Sometimes, blessings show up in unrecognizable disguises.
A man is a living example to that testament.
Romualdo Nabor IV landed his dream job at ABS-CBN right after his graduation in 2011.
He had been working for the company for 10 years. Until one day, the company announced that he was one of the thousands of employees included in the retrenchment program due to the company’s shutdown.
He couldn’t believe it. That in one blink, his future could become unclear and uncertain.
“Actually medyo mabigat, until now parang naiiyak pa din ako pag naalalaa ko. Nung time na nagkaroom kami ng one-on-one sa HR, and sinabi na part ako sa ma-re-retrench sobrang di ko pinakita na umiyak ako. Pero nung time na nageempake na ako kumukuha na ako ng mga gamit ko. Sobrang iyak at sobrang nasaktan ako,” Romualdo recalled.
The situation took a toll on Romualdo’s mental health after being unemployed in the middle of the pandemic. But Romualdo used this heartbreak to continue fighting for his dreams.
“Ang ginawa ko, dahil meron akong nakakuhang separation pay sa ABS-CBN. ‘Yun ‘yung isa sa mga pinangstrart ko para makabuo ng maliit na business,” he said.
Romualdo also decided to borrow money from friends and family to start up a small business. He started with an initial capital of P500,000.
A year after, he was able to establish his own coffee shop. His business now has five branches in Luzon. Romualdo now earns a six-figure income from his venture.
“Actually parang nakakatakot siya, kasi parang sugal. Nakakatakot siya kasi baka wala lahat ng pinagpaguran ko. Pero kasi ako naniniwala ako na sa lahat ng gagawin mo, lalo na sa business, sugal ‘yan,” he shared.
Romualdo said that all the hardships he went through before building his own business was a “blessing in disguise.”
“Madaming nagsasabi sakin friends and family ko na siguro kung hindi rin nangyari baka di mo rin nakuha ‘yan. So ‘yung na lang din ‘yung iniisip ko,” Romualdo said.
Romualdo said they started franchising his business in December 2021. Among the five branches of his coffee shop, he owns two of them. The rest were franchised by other individuals. They are also planning to expand their business in Siargao and Cebu.
The small business eventually became a corporation with the help of his business partner, Bernadeth Lagman, who also lost her job due to the pandemic.
“Kung meron kang gusto i-try mo lang kasi di mo malalaman kung di mo gagawin. Para sa mga lahat ng nawalan ng trabaho especially sa mga kapamilya ko, wag kayong mawalan ng pagasa kasi alam ko meron magandang nakaplano para satin. Hindi siguro sumangayon satin ang panahon pero sa mga susunod na araw, linggo o buwan malamang sigurado ako, meron magandang mangyayari para sainyo. Wag lang mawalan ng pagasa,” Romualdo said when asked about his message to those who lost their jobs in the middle of the pandemic.
