Pablings Barbershop Celebrates 6th Anniversary with "Barber Battle 2025," An Event Aimed at Uniting and Uplifting the PH Barbering Community

From a single humble shop in Bulacan, back in 2019, Pablings Barbershop has become one of the most dominant barbering brands in the Philippines - boasting with 93 branches nationwide and still growimg.

In an interview held on July 21 in Centris, Quezon City, Michael Baello Padayao, the visionary Founder and CEO behind the brand, recalled the mindset that started it all.

"Sabi ko nung first branch ko, babaguhin ko yung buong barbering industry. So inaral ko sya, hinde yung basta basta ko lang s'ya tinayo.” 

It may seem too ambitious of a goal but 6 years later, it evolved into an undeniable success story.

But behind the overwhelming success of Pablings Barbership lies more than just big dreams — it’s a result of smart strategies, a deep understanding of the market, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

Padayao's extensive background in e-commerce and Facebook marketing provided him with the tools to penetrate the market and outmaneuver the competition. Instead of joining the price wars, he built brand equity by focusing on quality, consistency, and community.

"It may sound too confident but we don’t consider others as our competitors. Kase and mindset ko hindi ko naman kayang gupitan buong Pilipinas. May kanya-kanya tayong market. But one of our power, strenght is yung marketing. I know the market behavior. I know what we can provide. Sabi nga ni Anne Curtis, "I know that market, 'coz I am the market".

What sets Pablings Barbershop apart is its commitment to training and maintaining high standards.

"From first branch until now, yung strategy ng Pablings Barbershop, before kame magpasalang ng barbero, bago s'ya gumupit ng client dapat well-trained na s'ya. Pumasa na siya sa Pablings standard yung gupit niya. So, right now we have our sets of educators na ipinapadala pa namin abroad to train. So we are internationally exposed. In fact marami na kaming kaibigan na barbershop owners sa ibang bansa. So nag-attend kami ng mga convention. I really invest in my people - yung skills nila, yung knowledge nila. That's how I maintained the consistency of our quality."

Nearly two years into franchising, the company has found success by providing comprehensive support for aspiring franchisees.

"Almost 2 years na kami in franchising and one of the main factors kung bakit mabilis yung growth namin because we are doing what most of the franchisors are willing to do - to provide everything - from the construction, location assistance, even employment because I designed this business model to really attract and help yung mga kababayan nating first time entrepreneurs kase sobrang risky 'yan."

This year, in celebration of its 6th anniversary, Pablings Barbershop staged its biggest "Barber Battle," themed “Cutting the gap. Barbers unite”. The event aimed to foster camaraderie across the barbering community and to elevate the industry.

"We have nothing to gain from this. Libre ito, walang registration. Pero premyo sa amin galing. Kase sabi ko nga this event actually aims to unite the whole industry bridging the gap in all the barbers and also the brand. No more egos. No more competition. We are all in this together in uniting and uplifting the whole industry."

"Barber Battle 2025" Complete list of Winners:

PABLINGS DIVISION

Classic Cut Category

Champion: Harold Lingo

1st Place: Joseph Garde

2nd Place: Jonnel Dalayap

Creative French Crop (Tag Team) Category

Champion: Algen Mungcal and Wezy Alolor

1st Place: Welmie Calumba and Emmanuel Frayles

2nd Place: Jonnel Dalayap

Creative Mod Cut Category

Champion: Jose Fano

1st Place: Jonnel Dalayap

2nd Place: Herson Quintero and Ken Bongat

NON-PABLINGS DIVISION

Classic Cut Category

Champion: Romel Reyes

1st Place: Ronel Race

2nd Place: Dominic Gonzaga

Creative French Crop Category

Champion: Johnny Belga

1st Place: John Winsan

2nd Place: Ric Niegel Insular

Creative Mod Cut Category

Champion: Rolly Sto. Domingo

1st Place: Mhac Caadan

2nd Place: Jomar Cortes

To know more about Pablings Barbershop, follow its social media accounts:

Facebook: PABLINGS BARBERSHOP

Instagram: Pablings_Barbershop