Former teacher assistant builds own beauty, skincare empire

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March 10, 2026 | 3:43pm

MANILA, Philippines — Unity might sound like a campaign slogan or a cheering chant, but a former teacher assistant-turned-businesswoman highlighted how it became her battle cry for success. 

REH Kings Empire Corp. chief executive officer and president Salome Garcia emphasized this key aspect of her business' operations during her speech at their company's seventh anniversary celebration. 

“That’s what legacy feels like. Legacy is not measured by speed, but by depth. Not by visibility, but by consistency. Not by shortcuts, but by values that endure. Our day-to-day culture is this journey too. One mission, one empire,” Garcia said, encouraging her employees who were gathered to celebrate the company's milestone. 

“Mission gives direction. But humility gives strength. Empire is growing because we choose alignment over division. Collaboration over competition. And purpose over evil. Different backgrounds, different stories, different seasons. Yet, we move forward as one empire,” she emphasized. 

Garcia's ascent is a sharp rise for a self-made businesswoman. 

She grew in a modest family in Nueva Ecija. Her father worked for as a government employee while her mother focused on rearing her and her four other siblings. 

Driven by her desire to make something out of her life, Garcia's story is similar to other success stories who rose up to personal challenges. 

In her third year of college, her father lost his job, and her family urged her to stop studying. However, Garcia refused to give up. She worked seven days a week as a teacher’s assistant to support herself through her final year.

With very little sleep and a lot of determination, she pushed through the challenges until she finally earned her degree.

After graduating, she moved to Manila and accepted any job she could find, including working as a sales clerk and a waitress. Later on, she taught during the day and tutored students at night. These experiences helped her develop the discipline and work ethic she needed to eventually run a business.

Garcia eventually joined a small business that sold herbal products. She was shown how to be resilient and resourceful as a saleswoman who would go house to house and town to town to sell the products. 

Today, however, is a different story for the Nueva Ecija native. Her company has over 100 employees.

“Seven years in, our question is no longer how fast we grow, but how we build what we have to leave behind. And the answer lives in you. As we move forward, our commitment remains here. To grow with integrity, to lead with humility, and to succeed with purpose. To build an empire that lasts. Not only in systems and structures, but in the lives changed, families strengthened, and generations empowered,” she said.

“This is not the peak of our story. This is only the foundation. Thank you for believing. Thank you for staying. And thank you for building together. One vision, one empire,” she concluded.

The company’s growing product line focuses on health, wellness, and everyday personal care. Leading the portfolio is its flagship supplement, Kings Herbal Plus, carefully formulated with a blend of herbal ingredients designed to promote daily well-being and support active lifestyles.

The company’s brand portfolio includes coffee, a fragrance line, everyday personal care, pain relief balm, liniment oil, sun care, shampoo, deodorant cream, intimate wash and lipstick line.

For Garcia, success is not only about earning money or achieving rapid growth. It is also about helping families and improving people’s lives. She believes that a business can thrive while still treating others with kindness and fairness.

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