His childhood was far from ordinary.
Third Domingo grew up and was raised by inmates inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa after losing his parents.
“The prisoners were the ones who taught me how to play chess and basketball,” Domingo told Esquire Magazine.
Domingo’s father was a prison guard while his mother was a public school teacher.
“Since hindi naman uso yung mga yaya sa amin, doon ako tumatambay sa Bilibid Prison. Sa loob mismo ng Maximum Security Compound at sa Medium Security Compound,” he said.
Both of his parents passed away many years ago. Domingo’s father died right after he got his first job in advertising giant ‘McCann’.
“My father died when I landed my first job at McCann. It was just before dawn, and my family kept calling me on my cellphone. They were saying that I need to come home,” he said.
Domingo recalled that he was so occupied with work so he was not able to entertain calls from anyone.
He was in shock when someone texted him that his father had died.
“Alam mo yung kinakausap mo yung patay? Yung tipong nakikita mo sa mga pelikula? I was like that. I told my father, ‘Tay, di ba usapan natin dadalhin kita sa spa? Di ba sa unang suweldo ko ililibre kita? Bakit namatay ka na,” Domingo told his father.
Domingo was a consistent scholar and became their school’s valedictorian. He was chosen to become a scholar in Southridge, an exclusive school for boys.
He also founded the ‘Poblacion Boys Club’ where he will teach everything that he learned from Southridge.
After graduating from Southridge, Domingo studied Integrated Marketing Communication at the University of Asia and the Pacific where he was also a scholar.
He first started working in McCa and later on moved to TBWA to PublicisJimenezBasic or PJB.
On his tenth year in the advertising industry he established IXM or Ideas X Machina. IXM is a leading advertising agency in the country and a member of Hakuhodo, Japan’s second largest marketing company and fourth largest in the world.
He also spearheaded unique ideas for benefits employees can avail in his company.
Some of these leaves include: Date your parents leave, Breakup leave, Reimbursed Date expenses, Subsidized dating apps, Wedding expenses subsidy.
“Creativity is nourished outside of the office, it’s definitely not inside the office. You don’t have to be a regular employee to enjoy these benefits,” he said.
