You can take someone out of a dynasty, but you can never take the dynasty out of them.
It’s a truth woven into the life of Michael Ellis Co—a twenty-something known as Ellis Co in fashion circles and Ellis G in music.
He had supposedly broken away from his parents' financial support at the age of 16.
Yet his name has become loud and unavoidable in 2025, as the Philippine flood-control corruption scandal grips the country and places his father, Representative Zaldy Co, among its most heavily implicated figures.
In the middle of protests, hearings, and exposés, Ellis tried to carve his distance, publishing a lengthy statement disowning his father’s actions and condemning corruption “in all its forms.”
But his claim to emancipation clashes with what netizens are calling "resibo"—his private-school pedigree, his runway shows bankrolled by family venues, and his name stamped in corporate filings worth hundreds of millions of pesos.
Strip away the Instagram letter, the designer label, the dynastic surname, and we're left with the paradox of Ellis Co.
Read: Titulo ng mga kanta ni Ellis G, anak ni Zaldy Co, "yayamanin"
EARLY LIFE
Full Name
Although he goes by Ellis Co in fashion and Ellis G in music, his full name is Michael Ellis R. Co.
Birthday, Age
His exact birthdate has not been disclosed, but news archives of Ellis place his birth year around 2000-2001.
He is reported to be 24 years old at press time.
Hometown
Ellis traces his roots to Albay, Bicol, and his 2023 fashion show at Misibis Bay served as the perfect opportunity for his symbolic homecoming.
The event was his way of grounding his art in the memories and landscapes of his childhood.
He told Manila Standard Lifestyle: “This collection is my most personal and most intimate one yet because the show will be held in Bicol, which is my home province.
“I always fly back every time I’m on break in the summer or the holidays. I use the time to reflect and think about my designs.”
Family
Ellis is the son of Rep. Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, Ako Bicol party-list representative and head of the Sunwest Group of Companies, and Mylene R. Co.
His sister, Elyza Mikhaela, recently graduated high school from International School Manila, and is currently studying at Boston University.
His uncle, contractor Christopher “Kito” Co, is the founder of Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp; his aunt, Farida “Diday” Co, is the current vice governor of Albay.
His cousin, Claudine Co, daughter of Christopher, is an influencer-singer.
The Co family is a well-established dynasty in both business and politics in Bicol.
Read: Ellis Co speaks out against his father Congressman Zaldy Co
EDUCATION
Ellis studied at Everest Academy, known as the first international Catholic school in the Philippines, and reputedly the most expensive of its kind.
For School Year 2025–2026, Everest’s published tuition ranges from PHP445,000 to PHP695,000 annually, depending on grade level.
New enrollees face additional one-time fees, bringing the total first-year cost to around PHP 500,000.
The school reestablished its annual benefit gala in November 2023 at the Manila Polo Club after a four-year pandemic hiatus.
The event, called Driven: A Gala Fueled by Purpose and Hope, presented Ellis as a star alumnus.
As reported by The Manila Times, his label .ARCHIVES appeared in the auction line-up, and he staged a fashion show at the gala.
According to Ellis, he had a falling-out with his parents at the age of 16 — the same age he was when the gala took place.
The question now is: was he already living independently at the time?
The gala itself was a blend of high-society staples—club cars, invisible braces, and artworks by Arturo Luz and Juvenal Sansó—and quirky auction lots, including paella and tres leches made by priests, and dinners prepared by consecrated women.
Proceeds benefited Everest, the Legionaries of Christ, the Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi, Family Missions, Family Youth, and Mano Amiga Academy.
Meanwhile, according to a GMA report, Ellis pursued a degree in Entrepreneurial Management at the University of Asia and the Pacific but eventually dropped out.
CAREER
Fashion Designer
Ellis co-founded the brand .ARCHIVES in 2022, a high-fashion streetwear label that blends brutalist influences and gender-neutral designs.
In 2023, at age 22, Ellis launched Phases/Faces, .ARCHIVES’ first Resort/Cruise collection, at Misibis Bay in Albay, among the controversial properties tied to Zaldy.
The show was staged on a 700-foot stretch of catwalk.
It was branded as a tribute to self-reflection and the profound influence people have on shaping one’s art and identity.
Through gender-neutral silhouettes, Ellis sought to celebrate inclusivity and the beauty of individuality.
That same year, he presented collections at Tokyo Fashion Week (Autumn/Spring 2023); in September, at Rakuten Fashion Week (Spring/Summer 2024).
His work has attracted a celebrity clientele.
Nadine Lustre, Sarah Geronimo, Rico Blanco, James Reid, Niana Guerrero, Alodia Quimbo, Tim Yap, Al James, and Bella Poarch have all been spotted in Ellis Co’s creations.
Ellis frequently collaborates with .ARCHIVES’ creative director Reika Mayani, who was instrumental in conceptualizing both Memoirs of the Future (the debut collection inspired by Japanese architecture) and Phases/Faces.
Rapper Artist
Ellis also dabbles in music under the stage name Ellis G. He released the five-track EP Big Money Corp The Album in 2022.
The songs—“Big Money,” “Black Lexus,” “R.B.C.N.,” “Shangri-La,” and “Mango Shake” —drew criticisms online for what many saw as an unapologetic display of privilege.
On YouTube, he uploaded official music videos for “Black Lexus” and “R.B.C.N.”
His channel Ellis G was set up on January 20, 2020, and has since been used to showcase his foray into rap and hip-hop production.
Business Ventures
Ellis’s career portfolio branches into corporate investments through his family’s Sunwest empire.
A Rappler investigation (March 2025) revealed that Ellis and his sister Elyza are shareholders in multiple Sunwest property firms:
Misibis Land: In December 2023, Zaldy and Mylene each invested PHP349 million, while Ellis and Elyza each subscribed to PHP87.25 million.
Embarcadero Land Ventures: Developer of the Embarcadero de Legazpi Mall and Tektone Village
Zaldy and Mylene each bought PHP520 million worth of shares, while Ellis and Elyza each invested PHP260 million.
These filings, submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in September 2024, directly link Ellis to the family’s real-estate empire—contradicting his claims of financial independence.
Furthermore, he is listed as part of the Sunwest Corporate Executives Committee as a TQM team manager/revenue manager/AVP for group holdings/CEO for STM, along with his mom, Mylene, who holds the position of chief financial officer.
Read: Philippine Flood Control Corruption Scandal: A Timeline
PERSONAL LIFE
Ellis's open letter to dad Zaldy Co
When the PHP1-trillion flood-control corruption scandal erupted, Rep. Zaldy Co was named among its central figures, along with Curlee and Sarah Discaya.
Ellis, caught in the fallout, released a lengthy statement on September 24, 2025, via Instagram: “I am here to address the situation.
"Before I proceed, I want to express my deepest sympathy to the people who have mobilized and stood up against corruption in the streets. I am with you. I am on your side.
“Though I bear my last name, I’ve always tried to separate myself from that affiliation.
"It can’t be denied that I was born into privilege. Despite this, I’ve always pushed to give back, especially to the community and to the industry I’ve long admired.
“I’ve moved out of my parents’ home. I didn’t pursue college, and I’ve been working for my money since I was 16.
“This isn’t a sob story. It’s my effort to show transparency regarding my brand, and how I chose not to participate in that system.
“Over the years, I’ve pushed to separate myself from their work and have repeatedly declined offers to participate in politics or any government-related opportunities.
“I have a firm belief that people who are supposed to do this are people who have the proper skillset, education, and reasons to do so.”
From there, Ellis shifted his message away from self-explanation and squarely toward the scandal itself.
“I condemn corruption in all its form,” he expressed.
“I understand the anger and disgust. The hate is MORE than valid.
“And for the past few weeks, I’ve been having an internal conflict between my morals and my family.
“I am only speaking out now because I need the time to have a firm grasp of the situation.
“I found out about the full extent of the allegations the same way everyone else did.”
According to him, the shift in their relationship began in 2019, when his dad became the representative for Ako Bicol Partylist.
“Before my dad entered politics, he was a businessman who provided a better life for my family
“As a kid, that is all I saw and all I was told.
“Our relationship has since become very vague when he entered politics, which made me increasingly distant, not just from him, but from my family as well.
“And though I try to separate myself from the affiliation, I won’t exclude myself from the conversation.
“I am deeply ashamed, and I wish for nothing but the truth to come out.
"There is no excuse. I firmly believe that anyone who is proven guilty of these crimes should be held accountable and should face the proper consequences.
“That includes my dad.
“I urge him to appear before the people and be accountable once and for all.
“I am not just speaking out against a politician; I am speaking out against my father.
“And if this decision gets me disowned, I would rather face that consequence than watch millions of people suffer from his actions.”
His parting words: “To my father, come home and answer to the people. Have your time in court. People need answers.
“Free those who were unfairly imprisoned, and seek justice for those who put their lives at stake.”
His statement polarized public opinion: some praised his courage for denouncing his father, while others highlighted the contradiction between his words and the privileges inseparable from his family name.