Manels derives its name from the names of its founders, the husband and wife team of Manuel Sr. and Nelia Siggaoat. Manny and Nelia had just been married, Nelia was teaching Chemistry and Physics at the Philippine Women’s University when the business bug bit her, she invested two years of her salary to start the project, a grocery/pharmacy operation in 1964. Three years later, the corner store prospered into a gift shop at the back of the PWU. Later on, a beauty parlor and canteen followed suit. In 1971, the first shoe store was opened. It was in 1973 when she finally entered the leathergoods market.

From the start, Manny, a CPA and a then up and coming executive of a national cement firm, had been providing the financial and accounting expertise for the start-up store. When the rapidly growing company began to take up more and more of his time, Manny quit his job at the cement firm and dedicated his professional career to the development of Manels.

The success derived from that first retail operation provided the seed money, and more importantly, the know-how to build within the next 30 years, one of the most successful companies in the country with interests in leathergoods (manufacture for local and export market) and retail, department store operations, convenience store operations and baked goods.