While many children are expected to take over the family business, William Belo had other plans.
Back in college, Belo’s father—who ran a grocery business in Divisoria—wanted him to join the family trade after graduation. It was a business his father had devoted his life to. But Belo wasn’t convinced that was the future he wanted.
“Sabi ko mahirap ang grocery kasi haba ng oras eh,” Belo said in an interview. “6 o’clock ng umaga hanggang 7-8 o’clock ng gabi… hanggang Sunday open pa sila hanggang 2-3 o’clock. Sabi ko that’s too long for me.”
While the grocery store had stability and was a proven business, the long hours and seven-day grind didn’t appeal to the young engineering student. So when his father offered him an alternative—a chance to work at a small hardware shop where he had a minority share—Belo took it.
“Sabi niya meron siyang small share sa isang hardware store sa Alonzo, sa Ongpin… sabi niya ‘my son wanted to go in there to work,’” Belo recalled. Though he was still in school, he worked during the day and studied at night, using the opportunity to gain real-world experience.
That decision—turning away from a familiar family path—was the start of a journey that would eventually lead to Wilcon Depot, one of the largest home improvement and construction supply chains in the Philippines today.
The hardware store wasn’t glamorous. At just 60 to 70 square meters, it was a far cry from the massive retail spaces Wilcon would one day become. But for Belo, it was the right place to start something of his own.
His story is a reminder that sometimes the best decision is not the most comfortable one. It’s the one that lets you carve out your own path—even if it means saying no to tradition.
This article includes quotes from an interview originally published by Esquire Philippines, authored by Henry Ong.
