For most people, doing laundry is just another part of daily life routine and unremarkable. But for Leandro “Leo” Ramos, it became his path to dignity, survival, and ultimately, transformation.
Leo grew up in Dumaguete City, the eldest of five children. His father, a fisherman, earned just enough to put food on the table, while his mother took on a laundry jobs for neighbors to make ends meet. From a young age, Leo knew the meaning of hard work not through grand gestures, but in the quiet, consistent sacrifices of his parents.
After finishing high school, Leo didn’t have the luxury to go to college. Instead, he took whatever job came his way warehouse helper, janitor, water delivery assistant. But the instability wore on him, especially when his younger siblings started asking for help with school expenses. He wanted more than just survival; he wanted to give his family a chance at a better life.
An opportunity came through an agency offering job placements in the United Arab Emirates. The position: laundry attendant in a hotel in Dubai. The salary wasn’t glamorous, but it was steady, with food and accommodation included. With borrowed money for the placement fee and a hopeful heart, Leo left the Philippines for the very first time.
Dubai was overwhelming at first bright lights, fast pace, different languages. Leo found himself working in the basement level of a luxury hotel, away from the polished marble floors and high-end guests. His days started early and ended late, sorting linens, pressing uniforms, managing dry cleaning requests, and handling clothes worth more than his monthly salary.
It was exhausting work, and often thankless. There were days when guests shouted over a delayed laundry pickup, or when he worked double shifts because a colleague called in sick. But Leo endured it all with quiet grace. He believed that even the smallest job, done with integrity, mattered.
He learned efficiency, memorized the preferences of VIP clients, and took initiative when machines broke down or deliveries were delayed. His supervisor took notice. Within a year, he was promoted to Laundry Team Leader, overseeing a crew of ten and managing daily operations.
But Leo never let the title change him. He continued folding sheets alongside his team, offering help to newcomers, and staying late to finish the job when needed. The real reward, however, was back home.
Thanks to his consistent remittances, Leo’s siblings were able to finish their degrees. His youngest sister became a teacher. He built a modest concrete house for his parents, who finally retired from their laborious jobs. In his fifth year abroad, Leo was even able to start his own self-service laundry business in Dumaguete, managed by a cousin.
Now back in the Philippines, Leo runs the business full-time, employing young men who, like him, once struggled to find a steady path. He trains them personally, teaches them not just how to fold clothes or operate machines, but how to work with pride even in silence.
Because for Leo, every crease he smoothed, every shirt he pressed, was never just laundry. It was his family’s future, ironed into shape one day at a time.
