The Go-Getter
Joliber Mapiles was seven years old when he started working to help out his family. Market vendors and buyers would see him going around the area selling iced candy. A kid full of hope, passion and burning perseverance to succeed in life, Joliber never quits even in the face of adversities.
From selling sweets to selling properties, Joliber has experienced it all. His story is not one that glorifies poverty, but one that serves as an inspiration to those facing hurdles in life, from an early age. It’s not only an anecdote he tells to his friends or strangers; it’s his lived experience of starting from the bottom.
Joliber was born to a simple family in Candaba. Despite their circumstances, their family knew the importance of education. Like his siblings, young Joliber chose to enroll at Holy Cross College. In here, he wasn’t merely a student, but a leader, as well. A trailblazer, if you will.
He entered high school at Holy Cross College in 1997. In his four years of stay, he brought glory to the school with a heart. He was a part of HCC’s school paper, where he served as a sports writer and copy editor. He was among the Crucian penpushers who bagged awards in national press conferences. Because of his natural leadership skills, he was elected president of different student organizations.
He graduated high school in 2001 as the batch salutatorian.
Apart from his fond memories as a campus journalist and student leader, Joliber remembers his alma mater as the home that taught him discipline and perseverance. He carries these values through his journey as a professional, an entrepreneur and even as an educator.
He established his own real estate firm, Mapiles Realty, and an online educational platform called Joliber Mapiles Academy. This educational tool aims to help out aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those with little means to achieve their goals, to alleviate themselves from poverty.
His biggest mission as an entrepreneur, Joliber says, is to fight poverty through educating and empowering his fellow citizens.
Joliber’s desire to help out is proof that HCC really does embed in its students the value of charity.