Starting young in family's biz

“KEEP moving forward. Whatever life gives you ups and downs always keep a calm state of mind with great positivity. It may be hard but it’s worth practicing.”

This is what John Daniel Sapalo, the young manager of Mountain Top Spring Resort in Macambol, Mati City believes in to surpass challenges that come along his way.

Sapalo was born on April 17, 1997 in Bocaue, Bulacan. He finished his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology at Davao Oriental State College and Technology in 2017. The 21-year old tech-savvy millennial shared that he loves to go out for camping and outdoor adventures, swimming relay, basketball, and software designing.

Despite having a resort on top of a mountain, he also shared his hardships in life. Sapalo said they used to have booming business in Manila. However, challenges forced them to close the business eventually. He recalled how their family spent a few years on their grandmothers’ house.

“I remember all four of us can fit in a very small room of my grandma's house," he said. Their family transferred to Mati from Manila. He remembered how those times felt like rock bottom for the family. Despite that, they started a small business once more from scratch. He was trained by his father to in the business. He remembered how he encountered difficulties because he could not yet grasp and understand everything.

Slowly, they started to stand up slowly. There were a lot of things to manage and it was not that easy especially that he was only 15 years old that time.

Mountain Top Spring Resort started in 2013. As a college student then, he used to juggle the tasks of being a student and a manager of their business.

Despite the difficulties he faced, the support of his parents kept him motivated. Today, he is now managing the family’s developing resort in Mati, the Mountain Top Spring Resort, which is visited by tourists from different places.