Pio Balbuena has turned his once-fledgling business into an advocacy and a source of pride and inspiration for countless people on the fringes who have discovered their power, dignity and self-worth.
Rapper-actor, director, vlogger and content creator Pio Balbuena can’t thank his lucky stars enough, as his Tambay caps continue to fly off the shelves, both here and abroad, since the growing collection was launched four years ago
Tambay cap isn’t just a business for Pio. For him, it’s a lifestyle, a movement and a source of inspiration for many. He is now the successful CEO of Tambay Traders, Inc., the company duly registered to do business online worldwide.
From the start, the caps helped its resellers who inevitably experienced an improvement in their by selling the merchandise, prompting them to adopt the goal “Tambay to Riches.”
“It stands as a testament to the power of dreaming big and helping others achieve greatness,” said Pio.
In fact, in an episode, Sahod ng Tambay of Pio’s now-popular Tambay series online, erstwhile employee Francis M. Nuñez revealed how he was able to earn from being a reseller of Tambay caps.
“While before I would pawn my ATM, today, I am earning right in selling Tambay caps. I can teach you my technique. If I am able to do it, you can also do the same. I even have a mini-shop today.”
Recently, Pio and his team unveiled the release of “Rare Cap” or V18 Pilipinas, a limited-edition line consisting of 200 pieces. Their V19, meanwhile, was sold out in only three days.
Tambay cap became Pio’s advocacy since the business started. His goal then was simple: To elevate the status of tambays (jobless people) by giving them the opportunity to sell a good product.
“Before, other people looked at tambays as good-for-nothing bums, who will not achieve anything,” Pio said. “Today, in my perspective, other people give importance to tambays.”
The success of the series prompted Pio to start his Tambay cap business, with the product sold online, reaching not only the Philippines, but also Singapore, South Korea, the Middle East, Italy and the US.
Pio’s wife, Aira, helped and assisted him in running the business since he started with Tambay Traders, Inc. four years ago.
“Ever since, my wife has been very supportive in everything I do,” Pio shared. “She supports my dreams, my craft. She is always the first one who encourages me to pursue my dreams.
“It’s very important that our partner supports what we want to do. We will not move forward easily, if we don’t get any support from them.”
Before, others looked at bums like they’re a piece of rag. “They always thought we could do nothing productive,” Pio shared. “That’s why I changed the rags-to-riches connotation. I made it tambay-to riches. We are idle, but we are definitely not rags.
“So when you have a nice dream, you can tell someone about it who will smile with you. But if you had a nightmare, somebody can instantly wake you up.”
Before he embarked on his business, Pio and his team earlier created a Tambay series that became popular and attracted millions of viewers and regular followers.
He just released a rap single, Mga Tambay, now on Spotify. The song, he hopes, will serve as the new anthem for tambays.
The tambays have improved their respective lives after only more than a year in the business. “We get constant support from buyers and our designs are always sold out,” Pio beamed. He managed to expand his Tambay cap business even in the pandemic.
“For me, Tambay cap is like adaptation of marketing in the place where I grew up,” said Pio. “We call our resellers ‘tulak,’ while our distributors are called ‘source.’ The buyers are called ‘scorers.’
“We all make money. We don’t force anyone into the business and I never invited a source. Once someone comes in and we realized he could help others by joining our business as a distributor or reseller, often, they ask me if they can help. We only have but one goal: to make money using our strategy.”
From the start, the caps are instantly attractive to the Tambay customers. “I think the caps readily appealed to them,” Pio said. “The designs are merely plus points. What appealed more to the buyers is the advocacy of our story, including our resellers.”
Undoubtedly, Pio’s popularity as entertainer largely helps in pushing the Tambay caps to the forefront of his business.
“It is a big help that I was able to build my image in the hip-hop industry, in the music world as a whole,” Pio asserted. “Even my becoming an actor. You build a name for yourself. Even before others help you, you help yourself first.”
