orn in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental, some 75 kilometers away from the provincial capital of Bacolod City, Ramonito Makilan came from humble beginnings.

Raised in a family of five brothers and one sister, his father was a proud public servant — a driver for the Department of Public Works and Highways. His mom was the ever-supporting housewife and homemaker.

An admirable working student throughout his school days, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Negros Occidental Recoletos.

Despite having no relatives in the hospitality industry, he naturally gravitated to the ever-present call of the field. He began as a dishwasher at the premier 70s-era Seabreeze Hotel Bacolod, where he soon became an extra waiter.

When the opportunity knocked, he moved to Cebu City where he worked at the Shangri-La Mactan. He finally became a regular waiter at the Shang Palace Restaurant of Shangri-La. He quickly rose through the ranks and was promoted as the Banquet Captain-Waiter, then the All-Day Dining Supervisor and eventually as the Assistant Banquet Manager. He then served Cebu Marriott as its Banquet Manager.

He eyed greener pastures and boarded the lively and jovial Carnival Cruises cruise liner as a waiter, while the ship sailed around the islands of the Caribbean. For the winter, it was Alaska and its fjords. He danced with the waves and was under the spell of the moon and the stars for six adventurous years.