookstore branches, Fully Booked, Pandayan and Expressions.

Quick Questions

What is your biggest fear?

Getting sick.

What really makes you angry?

When people blame me for something I didn't know about. People who are not honest.

What motivates you to work hard?

My family; my partner and my children.

What makes you laugh the most?

Jokes of Richard and every time when Agila and Lawin show that they are bright and smart.

What would you do if you won the lotto?

If it's a big amount, I will give half to my children. The rest, I will treat my loved ones and my valued employees.

If you could share a meal with any individual living or dead, who would they be?

With Richard, Agila and Lawin.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Same as today, working and with my family. I do not want to retire. I don't want to stop working. I don't believe in retirement.

Which celebrity would you like to meet for a cup of coffee?

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg. I want to tell him how I admire him as a filmmaker.

What is the most daring thing you have ever done?

Accepting myself and falling in love even LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) is not really accepted.

What is the one thing you will never do again?

None. I do not regret all my decisions. Every mistake brings a lesson in life.