Three decades ago, in the then sleepy town of San Carlos in Negros Occidental, grade 5 student Dixon Alfabete, Dodong to his friends, thought his world had ended.

Brought up by a single mother tending to her three children, Dodong – the youngest — needed to stop schooling and take several odd jobs to help make ends meet.

Dodong told his young mind that a bright and stable future was an unfathomable idea.

Years later, his life took a 360-degree turn when he met Taberna Group of Companies president and chief executive oficer, broadcast journalist Anthony "Ka Tunying" Taberna, who offered him a job as a salon assistant and occasional family driver.

When the parlor closed shop, Dodong became a baker at Ka Tunying restaurant's first branch in Manila during its opening in 2015.

"Mula noon tuluy tuloy na ang pagganda ng buhay ko. Salamat kina Mr. at Mrs. T sa mga oportunidad. Hindi ko inakalang mula sa pagiging magsasaka at tricycle driver sa probinsya ay magkakaroon ako ng tyansang umunlad (From then on my life changed for the better. I am grateful to Mr. and Mrs. T for the opportunities. I never thought that from being a farmer and a tricycle driver, I could rise from poverty one day)," he said.

Dodong is but one of the hundreds of TGC employees who happily and gracefully grooved to grand production numbers during TGC's annual employee appreciation party aptly dubbed "Ikaw ang Regalo Ko" held on 4 Jannuary.

Hosted by Ka Tunying and his better half, TGC vice president and chief operating officer Rossel Taberna or Mrs. T, the yearly recognition is a much-anticipated occasion according to employees themselves as it gives them the chance to dress up and glow up.

And Mr. and Mrs. T couldn't be more benevolent. After all, it is a night well-deserved by people who had been instrumental in the pivot of their company to where it is now.

"We have come a long way from our simple community bakeshop in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija. Currently we have more platforms for our restaurant Ka Tunying's, more offerings from our 18-year-old events arm Outbox Media and loyal fan base for our trending digital program Tune In Kay Tunying and documentary Kuha All," Mrs. T said in her speech.

Ka Tunying has diversified into toll manufacturing and distribution, while OBM has ventured into multimedia production and digital content creation, both local and international.

"These breakthroughs would not have been possible if not for our employees' hard work, dedication, commitment and genuine care for our company," she added.

Ka Tunying for his part, underscored that TGC employees are part of the aspirations for the company.

"We do not just dream for ourselves, we dream for the whole team. You are the reason why we pursued our businesses even at a time that we faced multiple and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. We cannot and will never turn our backs on you," he said.

"In TGC, we are not just a company. We have evolved into a communi-T," he added, a statement echoed by Taberna scions Zoey and Helga who indicated their excitement to lead TGC in the future.

Judging from Dodong's success story, as well as that of a homeless fellow initially hired as a dishwasher but has become a chef, it was apparent that TGC employees take centerstage in the company's narrative.

And as TGC moves forward – with its very own five-story building underway that will house all TGC brands in one roof – their team members can rest assured of a sustainable and lasting transformation journey.