Long before he became the founder and CEO of V Cargo Worldwide, Paulo Tibig was just a working student with no money, no connections, and no idea how he’d survive in the city.
“Promdi, luluwas ng Maynila,” he recalled. Brought to the city by his mother, Paulo found work through a relative who owned a customs brokerage firm. He wasn’t handed a desk or a title—he was handed a messenger bag.
“Ang trabaho ko don, messenger, utility, delivery—yan ang totoo kong trabaho dati,” Paulo said. During the day, he’d deliver documents and packages. At night, he’d sleep beside a desk in the office. “Sa lamesa ako natutulog sa opisina mismo… sa halip na panggastos mo, itulong mo na lang sa magulang mo.”
He enrolled at PATS College of Aeronautics, not to become a pilot, but because the school was close enough to walk to from work. “Hindi man ako naging piloto ng eroplano, naging piloto naman ako ng aking negosyo,” he said with a laugh.
After graduation, Paulo stayed on at the brokerage for two more years, out of loyalty. Then came a pivot—he entered the financial industry, starting as a marketing assistant. That led to a role at Sun Life, where he helped build out market development in North Luzon, handling recruitment and training. “Tatlo lang kami sa department. Most of the time, nasa labas kami,” he said. The job gave him exposure to leadership, operations, and people development.
But despite the career progress, Paulo felt boxed in. “Hindi ko kaya sa corporate, ‘yon ang totoo… I have to prove my worth. Kasi china-challenge ako ng tatay ko eh. Na on my own I have to be successful.” So, he walked away from the security of a paycheck—and headed into the unknown.
He returned home to Bataan, helped in their small oil shop, then eventually struck out on his own. He launched a laundry business in U-Belt, sold t-shirts, and even ventured into nata de coco production. “Gusto kong gawing franchise model, pwede kong gawin eh,” he said, recalling his early entrepreneurial ambition.
Each venture taught him something new. Each failure pushed him forward. Eventually, those experiments led to his big break—V Cargo Worldwide, a logistics company that now serves businesses across the country.
What started with deliveries on foot became a multi-million peso brand. Paulo built it not with privilege, but with persistence. “Hinahanap mo kung ano ‘yong pwede sa’yo… ang puso ko, nakikita ko talaga wala sa corporate,” he said.
Today, Paulo shares his story with aspiring entrepreneurs, proving that no matter how humble your beginnings, you can build something big—if you’re willing to work for it.
Some quotes in this article are from an interview originally conducted for Entrepreneur by Henry Ong and may not have been previously published.
