At 14, he sailed for Manila earning his keep as a cigarette factory worker until he was promoted as a sales agent. Manila was then a promise land for migrants and he was able to survive and harvest its fruits together with a growing family. When war broke out in Manila on December, 1941, the Lim family moved out of city, which was heavily occupied with Japanese forces and, settled at the outskirts cultivating a piece of land saved up before the war. Their survival relied heavily on their farm produce. When the war ended, Manila was heavily destroyed and the family decided to move from Manila to Cotabato City, a thriving business center in South-Central Mindanao, where they were able to put up a small trading business to include a buying and selling involving freshwater eels. This initial venture was shortlived, as the first store was burned. With the aid of relatives, Lim Tian Siu, his spouse, Ko Giok Loo, and his family moved to Davao City, and ventured into the textile business in 1952. Starting the business with seven employees and a renewed strength to pursue greater returns from his business, the textile business was a success. But, once again, his strength of character was tested, as the textile store burned to the ground.
