The eldest and only son of a business-oriented family, Aaron Palileo, CIA Bootleg Manila co-founder and director, had to shelve his dream of pursuing a career in the arts in order to prepare for his eventual role in the family enterprise.

He says: 'My family has a 41-year-old business, which is a marketing and distribution company importing products from Europe, America and other countries in Asia. My parents are very business-minded. My dad Art owned a Kodak development store and video rental shop in Diliman, Quezon City. Before the pandemic hit, my mom Vangee had her own travel agency, which operated for almost 20 years,'