Emphasis, the salon that helped pioneer the idea of the “urban spa”—complete with shoulder massage during hair treatment, the signature iced tea and iced coffee—turns 25 this December. Its founder, Vicente “Teng” Roma, still wields his scissors at 75.
At the 1,441 room Schönbrunn Palace, an architectural landmark in Vienna
Teng’s easy charm, flair for travel stories, and precision cuts have kept generations of clients coming back, often with their children in tow. “Two things I never forget,” he says, “are the perks of travel, and a long-serving and committed staff I can trust, so I can travel.”
With close friend Rene Salud in Vienna
Before hair, there was advertising. Teng had been an advertising executive when a conversation with hairstylist Bernardo Ayson, trained at the iconic Budjiwara salon, changed everything. “We’re creative people,” Ayson told him. “We don’t wait for someone to define us. We’re not meant to stay within four walls.”
In Venezia
The words struck a nerve. Not long after, Teng and Ayson enrolled in a haircutting course, while keeping their day jobs.
Back in his advertising days, he would practise his haircutting skill on industry colleagues and editors, who gamely sat in front of typewriters draped with covers to catch falling hair. “If the ends weren’t even,” Roma recalls with a laugh, “I would tell my friends in advertising that was the look. They could carry it.” Likewise he would also practise doing hair and makeup on models in the shop of fashion designer Barge Ramos.
At the Cinque Terre a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Liguria, Italy
By 1980, Teng had learned the latest haircutting techniques from British hairdressers David Charlton and Stephen Bradley of Rêver Salon at Mandarin Hotel. His mentors were so impressed with his skills that they invited him to work with them. Teng left his post as head of media placement of an ad agency to follow his creative instincts.
At Rêver, he built the loyal following that would stay with him throughout his career. In 1983, Teng suggested to management to expand to Ali Mall, then the only high-end mall in Quezon City. The Rêver branch was constantly buzzing with socialites, celebrities, press and showbiz personalities.
When an emerging actor came in for a trim, Teng would seat him near the window. Though it was the actor’s back that faced the street, his glass reflection was enough to draw a curious crowd. Passersby, spotting the celebrity’s profile, would walk in and book appointments on the spot.
Teng stayed with Rêver for 16 years before heading to New York in 1996, where he got an offer to work for a salon catering to Asian clientele. By the ninth month, he knew America wasn’t his path, so he flew home.
During his NY stint, Teng moonlighted for other clients. One socialite recommended him to her friends. He did the bridal makeup for 17 weddings. A Fox Studios producer requested a bridal makeup trial, and her colleagues raved about the results. The producer hired him to do her makeup for her wedding. Teng got an offer to work for the TV company but, not having the requisite union card, he declined. Even so, clients would call him, even from the airport, still hoping to book his services.
He returned briefly to Rêver. In1997, Teng joined forces with leading hairdressers to open BCBG Salon at 6750 Ayala.
Since the ’80s, Teng had been styling hair and doing makeup for commercials and major ad campaigns. His last gig was San Miguel’s Philippine Centennial ads in 1998, where he recreated period looks—this while running a full salon schedule. Deep down, he wanted to be on his own.
On his way to Christ’s Commission Fellowship in Ortigas, he would often pass by Rockwell Center, then still a grassy expanse. He’d glance at the Luna model unit and imagine turning it into a salon—not just a beauty parlor, but a homey space with a resort vibe. “The salon was inspired by the kind of people I catered to,” he says. “When you visit their homes, you see how they entertain, how beautiful everything is. I wanted to bring that feeling.”
He approached his client, Eugenio Gabriel “Gabby” Lopez III, chairman and CEO of ABS-CBN Corp. Teng asked Gabby, “I want to open a salon at Rockwell.” After meeting with the developer, he invested his life savings in this dream salon.
The Luna model unit was designed as a Modern Asian sanctuary, the style that was at its peak then, complete with Asian artifacts and greenery to create the feel of a garden.
Teng Roma with Margie Olives–‘the bedrock of Emphasis,’ says Teng Roma
Margarita “Margie” Manzano Olives, recommended by Lopez, came on board as manager and supervisor for recruitment, staff training, and construction. Costs ballooned before completion, but Teng secured a loan and paid everything off in 18 months. Teng says. “The nice thing about that partnership with the Lopezes is that they have only given me good advice. Thank God; in 25 years, our relationship has always been harmonious.”
Emphasis Salon opened in 2000, with a Balinese and serene vibe. “I wanted to create a salon that wasn’t exclusive,” he says. “A place where clients could feel comfortable. A salon and a spa.”
He displayed Asian home accessories and hired Balinese masseuses so that clients would feel the same hospitality he experienced in hotels across Asia, complete with cool towels and drinks.
The price of success was lack of space. Emphasis became so popular that clients were practically sitting elbow to elbow. A second floor was added as temporary measure, but even that space wasn’t adequate to accommodate the clientele. When One Rockwell was built on the site where Emphasis was, the salon moved to Joya Tower. This was in 2005, this time designed by Budji Layug and architect Royal Pineda.
Today, two decades later, the board decided that Emphasis deserved a facelift. The salon will start renovation early next year, to be done by designer Paolo del Rosario, who also designed Teng Roma Westgate and S Maison. “It will be business as usual,” Margie says.
Teng Roma with Mylene Cantos and Margie Olives
Emphasis and his Makati salons—Tinette & Co., Teng Roma at Fairmont—have been the go-to places for A-listers. “The staff are the real asset,” Teng says. Training has been the secret. When Margie retired in 2008, Trini Amboy became general manager. Margie returned in 2012 to handle guest relations and customer service, confident that her boss respected mature managers for their experience. Trini, Margie, and Mylene Cantos, the operations and marketing manager, formed the trio who maintained the same standards Teng set decades ago. “I tell them what to do—they implement,” he says.
Teng was semi-retired by the time he turned 70, working only on certain days and assigning to loyal clients the stylists he himself had trained. “They learned here, starting from the bottom,” he says proudly. Among his pride is stylist Mary Povadora, who has kept perfect attendance in more than 20 years. “She’s our biggest earner,” he adds. “And she’s never been absent.” Known for being the first to arrive in the salon and the last to leave, she averages 15 customers day.
Laetitia was told that the princess loved her work, she was asked to do her bridal makeup for Brunei’s first royal wedding
Makeup expert Laetitia Moran
He is also proud of Laetitia Moran, his protégé since 1998 at BCBG Salon. Emphasis transformed her from a skilled makeup artist into a hairstyling expert. One client recommendation would change the course of her career: Laetitia was tasked to style Princess Azemah, daughter of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, for a pre-nuptial photo shoot. Laetitia was told that the princess loved her work, she was asked to do her bridal makeup for Brunei’s first royal wedding. “I just made her look beautiful,” Laetitia says.
Mylene, the operations manager, has remained loyal because, in her words, “Mr. Teng has a big heart. His true passion is making others happy, kinder, and more beautiful—the best version of themselves. I also admire his commitment to helping staff grow in their careers and uplift them.”
Any company highlights? “None. Just busy days you keep running,” Teng says.
Emphasis has won local and international awards, though most clients hardly notice the trophies. “They don’t come here for that,” he says. “They come for the service, the pampering, the privacy. Our staff is discreet. Clients want beautiful, low-maintenance hair, not avant-garde styles for a competition.”
Margie adds, “Mr. Teng insists that all clients, regardless of their status, should be treated equally.”
For Teng, one of the greatest perks of success is friendship. Many longtime clients have welcomed him into their rarefied worlds, taking him on holidays and sharing their lives.
Some are society doyennes who, he says, “educate me about the arrivistes.” Others bring him tokens from their travels. “They carry quality accessories as part of their lifestyle,” he explains. “Those who own Birkins just throw them around. It is not a bag to show off. It is a utility bag. You put an umbrella or fruit from the market in it.”
Once, a client took him on an Asian trip, from Vietnam to Thailand and Hong Kong. Another would dress according to the theme of the restaurant she hosted. Still another would invite Teng and his staff to her house to dry run table settings and service before the actual dinner, showing them how the food would be served. “I am very close because I encourage them to share their stories,” Teng says.
Still, Teng’s discreet character has left a lasting impression on his staff. “Even though he is close to clients, Mr. Teng knows his place. He respects their boundaries,” Mylene says. Margie adds that she has learned from him the importance of keeping confidential everything that happens in the salon.
Sometimes the invitations seemed surreal. “One client asked, ‘Do you have your passport?’ I said, ‘What?’ She said, ‘Come with me. We are attending a birthday of the princess of Thailand on the private plane of the Prince of Brunei.” Although the offer was tempting, he declined, explaining that his appointments calendar was full and some clients were coming from abroad.
‘One client asked, Do you have your passport?…. She said, ‘Come with me. We are attending a birthday of the princess of Thailand on the plane of the Prince of Brunei’
One memorable gift was a trip to Angkor Wat, a stay at Raffles Grand Angkor for three days and two nights in a suite. “I thought it was just a Christmas card. When I opened it, it was a plane ticket and a hotel voucher. I told the sender I would return it, that I preferred a homestay. She said, ‘Oh, will you give me another problem? Pack your things and go.’ I went with my closest friends, and it was unforgettable.”
More than gifts from friends, Teng and the Emphasis staff have received travel incentives from suppliers such as L’Oreal and Davines for achieving strong sales. When Kérastase treated Emphasis to a three-day resort getaway in Kota Kinabalu, Teng asked Margie to linger after the group had left. The two of them did a jungle trek and even made their way up to Mount Kinabalu, turning the trip into an adventure.
“Everybody travels and I stay behind,” he says. “In Europe, I just buy a Euro Rail pass and go without any itinerary. You enjoy the scenery at a leisurely pace.”
With just a pair of scissors and a comb, he can earn enough on the road to extend his trips
Travel stories come easily to Teng, as adventures are made possible by his work. With just a pair of scissors and a comb, he can earn enough on the road to extend his trips.
At the Teng Roma salon in Anantara Kihava Villas in Maldives. It closed during the lockdowns
His phone is filled with images: a sunset in Florence, the giant sculptural forms of the Liège-Guillemins station in Belgium, a cave hotel amid ancient cemeteries in Matera, a balloon ride over Cappadocia. He charms us with stories of climbing Mount Atlas and finding warmth in the home of a Berber family in Morocco. A highlight was the success of his namesake salon at Anantara Kihavah in the Maldives, run by a Filipino team before it closed during the pandemic.
One of his most harrowing experiences happened in Milan. Teng normally books hotels upon arrival at the train station, but it was Milan Fashion Week and every accommodation was full. The only available room was in a hostel outside the city. When he reached the suburb, he was directed to a place supposedly near the train station, but the dark streets were disorienting. He wandered until he met two men in a car, who turned out to be Croatian refugees, also searching for lodging. They offered him a ride, but after failing to find a place, Teng asked them to bring him back to the station. Only then did he spot the hostel he had originally missed. When he finally arrived, the staff applauded his return. Sleep, however, was impossible; the other guests partied through the night.
In Bangkok, he took another unexpected detour. A travel agency offered him cheap tickets to Amsterdam. One deal led to another, and he eventually settled in a beachside apartment in Málaga on the Spanish Riviera, soaking in the local life.
Back home, as Emphasis marks its 25th anniversary this month, Teng wants to keep celebrations simple. “The money we’d spend on a gala is going to construction,” he says. “We’ll have a Thanksgiving dinner, and next year everyone will be treated to a holiday in Boracay. The airline and hotel are already booked for 100 of my staff. We’ll also invite people who have been with us from the start.”
Teng’s generosity and long memory run deep. “Even for dinner, we include those who helped build this salon. It’s 25 years, and it’s about sharing it with everyone.”
