By Anjo Pallasigui
“Sarap mabuhay sa Canada, basta wala kang inaapakan.”
That’s one of the first things Rosanna said during our interview — and that pretty much sums up her story. She’s the woman behind Lui Skin Tech, a small clinic in Ontario helping clients (mostly kababayans) feel confident in their skin without breaking the bank.
Before she was running a skin care business, Rosanna lived in Dubai. She and her siblings all grew up there. Dubai shaped her — gave her the mindset to work hard, live well, and stay grounded. She studied nursing in the Philippines, went back to the UAE, and eventually started her own organic skin care business. They had a store in Jumaira and an office in Al Rigga. All legit. All earned.
Rosanna visited Canada in her teens, but it was only years later that she decided to move for good. At first, she didn’t have many friends. No barkada. Just a few titas and cousins who helped her get started. But through the business — through helping people feel seen and cared for — she built her own circle. Now, many of her clients have become her friends.
She offers treatments like facials, whitening, RF contouring, and even organic injectables. But what makes her stand out is how she does it. She’s upfront. If she thinks you don’t need more filler, she’ll say it. She calls her work a form of art. It has to look natural. It has to feel right.
And she gets it. Life in Canada isn’t easy. Most of her clients are working-class kabayans who still want to look and feel their best. She keeps her prices reasonable because, as she says, “Hindi lahat makakapagpaganda ng bongga — pero lahat dapat may access sa alaga.”
What keeps her going is simple: family. Her younger siblings and pamangkins are still in Dubai, and she wants to give them something to look up to. Moving here was a leap. But it’s one she doesn’t regret. Because now, she’s proven to herself that she can do it. On her own. In her own way.
Canada might be cold, but with people like Rosanna — it feels a little warmer.
