 |
| AVEGON CORPORATE AD, 1953 |
One of the more popular brands of transistor radios that
promoted the golden age of the Philippine radio industry was AVEGON, produced by Avegon Inc.,with
offices at Sta. Ana, Manila. At its peak, AVEGON
RADIOS rivaled the country’s leading radio and TV maker—Radiowealth—which
was founded almost 20 years ahead of the company.
 |
| AVEGON TRANSISTOR RADIOS/WIRELESS RECORD PLAYER, 1957 |
The story began with Engr. Antonio Avecilla y Nepomuceno,
a Kapampangan born in San Fernando (b. 10 Sep. 1901) who was one of the leading
lights of Philippine infrastructure reconstruction after the War. A 1923 Civil Engineering graduate of the University
of Santo Tomas, Avecilla ‘s post-war works included the La Mesa Dam and
Swimming Pool, Bel-Air Building, Syquia Apartments, Mote de Piedad, Galaxy
Theater, the San Sebastian Convent and
Colleges, the Philippine Wallboard Corp. Bldg., the Rizal Motor Sales Bldg.,
and the rehabilitation of many war-damaged homes and factories.
 |
| FOUNDERS OF AVEGON |
In 1953, noting the burgeoning radio industry thanks to
its rising use as an entertainment and marketing medium, Avecilla teamed up
with a friend, Joaquin l. Gonzalez of Baliwag, and pooled their money together to
form a fledgling manufacturer and importer of electrical appliances called AVEGON INC., coined from their 2 surnames,
AVEcilla and GONzalez.
 |
| SPECIFY AVEGON, PRINT D 1960 |
 |
| AVEGON'S NEW YEAR'S NEW PRODUCTS, PRINT AD 1961 |
Despite a bumpy start, AVEGON’s transistorized radios began gaining a large following,
favored for their hi-fi performance and
economical price. They were also prized for their handsome construction, as the
cases were made from durable Philippine hardwood.
The company expanded by leaps and bounds, necessitating the
construction of its own AVEGON
office and factory buildings located at Invernes St., Sta. Ana, Manila.
Avecilla served as the company president and general manager.
Later, AVEGON forayed into the production of fluorescent
lamp ballasts that could withstand high humidity and temperature—the first of
its kind in the country. AVEGON Radios
however, were the company’s flagship brands, with many models to choose from.
 |
| THE NOVELTY HOUSE RADIO OF AVEGON, 1962 |
One of the most unusual were the AVEGON Dreamhouse radios—made in the shape of little roofed houses
with TV antennas. It sold wireless record players, radios with legs—all sold at
affordable prices. AVEGON radios were regularly advertised on print and radio and had
its own loyal market from the lower-midle class bracket.
 |
| AVEGON TV SET ADS, 1964 |
Radiowealth upped the tempo of the competition by leading
the local production of the so-called “TV and Radio/ Music Player Furniture
Sets”, an innovation that sought to rethink our idea of what an appliance is,
which, to the company can be a home furniture too. It is in this arena of
product innovation that AVEGON faltered.
It belatedly introduced its first TV set in early 1960s, and continued to
produce traditional small and portable transistor radios, which,
nevertheless had their own market niche. With more and more Filipinos finding
new prosperity, large and modern appliance furniture became the vogue in the
60s right through the 70s—with the advent of the age of stereophonic,
quadraphonic and surround sound technology.
 |
| AVEGON TRANSISTOR RADIOS, PRINT AD 1966 |
AVEGON
continued making radios, and the hardwood cases gave way to modern colorful
plastic in the 70s. The compToday, AVEGON
Radios are prized by radio and music collectors as fine examples of local
radio craftsmanship that is distinctively Filipino
SOURCES:
TABLEAU: Encyclopedia of Distinguished Personalities in
the Philippines, p. 73.
BALIWAG, Then & Now. Vilacorte, 1985
