From parlor sweeper to Forbes Magazine A-lister

MANILA, Philippines - What is beauty guru Ricky Reyes, a mere parlor sweeper in his boyhood, doing in the company of retail mogul Henry Sy, telecoms chief Manuel V. Pangilinan, banker Alfonso Yuchengco, Aboitiz holding company chairman Jon Ramon Aboitiz, Phinma head Ramon del Rosario Jr; top media honcho Oscar M. Lopez, JG Summit Holdings founder John Gokongwei Jr; and Ayala Corporation chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala II.

All these gentlemen have been named to Forbes Magazine’s “Heroes of Philanthropy.’’

This year, Ricky earned a spot in Forbes’ third annual 48 Heroes of Philanthropy list in the Asia-Pacific region.

Forbes chose four leading altruists in 12 countries, from Australia to Malaysia to India, including mining tycoon Andrew Forrest, Indian benefactor Rohini Nilekani and Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan, Chinese property developer Huang Nubo who donated $640,000 to Tibet University for scholarships, as well as $100,000 to the East Asia Library to California’s UCLA.

Humbled

A champion of the poor and the downtrodden ever since he realized that it is in giving that he is most fulfilled, Ricky is surprised by this recognition.

“I am most humbled to be included in the list,” beams Ricky on his new accolade. “I am simply giving back blessings which God has given me – not only materials things but also talent and skills that I have worked on over the years.”

Ricky is considered by many as a beauty maverick whose business empire has diversified into education, and real estate. He was steered into doing civic work by his humble beginnings, back when his mother couldn’t afford to send him to a beauty school and he had to sweep salons to eke out a living for his family.

Forbes Magazine particularly cited Ricky for two things. First was for his work on health care and job training, particularly involving CHILD Haus (Center for Health Improvement and Life Development), a halfway-home for poor, cancer-stricken children from provinces who are seeking treatment in Metro Manila hospitals.

Ricky was also honored by Forbes for leading a team of volunteers in feeding about 50,000 victims of the Typhoon Ondoy for two weeks last year.

Open arms, giving hand

Ricky, known to friends as “Mother”, was deprived of education as a young boy because of poverty. The money he earned from sweeping floors was used as capital for his first parlor in 1970. Ricky now has a 44-branch network of Gandang Ricky Reyes salons.

To help facilitate livelihood programs and make education accessible for the youth who cannot afford a college education, he opened the Ricky Reyes Learning Institute (RRLI) in 1975. Now with four branches — Cubao, Quiapo, Alabang, and a newly-opened branch in San Juan — the vocational-technical school offers a diverse range of courses in hotel and restaurant services and cosmetology conducted by TESDA-certified specialists and professionals. In opening his school, Ricky said: “Because I only finished high school, I want to give others the opportunity I never had. I take pleasure in helping those who want to help themselves.”