For Emmanuel Sison, the road to success was anything but easy. Long before he became the founder of Booksale, one of the most well-known secondhand bookstores in the Philippines, he faced obstacles that could have held him back for life.
As a child, Sison contracted polio at six years old, leaving him bedridden for six months. Unable to run or play like other kids, he found escape in books.
“I’ve always wanted to read, possibly because I could not compete physically. I had polio when I was six, which left me bedridden for almost six months. Because I could not join other kids to play, I went into fantasy land, and all I did was read, read, read,” he recalls.
This love for books shaped his future. He went on to study philosophy and literature, even pursuing a master’s degree—until he realized something that changed everything.
“Then I realized you won’t get rich from this, so I said, ‘I want to be rich.’”
That shift in mindset led him to business school, where he dreamed of studying abroad. But there was one major problem—his family couldn’t afford it.
“My old man said, ‘Are you out of your mind? Who will finance you?’ My mother was just a market vendor while my father was a school teacher, so they thought I was out of my mind,” he shares.
But Sison refused to give up. For two years, he searched for financial assistance to fund his education. His determination finally paid off—he landed three scholarships and earned his MBA from the University of Illinois.
Armed with a unique combination of philosophy, business, and psychology, Sison returned to the Philippines. While teaching at a graduate school, he identified an untapped market—intellectuals who couldn’t afford brand-new books. That insight led him to launch Booksale, turning his lifelong love for reading into a thriving business.
Sison’s journey proves that setbacks don’t define success—persistence does. From overcoming polio to earning a degree abroad, his story is a testament to the power of determination, learning, and the courage to chase opportunities.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
