Thursday March 11 2010

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UP, UP, AND AWAY, SUPER-SUMAN!!!

UP, UP, AND AWAY, SUPER-SUMAN - Aling Dionesia Dela Pena, Oroquieta CityOne hardly will notice Aling Dionesia in that gathering of small and medium-scale entrepreneurs, government officials, cooperative officers, and other attendees to the Paglaum MPC – SEEDFINANCE SME MicroPlus product launch that sunny afternoon of June 19, 2009. Unassuming and soft-spoken as this lady is, who would believe she is the owner of a thriving enterprise that wows not only natives of Oroquieta in Misamis Occidental but also balikbayans and tourists from the U.S., Japan, Hongkong, and other countries. Only when she began asking questions about the SME facility being introduced by Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (where she is a member) and SEEDFINANCE will you be able to discern the business instincts underneath that homely, motherly figure.

Mrs. Dionesia Dela Pena of Oroquieta City combines the roles of mother and businesswoman with pizzazz. Needing to supplement the family coffers, she started out years ago on a home-based suman-making micro-enterprise, balancing her time in carrying out her household duties of cooking and washing and what-have-yous and managing the business. Typical of tourist destinations, Oroquieta has its share of local delicacies and pasalubongs, but Aling Dionesia’s suman has that distinct taste and quality that locals and tourists alike swear to. As locals are fond to exaggerate, Aling Dionesia’s suman is ‘something to die for’.

With the capital she borrowed from Paglaum MPC’s microfinance program, Aling Dionesia not only made ends meet but grew her business into a family affair. When her son John Paul married, mother Dionesia took to teaching daughter-in-law Lyn the ropes of suman-making. Lyn herself is one enterprising lady, who not only took to the business like fish takes to water but made efforts to improve her skills. She attended business development workshops and applied them to the business. This mother-and-daughter-in-law tandem kept to prudential business practices, consistently adhering to Paglaum MPC’s microfinance discipline, which led to their credit line with Paglaum being increased and diversified. From the P3,000 initial loan, Lyn is on her 14th cycle already, with a Ph14,000 facility in addition to a motor-vehicle loan used to acquire a delivery van for her wares. From 300 pieces sold five years ago, the average daily production now stands at 1,000. From shot-in-the-dark sales then, the business now enjoys regular local orders plus orders for abroad as pasalubong. Where before there were only Dionesia, John Paul, and Lyn manning the business, now neighbors are employed as grinders, packers, banana leaves cleaners, and sales and delivery agents.

This micro-enterprise literally flies, as Aling Dionesia’s suman continues to fly around the world, brought home by balikbayans and tourists as a cherished, tasty pasalubong. Patikim naman, Aling Dionesia!

Posted on September 10, 2009
Investments, Micronomore | Leave a Comment

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