Filipino rapper-actor Pio Balbuena has launched a cap business named ‘Tambay,’ which reminds him of his humble beginnings when he was living in the squatter’s area in Quezon City. According to Balbuena, they would sometimes just drink or snatch the caps of the tricycle drivers. However, he underwent a positive transformation.
During the peak of the pandemic, when no projects were given to him, with the help of his wife, Aira, who was then pregnant with their baby, he was supported in pursuing his dreams. That is where the ‘Tambay series’ started on his Facebook page, and it has already generated over 2.8 billion views.
The ‘Tambay series’ is a situational comedy showing the daily life of tambays.
Balbuena shared that they are just using their mobile devices when shooting the digital series for their Facebook Page.
From the online series, Balbuena decided to launch merchandise, including t-shirts and caps. But according to him, the caps are easier to sell compared to the t-shirt, that’s why they decided to push it.
The ‘Tambay caps’ are sold at Php 1,000 for the first version. They only sell limited versions of each design, making it a collector’s item. To date, there are already 10 designs released in the market. Some caps are already sold at Php 15,000 to Php 25,000. Some are sold higher especially when it has his signature on it.
With the success of his ‘Tambay caps,’ Balbuena shared that he is encouraging the ‘tambays’ to be resellers and earn commissions from every cap they sell. All they need to do is message them on their Facebook Page to discuss the details.
Aside from the Philippines, the ‘Tambay caps’ are also reaching other countries like Singapore and Hong Kong, where Filipinos overseas have enjoyed their digital series.
