From OFW to Multi-Business Owner: The Inspiring Story of Gabriel John Rimando

Chapter 1: Early Life and Family Background

I was born on June 14, 1983, in Baguio City, Philippines. My family consisted of my mother, father, my younger brother Gibson Rimando, my older sister Genesis Rimando, and myself. We grew up in Baguio City, where my mother had a sari-sari store in our house, but unfortunately, it was not enough for our family's financial needs. My mother then went to Dubai to work as a nurse, and eventually, she started selling surplus goods and established her shop. My father also had a hardware store, and I would usually help him and learn from him. Growing up, I was influenced by my parents to become an entrepreneur.

During my high school years, the business of my father closed due to the Asian crisis, and I learned that businesses are sometimes affected by things beyond our control. After graduating from high school in 2000, my sister started studying at UP Diliman, and we moved to Manila to be with her and my father, who was also working there. To save on expenses, my brother came with us to Manila to study accountancy at San Beda.

I graduated from Far Eastern University Diliman Branch in 2006, but I failed to pass the CPA exam. I then decided to become an entrepreneur and started a water refilling station. My father went to Oman to work as an engineer, and my sister went to Dubai to find a job and be with our mother. I was left with my brother in Manila, where I managed the water refilling station. However, it failed, and I learned that failures teach us to start again and never stop trying.

In 2007, I went to Dubai to work, and my father transferred there as well. My mother's business was starting to pick up, and she was able to take care of my grandmother while running her business. Seeing the advantages of having your own business, I was inspired to become an entrepreneur to have more time with my family.

During my childhood, I studied in Saint Louis School Center for elementary and Saint Louis University Boys High for high school, both in Baguio City. While in high school, I offered tutorial services to other classes for their projects. During my college years, I continued my entrepreneurship by selling recorded DVDs to my classmates, and I would buy them wholesale from Quapo and sell them retail.

After a year of working in my water refilling station, I went to Dubai to work as an accountant, but I resigned after a year to help my mother's growing business. While working there, I learned about managing a business, from obtaining permits to taking care of employees' visas. I also took on side jobs like catering food to Filipino organizations during weekends, and I learned how to manage the finances of the business.

Overall, my family background and early life experiences have influenced my desire to become an entrepreneur, which led me to take risks, learn from my failures, and strive to achieve my goals.