She starts her day by going to the public market and checking out items that she would sell not only in her neighborhood but to the entire community in Atok Trail in Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines. Limay Carrera, 43 years old, a native of the mountain province, remembers the first time she ventured into the business of repacking things from foodstuffs and knickknacks that she could sell to kids at her area and the nearby elementary school.

From being a sole operator doing the buying, packing up to peddling, Limay’s business has now expanded selling anything from toys, dried baby squid, dilis (small dried fish), garlic, onions and pepper and all kinds of canned goods.

Limay was 21 years old when both parents died and had to stop her 3rd year schooling of accountancy. Being the 10th child of 11 brothers and sisters she was exposed on trading business by her family. Over the years, she learned the ropes of the business. By the time she turned 23, she got married and decided to go on her own. However, her married life was not successful. Her husband went with another woman and left with her was their only son, now 21 years old.

With her growing business, Limay needed more capital infusion. It was then that she decided to joinPagasa Philippines Lending Company, Inc. about four years ago. She started from Php5,000 which was granted in September 30, 2010. She is now on her 10th loan amounting to Php21,000 and planning to apply on Small Business Loan after finishing her current loan.

“There were many lenders when I started my business, promising all sorts of schemes and incentives. Borrowing was easy,” Limay shares.

But she was always cautious. Wary of getting into the debt trap, Limay said she scrutinized lending schemes before availing of them.

“It was a wise decision for me to go with Pagasa Philippines Lending Company. Looking back, I made the right decision to partner with them (Pagasa). They have helped me a lot because their loans and savings packages are friendly for poor people like us,” Limay points out.

She says that the staff explains the entire borrowing process to us from the amount we want to borrow and the payment schemes involve, including loan packages that are available. Since she started her business, Limay is proud that the small trading business has been profitable for her.

“Although profit is small, I feel proud to have my small grocery”, she says.

Pagasa has identified Limay as one of the company’s valued client and borrower. They have seen her business grow since she started partnering with Pagasa. She was not also spared from the impact of number of typhoons which that time has a ten thousand pesos loan but was able to recover.

Despite the steady growth in her trading business, Limay’s’ goals are still fairly ambitious, she claims. But at the same time, she feels that her goals have to be high to make it worthwhile to achieve it. Make no mistake; Limay Carrera continues to be upbeat and raring to go. She is involving her son in the business since son is not interested to finish his studies. She believes that managing the same business would only be the greatest treasure she could provide to his son.

It is due to lack of financial support from her family that she failed to finish and complete her General Radio and Communication course/degree rather, Eliza Usman tried her luck working in a children’s garment factory from where she met her husband Mr. Augusto Usman who is a polio victim employed in the same company as a tailor. Mrs. Usman was assigned in the Trimming Department with a limited skill in sewing. However, there were times that she is being pulled out and utilized in other department should there be lack of workers during rush production which led to the enhancement of her skills in sewing.

As fate would have it, the factory closed down and all they have got from six years of loyal service was a meager amount of severance pay. The import business of the garments factory succumbed to the extremely cheap production costs of China. Enterprising by heart, and out of job, the couple used their separation pay to start a small tailoring shop. This enabled them to have income while staying at home to manage their household.

Her nameless shop, referred to by her loyal clientele and friends simply as Patahian ni Aling Liza(Tailoring Shop of Aling Liza), is now a decade old and has become bigger in terms of regular customers. She is now a regular supplier of bags, backpacks and belts to one of the biggest malls in the Philippines and other markets in Pampanga. But the road to this undertaking had not been a bed of roses for her, especially in the matter of loans.

“I have loaned with another lenders before but they exacted a very high interest rate especially when the pay-back term was long. For 36 months, the amount of interest was over half the amount of the principal,”Aling Liza shared.

Nevertheless, she needed fresh capital to infuse into her burgeoning business. Seeing the promise of good business, Aling Liza decided to join the Pagasa Philippines Lending Company in Mexico Branchand now graduated to Small Business Loan to further supply the needed capital on her business. Neighbors are also glad whenever there are orders, since they too are given jobs from teens up to 72 years old as trimmers. She then creates and promotes income generating activity in the society.

“It’s a good thing Pagasa is now in our midst because their lending rates are not burdensome. What’s more, I can pay them on a weekly basis from my collections in my produced bags and belts and not worry anymore. Before I know it, everything’s paid up,” said Aling Liza, during her break time in the afternoon inside her shop.

From a lowly factory worker, Liza now enjoys not only fiscal independence but also more free time. On top of it, she is able to spend more time with her family and sew some bags on the side. In between tending her family’s needs, she finishes at least fifty bags per day with the support of her husband and three regular employees as trimmers and sewers.

“I decided to save my money now for the college education of my three children. It’s very difficult then when I was still a struggling employee especially when it rains. The drizzle causes painful muscle spasms when we get wet after a day-long work behind the machines. I’m glad that phase of my life belongs to the past,” she said, giving off a cheerful smile.

The couple is blessed with three children; Arvin 19 who is now on his 3rd year of Mechanical Engineering, Archie on his 4th year in high school and Arcel who is in grade 8.

To earn money and make profit in business requires huge dedication, discipline and determination to succeed in business and in life as Mrs. Angelita Abesamis claim. Mrs. Abesamis a mother of three (3) kids 19, 10 and 9 years old. She married with Rogelio Batungbakal.

Mrs. Abesamis and her husband starts with a very small capitalization in business and they are engage into selling smoke fish in their area, one of the reason which motivate the family to ventures into business is family survival which will able them to support their daily family needs. But over the years of into business and dedication they are amaze that out of their business they were able to send their children to school, invest some home appliances and able to build their own house.

Currently, she is an active borrower of PAGASA Philippines in San Mateo Rizal branch and she is now into 5th loan cycle with loan of Ph 25,000.00 (245 USD), she is currently belong to Winnie the Pooh group availing our Small Business Loan product.

Mrs. Abesamis claimed that prior to her membership in PAGASA Philippines, she gets additional capitalization and loan from loan sharks (5-6) and Bombay’s (Indian lenders) with a very high interest rates. And when one of his customers introduces PAGASA Philippines to her she was interested since she was able to get some information with regards to the company and because of her interest she attended the group meeting to gained more information. When she was oriented with the company loan methodology and policies she was interested and awaken because PAGASA Philippines offers a very low interest rates as compare to loan sharks, Indian lenders and even other microfinance and aside from it the company’s simple loan system and procedures without any hesitation she availed the 1st loan last August 12, 2009 amounting to Ph 5,000.00 ( 111 USD) and the succeeding loan and gradually improve its business.
After more than a year of being borrower in PAGASA Philippines Angelita Abesamis observes that there are transformation in their family particularly because of the loan from the company they were able to pay their monthly amortization of their motorcycle used for smoke fish delivery, diversify into new business which is junk shop and send kids in private school. I am so thankful with Pagasa Philippines and I am forever grateful to the company because of their genuine heart to help us Mrs Abesamis said.

The family earn income out of selling smoke fish in the area and nearby town but because of their capitalization increase out of the loan from PAGASA Philippines they were now able to sell and distribute their product to other cities of Metro Manila through their more than twenty (20) vendors and even Mrs. Abesamis also sell their product house to house, she is not just totally dependent with its vendors. The family bough fish and process the fish through smoke machine but this is being sub-contract because the family don’t have available machine to process its product. That’s why in the future they intend to have their own machine to process their own product and dependent on the sub-contractor but this requires big capitalization. But she is determine it will happen in the future through the help of the company.

Mrs. Abesamis intend to stay in the program since she was able to realize that the loan policies and procedure of the company is indeed a pro-borrowers through its low interest rates, individual accountability, and very simple processes and don’t have plan to transfer to other microfinance institution or to loan again with loan sharks or Indian lenders. I am totally satisfied with the service of PAGASA Philippines it is really a certified global company but with the heart for the poor, I will be more successful in the future through smoke-fish vending and through the help and support of global company which is PAGASA Philippines she explained.

I am excited to avail the monthly repayment system because I know that it will be more advantageous and helpful to us, I have learned the new system to other group who are now into monthly repayment system hopefully we can be immediately included in the new system..she shared.

Through the family good values, positive attitude in life and their ability to sell processed and smoke fish they were determine to be out from the bondage of poverty and to become successful micro-entrepreneur that will also create impact in their community through helping other people.

OPPORTUNITY IN WORK RETRENCHMENT Gemma Toledo is working as quality supervisor in one of the jeans and shirt manufacturing in the Philippines for a couple of years. Her husband also works with her in the same company as sewer and garments cutter. However, due to economic crisis their company where they work was affected and that time hundred and thousands of employees was cut or retrench from work.

Due to family responsibility to deliver and provide the needs of their children they have to earn income for a living. On the onset both husband and wife think deeply as to what to do and how they will move after work retrenchment to respond to their family needs either to work again or to engage to business. Their major consideration is their age and almost of the company will not accept them because they are already over age. Then, after considering all of the factors they have decided to engage into a small business and they have capitalized on their experience in garments industry. We have think million times as to what business to start but when both of us agree to engage into garments business, we are determine to succeed no matter what. Gemma Toledo statement.

In 2007 four years ago Gemma Toledo established her own garment business where they accept sub-contract from local branded clothes for cutting and sewing of garments. At the start she experienced difficulties in getting contract from big company but because of his networks and contact in the garments industry she was able to get some small contract for a start. I learn to negotiate, and deal with prospective customers and enter into contract to survive in the business she claims. And she start the business with four machine and she work in tandem with her husband and they have used their  money which they received from their previous company as initial capitalization in the business.

One time when she was in need of money for additional capitalization because received a bulk contracts from different company she approached her neighbor to borrow money but her neighbor introduced to her the program of PAGASA Philippines in 2010. She was afraid to enter into formal lending since she don’t have any experienced to lend from formal lending company, loan sharks or Indian lenders. But she was encouraged by her group leader since she have a small home-based business. Then on July 30, 2010 she received her 1st loan in PAGASA Philippines amounting to Ph 7,000.00 (155 USD) and paid the loan amortization on a weekly basis. That time Gemma Toleda appreciated the service of the company for its fast release service, less documentation requirements and simple loan procedure. The money she received from the company was infused as additional capital in the business and she roll-it over to gain income.

After paying the entire loan amortization for the 1st loan cycle, she again availed the re-loan but with the new loan repayment system which is monthly repayment system. She really like the new loan repayment system I like the new system because I can fully use my money to gain even more income before I will pay the company, the new system is more beneficial to borrower like me, Gemma Toledo emphasize. Because of her loan received from the company she was able to buy additional cutting machine for garments.

Mrs. Gemma Toledo decided to stay in the company since this is the first company which she gave her trust to be of partner for growth and business success and in the coming years she plan to increase and expand her business through buying more machine for her garments business, machine like piping machine and four thread machine for t-shirt to get more contract and gain more income.

I am determined to succeed in the garments industry and I am confident that PAGASA Philippines will help me all the way Gemma Toledo declares.