Dominic or Doms had a rough childhood, which eventually led him to vices in secondary school and college. He sort of always enjoyed the moment without a thought of the future until he realized that there was more to life than just ‘short and temporary happy times.’ He knew he needed to straighten up his act, so to speak. Years after, he joined RAFI Micro-finance, Inc. a decision that changed his life for the better.
Growing Up Without a Father
Growing up without a father or a father figure in his life, Doms got hooked on different kinds of vices during his youth. Without a permanent address, Doms and his family frequently traveled back and forth from Cebu to Mindanao.
One afternoon, as he lay under the tree, time stood still for Doms as he reflected upon his father’s misdeeds, and about how a person’s choices could define and impact his future.
“My father was not around when I was born because he was in prison. I grew up without any strong connection to him,”
“I lived with my mother together with my grandparents. We lived in Mindanao for a while then we settled down in Cebu until my father was released from prison and had the chance to work as a local seaman,” Doms added.
That was the time when Doms realized that he needed to change his lifestyle and become a better person.
Guided By Faith and His Grandmother
In his early years while living in Mindanao, Doms was very involved in religious activities through the influence of his grandmother. He served as an altar boy and would lead the rosary at the early age of seven.
“Our life was good and simple back when we were living in Mindanao, I was trained in doing household chores, so I did not have time to slack off and play outside until the chores were done,”
Bigger Life Challenges
Everything changed when Doms and his family moved back to Cebu, where he started going out with friends who always got themselves into trouble.
“That was a very dark period of my life when we moved to Cebu. I got involved with friends who only lived for the moment and never thought of their future. When I reached second year high school, I experienced vices that really brought misery to my life,”
His family intervened and they sent him to college. He enrolled in one of the prestigious universities here in Cebu, taking up Bachelor of Science in Computer Science but decided to quit after two years.
“The school was too expensive for our family so I decided to stop. I went back to my old ways of spending more time with my friends. I had issues with the effects of those vices during that time; it was really hard for me since I didn’t want to go to rehab because it was too expensive. Depression sunk in and I really didn’t know what to do,”
Prayers Heals
One day, as Doms was walking down the streets of Colon, he came across Santo Rosario Church and he began to pray.
“That was the first-time that I asked something from God. I prayed hard that day, I prayed that if He would only heal me, I would really change my ways and clean up my life,”
Doms got his answer right away after weeks of self-help and overcoming his demons, he fully recovered from his depression and anxieties, by the grace of God.
Dominic asked his mother if she could give him another chance to finish his education and without any hesitation, his mother supported him.
He took up another course, Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He worked hard to pass all his subjects and made a promise to himself that he will not fail again.
“My faith in God is what really helped me recover from my miseries. I pray every day, even up until now I always seek His guidance. Now I know that if God gives you something, it will be limitless,”
A Second Chance
Doms shared an experience he will never forget.
“I remember when I got home one night, I found my father sitting on our chair. He was drunk and told us how life was very hard for him,”
“He told us how difficult it was to endure the strong winds and big waves, not knowing if he would survive the night during stormy weather,”
It was very painful for Doms to hear his father’s story, so he made a pact with himself that he will no longer take for granted all the chances his parents had given him.
“I decided to help my parents in financing my education. I applied as a scholar in our school and luckily, I was granted full scholarship. Though my tuition fee was free, I still needed money to cover for my other expenses like books and allowance, so I applied for another job outside school,”
An Answered Prayer
Doms said that before joining RAFI Micro-finance, Inc. he had tried many other jobs, which led him to pray for the one that will give him his life’s purpose.
“I have had many jobs in different places but I didn’t seem to fit at all. I prayed to God again to help me find my purpose and He didn’t let me down. A few weeks after, a friend of mine called and referred me to apply in RAFI Micro-finance, Inc. (RMF),”
The Beginning of Change
In 2011, Doms began his career with RMF as a Branch Manager in Ubay, Bohol.
In just six months, he was assigned to head the biggest RMF branch — the Cebu City branch.
“I was really thankful to Ms. Mel during the time when I was still applying for the job because she was really accommodating,”
“I am likewise thankful to Ma’am Tess (Ma. Theresa Catipay) because she trusted me and hired me to work in RMF,”
“And who would’ve thought that I would be a Branch Manager in one of the biggest branches here in Cebu,”
From Zero to Hero
In 2012, Doms’ branch won numerous awards during the RMF General Assembly.
“I encountered many challenges after the General Assembly and just like any other jobs I have had, I did not see myself growing any more,”
“Later did I realized that God has bigger plans for me… one of the biggest projects of RMF came and I was one of the few people chosen to be a Taskforce Member of the Renoir project,”
Bigger Opportunities
After the project, Doms was assigned to handle the Human Resource Unit of RMF, and then moved on to the Expansion Team Unit.
In 2017, Doms and his team opened a total of 36 new branches, ending the year with a total of 76 RMF branches in the different provinces of Biliran, Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Southern Leyte, and Siquijor.
“Working in RMF really helped me grow as a person, a leader, and a provider for my family. Praise God, I was able to buy a house for my family,”
On Being the Expansion Head
Doms was given the new role as the Expansion Unit Head, which handles all the branch openings of RMF.
This year, RMF aims to open 44 branches, targeting to end 2018 with 120 RMF branches across the Visayas.
“Looking back from all my experiences since childhood, I never expected to end up successful, I am very thankful to God because He never left my side, He is the reason why I am here now and why my previous jobs never worked out. He never left me and He made me feel that it’s never too late to change my ways,”
“I owe my success to my family who, despite my vices during my early days, never left me and helped me recover, they taught me how God can be the source of everything and that prayer is a strong weapon that can defeat all woes,”
People That Matters
“When I met my wife, everything was clearer for me. I knew that God gave her to me because the timing was perfect. I had so many failed relationships before but it never worked out,”
“To my wife, thank you for staying with me despite all the problems we had gone through, I dedicate my success to her, my family, the organization, my teammates, and the clients I serve,”
“To RAFI and the Aboitiz family especially the quotes of Don Ramon, Don Eddie, and Sir Bobby that lives in my heart, thank you so much!”
“To my colleagues in RAFI and RMF, especially Raffy, Val, Nen, Junrey, Myra and Renoir consultants, Bugsai teammates!”
“To all building owners/partners in the Visayas who also became my new friends, thank you all for the friendship,”
“To my expansion team & all the clients, whom I have served for many years and one of the sources of my inspiration, thank you for the teamwork!”
“To my RMF family, I have found my purpose in life and I thank you all for giving me the chance to serve our RMF nanays. The joy I find in their eyes could never me measured. Bugsai ta bai!” #IAMRAFI
