WHILE MANY RAGS to riches story romanticize the struggle from nothingness to wealth, the story of Romeo “Meo” Malasaga, who turned 60 last October, was that of a vagabond who lost the only person who cared for him, his grandmother, at age 10. From then, he had to fend for himself – wandering from town to town and farms doing odd jobs for a roof over his head even just one meal each day.
Meo is an only child but his mother abandoned him and his real father, who had other children from other relations, left them for another woman. It was very unfortunate that his lola died when he was barely out of gradeschool.
Meo was in school up to Grade 4 but attended classes only on Monday. The rest of the week, he helped his grandmother tend to the farm by the hillsides to make ends meet. Meo did not really have the chance to learn to read and write. This weakness earned for him raw deals in various odd jobs.
But Meo possessed an innate entrepreneurial skill. He sold vegetables, fruits, salt, and root crops, most of which he picked along the way, in Burauen town or on makeshift tables by the road.
His mother, who demanded much from him although she never supported Meo, was regularly supplied rice and fish. Meo did not maintain rancor over this.
When his lola died, he ventured farther with only the clothes on his back and no footwear. Meo vowed to try his best to survive and never to give up.
“Meo was frugal. He saved and was able to buy a bicycle, then a motorcycle and a multicab.
From photo business, he ventured into catering, among other businesses. With the guarantee of his Chinese friend, Meo was able to purchase a Mitsubishi Adventure and two trucks.”
QUEST FOR EDUCATION
Meo was really obsessed to learn to read and write. His aunt, a Home Economics teacher from Barangay Buri in Dagami town, Leyte convinced him to pursue his elementary studies. He got his report cards in Barangay San Ildefonso and enrolled in Grade 5 even if he was already 14.
When she has the time, his aunt tutored him. His younger classmates, who were four years younger, exerted effort after school to teach him to read and write.
At 15, he finished the grades and enrolled in a nearby high school. He was already 20 when he got his HS diploma.
BUSINESS START-UP
At age 13, on weekends, he would take a tricycle from Dagami to Burauen where an uncle-in-law who had a photo studio just across the Immaculate Conception Parish church. He asked his uncle to teach him to shoot photos, develop, print, and deliver to clients. Meo earned P5 per day.
He used his uncle’s camera in shooting weddings, baptisms, and burials in church.
Meo’s uncle actually disliked him and refused to make him stay in the studio at night. So he slipped into the convent for the night.
At first, Msgr. Estanislao Abarca, the parish priest, berated him for sleeping there. Eventually, Msgr. Abarca agreed to let him stay provided that Meo attended to the priest’s daily coffee habit, mopped the altar and convent floors, and performed as sacristan during masses. Then, he was given a space in the seminarians’ room.
Because of his skill, Msgr. Abarca lent him a camera and “appointed” him as the “official” photographer for church events. Meo then returned his uncle’s camera.
When the parish priest was transferred to Carigara, Leyte, he left his camera with Meo.
To augment his income, Meo scouted for photography opportunities outside Burauen to as far as Tacloban City.
In Tacloban, a rich Chinese businessman offered him a camera on easy installment plan and donated P5,000 as initial capital for his photography business.
VENTURE INTO CATERING
Meo was frugal. He saved and was able to buy a bicycle, then a motorcycle and a multicab.
From photo business, he ventured into catering, among other businesses. With the guarantee of his Chinese friend, Meo was able to purchase a Mitsubishi Adventure and two trucks.
During his numerous photo consignments in Tacloban, Meo keenly observed the catering business, took coaching from experts, and hired a chef who became his operations manager.
Meo invested in tables, chairs, ornaments, and established a well-equipped kitchen. As for dining staff, he hired good-looking foreigners as waiters and assigned them to different areas. He dressed them up with decent uniforms and leather shoes. First hired was a young British, who was just assisting fishermen with no permanent residence. This waiter still works in his resort, Camp Kawayan, and married a Filipina. Next was one of German-descent, then another British, two Indians, a Black American, and a Japanese. They became fluent in Waray.
Meo was an innovator. He was the first in catering business in this part of Leyte. Soon, competition became stiff.
MORE ACQUISITION
Meo thought of how to be propitious in handling his funds.
To support his catering business, he maintained rice and vegetable farms and piggery. With his earnings and strong will, he acquired – through installment – four hectares of lands for food crops and piggery. In it, he built Camp Kawayan Resort.
Meo and his businesses was not spared by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that devastated most of Leyte and Western Visayas in November 2013. It was a total wipe out damage to his piggery and farm.
Since Tacloban and this part of Leyte was badly hit, even if they had the money, food and supplies were nil. But ingenuity, by planting cash crops, Meo and his neighbors survived.
CLASSIC GENEROSITY
Meo is popular for his classic generosity.
When his businesses recovered, he managed rebuilt his house, renovated his bodegas, two function halls, swimming pools, and cabanas all in Camp Kawayan.
He also made sure that his mother, stepfather and his half-siblings land each to build their houses.
Meo’s cousins who worked for him also had land to farm and build their homes in. These are not dole outs. All earn by working for him
as cooks, messengers, waiters, housekeeping, maintenance, and farmhand.
Each semester, he also helps train students from at least three schools in Leyte. He fed them and provided them token allowances. At any given day, Camp Kawayan has at least 200 people moving around and helping in the resort’s operations.
FUTURE PLAN
Without sacrificing his current businesses, Meo plans to put up a gasoline station along the main road of Dagami.
Who would ever imagine that a vagabond like Meo could someday run a huge and diversified business in Leyte– even though most of his relatives at first did not help him but clung to him for subsistence.
“I do not harbor any ill feelings toward anyone. I focus solely on business and how to keep improving with God solely by my side,” he told us.
Mabuhay! I like reading the whole background /profile of my long friend Meo Malasaga yes! Meo he is very hardworking not only that he also very generous not only for his family but to other people .Very amazing person.