The owner of a volleyball team at the Premier Volleyball League and the creator and operator of 10 F&B concepts in the Philippines, Milka Romero, the firstborn of Rep. Mikee and Sheila Romero, doesn’t fall far from the tree. Milka forged her own path early on through sports, which eventually became the seed in helping her accomplish bigger goals and dreams, whether on the football field, the hardcourt or in the kitchens and dining areas of the F&B concepts she created and now operates.
By BÜM D. TENORIO JR.
For her sheer capacity to turn vision into reality, Milka Romero is a natural leader. Her competence is a product of constant learning, being unafraid and being decisive. Through her works, she also shows that leadership is being true to one’s self.
In the equation of leadership, Milka gives credit to the fact that she’s the eldest in the family. “Being the eldest is very scary because there’s no one to look up to,” she says. She rose to the occasion and little did she know that her leadership qualities were shaping up right inside their home.
“As I was making my own path, I luckily discovered that I like sports. So at a young age, around 12, I played football. I scored my first goal in my first-ever game,” she recalls.
Initial goal
That first goal was to become the seed for her many goals and dreams. Not only did she become captain of her football teams in Poveda (where she spent grade school and high school) and Ateneo (where she finished Management Economics), she also began to be the captain of her own track.
At 19, inspired by the business savvy of her parents, restaurateur and I Want to Share founder Sheila Romero and businessman turned 1-Pacman party-list Rep. Mikee Romero, Milka, now 31, started to build Miro Group, the food and beverage company she founded and now operates on her own. Throughout the years, she has created and operated over 10 F&B concepts across 22 branches such as Sushi Nori, Ms.Gee, Out Of Office, Good Times, Bar55, Sanctuary, Wow Wok and Yelo Yelo.
“My journey in the food and beverage industry has taught me tremendously through my experience in working with various people and facing challenges. I am proud that throughout my 12 years in this industry, I carry with me the responsibility of taking care of my employees and how they play a vital role in creating a sustainable long-term business,” she says.
As if the F&B business is not enough, Milka, with her sister Mandy, also ventured into owning and managing a women’s volleyball team in the Premier Volleyball League. Their Capital 1 volleyball team didn’t make it to the finals, but its performance can be considered on par with some of the best, considering it’s only been in the league for eight months. Capital 1 is her sister Mandy’s company that deals with renewable energy.
Sister act
“Owning a sports team is like a business also. My sister and I complement each other. We are a sister duo. We are compassionate with our athletes. Mandy is more of the macro of the business and I’m more of the performance, more of the coaching, talking to the athletes, so we complement each other in that way. And we were able to beat challenging teams in the last conference, which is a milestone. It’s still a long process, but Mandy and I are in it because we believe in women in sport,” she says.
Recently, at a jampacked stadium in General Santos City, Milka stood on stage as guest speaker at a summer youth festival. It was her first time to address thousands of youth delegates as chairman of 1-Pacman party-list. Her father Mikee Romero is the party-list’s representative in the Lower House.
A natural leader, Milka gravitated towards the many youth leaders at the stadium. She heard them one by one, taking note of their concerns, particularly about sports and education.
Milka is hopeful she will get the mandate, as she is poised to continue the good deeds of her father when he finishes his term at the House of Representatives next year, to represent the marginalized in Congress as 1-Pacman’s representative.
“My dad is my inspiration. He taught me to always keep learning. He taught me that no matter what age, the will to learn new things either through school, reading or discussions will lead you to discover more about yourself and your capabilities. I’m always inspired by his fearlessness and determination to dive into the unknown and come out stronger,” she says.
If elected to the office, she will continue some of the more than 144 laws authored by Rep. Romero, including RA 10931 (Free Tuition Fee Act), RA 11215 (National Integrated Cancer Control Act), RA 11036 (Philippine Mental Health Law) and RA 11930 (Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse).
Like father, like daughter
Since a leader’s mind and body are never idle, Milka, inspired by her dad as the country’s chairperson of the Association of Reservists and Reservist Administrators of the Philippines, Inc., also trained to become a reservist in the Philippine Navy. As a civilian volunteer, she helps in times of calamity. Because she is a professional diver, she also helps clean up the sea by collecting garbage submerged in the waters.
“I wanted to learn something new, something that can give me structure again, something that can make me serve others well. It’s ingrained in my system to help. I first learned it from my mom and dad through example. They always inspire me and my siblings to do good. To not only think of ourselves, but also to think about other people,” she says.
“At a young age, my mom has taught me the value of our faith in God. It is through her that I feel God’s love. Her unconditional care for me and my siblings has always been the best lesson and example of what true love is,” she says of her mother Sheila, who also helms Globalport.
“My hero has always been my mom. She is one of the pillars in my life, as she has always put family first. She is an amazing example of a lady boss, fun and caring friend, loving mother and mentor,” Milka adds.
But what kind of a daughter is Milka?
“I always make it a point to do activities or hang out with my parents. Even though we are always busy and at times our schedules do not align, bonding with my parents through work, travel or hobbies is a great way to learn and discover more things together,” she says.
Milka is always composed — her smile is disarming. Her beautiful face is the crown of her beautiful heart.
“I start my day with prayer meditation, then work out. It’s always great to end the day talking to my family or sharing goals and accomplishments with friends who support each other,” she says, adding that running or walking is also part of her daily schedule to clear the mind.
“At this chapter in my life, I have come to realize that our journey will always be unexpected. But as long as you live with a grateful heart, you will be resilient come what may,” she concludes.
Photography by MARK CHESTER ANG
Art direction by DEXTER FRANCIS DE VERA
Styling by ROKO ARCEO
Hair by VALERIE CORPUZ
Makeup by TATS DIONISIO
