Why they call him 'mother'

MANILA, Philippines - Ricky Reyes became known to most people as a celebrity hairstylist, but he owes his popularity to much more than that.

Mother Ricky, as he is known to his friends, has used his stature as pioneer in Filipino hairdressing as the starting point for philanthropic work.

Named by Forbes as one of the 48 Heroes of Philanthropy in the Asia-Pacific Region last 2010, Ricky was lauded particularly for his work in CHILD (Center for Health Improvement and Life Development) Haus, a halfway house for poverty- or disease-stricken Filipinos seeking medical treatment in Metro Manila, and for mobilizing volunteers to help some 50,000 Ondoy victims in 2009. This citation, however, does little justice to a man with such a big heart.

Ricky has spent decades lending a hand to the poor and downtrodden — never asking for anything back. With an ever-grateful attitude, he says he sees it as simply as sharing the blessings he never thought he would receive in this lifetime — his own way of paying it forward, by reaching out to those who came from a background much like his.

Back in the ’60s, Ricky’s own mother could not afford to send him to college or to a beauty school. So, after high school, the young Ricky had to learn to earn his keep by sweeping beauty salon floors. The hard work and determination finally paid off, when, in 1970, he was able to save enough to put up his own beauty salon. It was also here that he earned much of the beauty know-how that provides the groundwork for the Ricky Reyes styling empire that we know today.

In 1975, Ricky decided to open the Ricky Reyes Learning Institute (RRLI), a vocational-technical school for people who cannot afford a college education. The RRLI offers courses in cosmetology and hotel and restaurant services, under the guidance and training of TESDA-certified professionals.

Through this, Ricky doesn’t just solve the poor’s problems for a day; he empowers them by giving them the ability to build a future.

“It’s about teaching men to fish,” he said. “I delight in giving help to those who want to help themselves.”

Today, there is no major city in the Philippines that does not have a Gandang Ricky Reyes branch. RRLI has also opened four branches in Cubao, Quiapo, San Juan and Alabang.

Ricky has taken the humble calling of hairstyling and continues to make the most of it, birthing infinite opportunities for Filipinos and giving them a shot at a better life. No wonder they call him mother.