It was such a surprise when dear Marissa Salonga-Tionko invited me to the media launch of Piandre Salon, originally of Makati City, when I don’t even visit barbershops for a long time now. Anyway, how could I refuse a good friend especially when one of the daughters of the Piandre Salon owner was a former Assumption San Lorenzo classmate of Marissa and the socialite cocinera, Carmina Mapa-del Rosario of Mindanao Butchers fame. As Aina Francisco-Valencia and Carmina Mapa-del Rosario revealed, Marissa is one “suprema” classmate of theirs since youth who finds it hard to accept no for an answer. And I believe in their revelation of their well-loved and strong-willed Marissa. Another revelation is that the Piandre proprietor, Rosalinda Z. Francisco’s husband, Jose, is related to the Jovito Francisco clan of Davao. “It was my uncle’s success story in Davao that set the wheels of my dreams spinning. What if one day, we could have a Piandre Salon in Davao?”
Piandre Salon opened its first branch in Mindanao in Davao City’s Ayala Abreeza Mall. “We waited for a time for us to be given a unit by the Abreeza Mall management. What a lucky stroke of serendipity that we came to Davao at the right time with the relentless drive to bring our high standards of services and the best hair care products to the South. Piandre was first established in 1987 in an upscale area in Makati City. It was not an easy start for us but I never thought of giving up. I never dreamed that my one salon would later turn into 14 salons (12 in Manila, one in Cebu, and the latest in Davao); and a handful of employees would become over four hundred strong decades later,” narrated Rosalinda Z. Francisco, the beloved mother of Aina. Take note that the chain of Piandre Salons is the largest group of salons in the country that is company owned and managed.
Naturally, I had to ask what Piandre means. “They always ask us what Piandre means. It is simply the combination of the names of my sisters and myself. There is Peachy our eldest sister who is based in Costa Rica. Then my name, and then my younger sister, Drea. We also have a brother, Jaton, who is still waiting for the barbershop line to be called after him,” answered Aina with a smile.
Piandre is on its 36th year of beauty service. “It was after 35 years in the salon industry, when we realized that we still have much to learn. ‘In Via,’ which means ‘On the Way’ became our battle cry coming out of the pandemic, when we invested heavily on our precious asset—the employees of Piandre. We strongly believe that if we take care of our people, they will take better care of the clients as well. This is what I feel is different with Piandre. Our company invests in the total development of our staff. We take care of their needs and growth in different aspects like physical, emotional and spiritual. This is what is unique to us,” said Aina.
Piandre continues to invest in training especially for its stylists. All Piandre stylists undergo several months of training before they are certified; and every year, Piandre invites renowned educators from abroad to update the stylists on the latest trends and techniques. “The constant updating is crucial in Piandre to make sure that we don’t get left behind with all the latest styles,” reasoned mother Rosalinda.
Piandre has partnered with an Australian team on matters about hair which is good for its Filipina clientele. The Australian partner uses the brand Lakme which Piandre’s sister company SBI is the official distributor in the Philippines. Lakme products are produced in Barcelona, Spain. “With Lakme products, we have the whole range of hair care products that cater to most hair needs. These hair care products are professional products,” promoted Aina.
“What we see here today is the merging of the best of Manila and Davao. Everything here has been done with God’s love. Our love for Him united us in creating this Piandre space for beauty and wellness in Davao, for goodness to flow, and to refresh many who will be trying our services,” emphasized mother Rosalinda in closing. What an admirable businesswoman with compassion.
