Client Stories > Myrna Aquino

Micro-enterprise : Abaka Buy & Sell; Rope Manufacturing
TSPI Branch : TSPI – Malasiqui Branch

Myrna Aquino, who started working when she was just 16 years old as a nanny and then as a worker in a rice mill in Malasiqui, Pangasinan, had been in and out of the handicraft business since 1985. She first learned making baskets made of bamboo from her father-in-law, who had a client from America. Myrna made samples of baskets based on the prescription of the American businessman, and luckily he was impressed by them and placed thousands of orders. To accommodate the high volume of orders, they contracted other people who already know how to make baskets in their barangay. In this venture, she was able to earn P7,000, which supplemented the meager income of her husband, Gerardo (Gerry), from being a laborer in a rice mill. Their basket manufacturing halted in 1988 when their American client passed away. Myrna then resorted to making ropes using a local material called buri and sold it to buyers in the province, but this engagement lasted for only a year. The couple already had three (3) children by this time – Wilson, Wilbert, and Gina, aged 23, 19, and 18 at present – which made it harder to meet the daily basic needs just depending on Gerry’s income.

In 1998, Myrna and Gerry decided to try their luck in Manila and sold Pangasinan mangoes in Pasig, Manila after the bankruptcy of the rice mill where Gerry worked. But after a month, Myrna flew to Lebanon with the help of her husband’s aunt, who worked in a recruitment agency. She worked there as a house helper and earned a monthly salary of US$ 200 (P7,000) during her first two (2) years, and US$ 250 (P12,500) in her third year of work. By this time, her husband stopped selling mangoes to focus on taking care of their children and waited for Myrna’s monthly remittance. Myrna, who was not able to get along with a new Filipina house helper, went back to the Philippines. But after only two (2) weeks of vacation, she found another opportunity to work as a house helper in Qatar. Though she wanted to stay with her children, she could not as she didn’t have other source of livelihood. But once in Qatar, she felt like going home immediately because she couldn’t stand her cruel employers. Thus, after four (4) months, she went home.

“Nung bumalik ako sa Pilipinas, may balitang mayrong nagpapautang, ‘yun nga ‘yung TSPI” (When I got back, I have heard of a lending program by TSPI”. The first business that came to her mind was handicraft manufacturing. She thought that maybe that was the time to make use of her skill in handicraft making again. Her first loan (P5,000) was used to pay for the labor of the people in her barangay, whom she sub-contracted to make ropes made of buri. Employment generation of her business was very good even at the onset – 10 households with each having an average of 7 household members were given jobs. This translated to 70 individuals sub-contacted by Myrna’s enterprise. Each household was given P360 for making ropes out of the eight (8) bundles of buri given to them. Though the amount may be small, it already meant a lot to them because looking for a living was not very easy.

The ropes manufactured were supplied to many buyers who often reject Myrna’s goods, until she met Gina de Vera, who up to now transacts with her. Gina delivered these ropes to Angeles, Pampanga and to Manila. Myrna received a net profit of P4,400 for every 80 bundles sold to Gina. In 2003, Myrna made use of a 50 kg. of abaca, brought by Gina from Leyte, and had them made into ropes, picture frames, fruit trays, etc. When the sales of handicrafts made from abaca had a good feedback from buyers, Myrna’s brother agreed to share P28,000 to buy 2,000 kg. of abaca amounting to P32,000. Myrna re-availed a loan from TSPI for the 4th time and was used to pay the labor of her sub-contractors. A higher volume of abaca, meant an increase in the number of workers. Myrna couldn’t anymore affirm the exact number of people making handicrafts for her because they had already reached hundreds.

Just this year, Gina de Vera, her major raw materials supplier and long-time client, contracted her services for one (1) year to focus on making abacaropes only. Thus, she stopped making other handicrafts in the meantime, but she still manufactures ropes made of buri with minimal volume only. Presently, there are two (2) batches of raw materials delivered to her in a week, each batch having about 6,000 kg. (1,200 bundles) of abaca, which generates a weekly net profit of P35,000. Through her enterprise, she is able to give livelihood to approximately 300 people located in five (5) barangays, namely, Beleng, Batangcaoa, Macayocayo, Balaybuya, and Baog. In addition, she was able to buy a delivery and a hauling vehicle, which they locally call kuliglig. The vehicle is used alternately by her five (5) collectors, who receive a piece rate – P10 goes to them for every finished product they are able to haul. Myrna intends to expand her business by purchasing a truck for delivering and hauling larger volumes of abaca.

Myrna, aside from taking care of her three (3) children left with her – Henry, 16; Ginalyn, 14; and Jayson, 12 – also takes care of her TSPI center being the center’s treasurer. Moreover, she shares that “Parang barangay captain nga ‘yung ginagampanan ko dito kasi ako ang sinasabihan ng mga problema at sa akin humihingi ng tulong para magkatrabaho” (I feel like I am playing a role of a barangay captain here because people come to me to ask for help whenever they have problems and when they need jobs). Even children in those five (5) brangays she cover help out in making handicrafts. Myrna confirms though that she does not exploit children. She expressed that “Sila mismo ‘yung gustong gumawa para magkaron din ng dagdag pera” (The children are really eager to help out in the business just to get extra money).