No one will ever evict Ricky Reyes again.
Recalling that he would be awakened at night as a boy because his family was being evicted again, "Mader Ricky" is now probably the country's wealthiest openly gay businessman, ruling over an empire that stretches from beauty to tourism to philantrophy.
As part of I-Witness's documentary series on Philippine icons, the famed beauty tycoon opens up about his Cinderella childhood and introduces reporter Howie Severino to the world of gay success.
What has he meant to the nation's gays? Is he a pioneer or an exception?
Mader Ricky opens a rose-colored window on the bittersweet lives of gays in the beauty business. Howie explores parlors in malls and small towns, weighs their contributions to the community, and appreciates their cultural and economic power.
Will gay beauticians one day also be powerful in politics? Ricky Reyes offers intriguing clues.
Watch tonight's episode entitled "Ricky Reyes: Ang mother ng ganda." This I-Witness documentary airs tonight, March 26, on GMA-7 right after Saksi.
Executive Producer: Ella Marie C. Evangelista
Director: JJ Villamarin
Cinematography: Egay Navarro
