Romy Apolega is a multi-awarded Filipino chemical engineer and the Philippines’ leading expert in commercial laundry and industrial sanitation with 52 years of unparalleled experience in the field. He is credited for scaling up the businesses of major players in the industry and the development of product solutions that modernized the laundry and institutional sanitation processes in the country.
He was Ayala Corporation’s industrial laundry consultant until 2024; before this, he was the operations consultant of La Balina Steam Laundry, owned by the Air21 Group until it was acquired by Ayala Corporation.
In 2024, he was awarded by the Philippines’ Professional Regulations Commission with the Service Award, one of the highest honors given by the civil institution to a Filipino engineer.
A licensed chemical engineer by profession, Romy sat as part of the National Board at the Philippine Institute of Chemical Engineers (PIChE) and is a board member of PIChE’s Laguna Chapter.
In 2022, he was named into PIChE’s College of Fellows, exclusive only to the most senior chemical engineers in the Philippines.
In the same year, he was made PIChE’s first Member Emeritus, and was awarded as an outstanding chemical engineer in Laguna.
Romy entered the industry as a sales engineer for BASF in the Philippines in 1973 (BASF’s detergent line would later be owned by Diversey). After going through extensive training in the U.S., Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong under BASF, he brought his expertise back to the country and introduced modern laundry and housekeeping solutions and operation to hospitality, catering and industrial companies during the period’s hotel boom.
Through his own company, Romy developed new cost-effective products and technology such as chaffing dish fuels, stain-removing chemicals, specialized detergents, and alternative lubricants, many of which are popularly used today. He was involved in scaling up many of the industry’s major players, such as Diversey, Technolux, Kalinisan Steam Laundry, and Oxychem.
At Is It Clean?, Romy currently advises entrepreneurs and companies on commercial laundry operations, including planning, design, equipment, operations and technology transfer.
He is the founding adviser of the United Hoteliers of the Philippines.
Among his many professional affiliations include the TRSA, American Oil Chemists’ Society and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists.
He was the president of Rotary Club of Makati South. He also served as the President of the Metro Manila Orchid and Garden Club and Vice President of the Philippine Orchid Society.
He obtained his chemical engineering degree from the University of Santo Tomas and acquired MBA units from Ateneo de Manila University.
See his list of consultancy services here.
He can be reached through rhapolega@yahoo.com or +63917-323-5203.
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Cleaning, Sanitation & Laundry 