Client Stories > Myrna Torres

Micro-enterprise : Bag Manufacturing
TSPI Branch : TSPI – Malolos Branch

Myrna Torres learned sewing when she was just 12 years old. Her mother was a plain housewife and her father was a fisherman, who only earned a meager income barely enough to meet the daily basic needs of the family. She recalls, “Kapos na kapos kami noon” (We really didn’t have much). Not having enough to make ends meet, Myrna was not able to reach high school. As the second of eight (8) children, Myrna worked and earned P300 a week from sewing bags in Malolos when she was in her 20’s. She met Norberto, a bag cutter, in the same workplace. They got married in 1980, when she was 25 while Norberto was 23. The couple stayed with Myrna’s aunt in Bulacan and little by little, started their own bag manufacturing business there in 1981.

In 1982, the couple and their first daughter, Berna transferred to their present house in Beauty Village, Panasahan, Malolos City. There, they continued their bag manufacturing business with enough capital to invest in three (3) manual sewing machines and three (3) workers, whom they paid P300-400 per week. Combining their skills in the trade. Myrna worked as tailor while Norberto was the cutter. The couple sourced the fabric and other raw materials within the city. Myrna found a ready market in two (2) of her friends in Baclaran, Parañaque City, Manila, who served as her major clients for a span of five (5) years (1982-1987). Their average weekly delivery then was 300-400 pieces of different types of bags amounting to P 4,800 weekly sales.

Another major client since 1982 was Secosana, a local distributor of women’s bags, located in Jose Abad Santos, Manila. Upon learning about them through referrals and seeing the quality workmanship of their bags Secosana got their services as sub-contractor. Secosana supplied them with the needed raw materials, the brand label, and price tags. When the orders from Secosana shoot up, they employed 13 tailors and they were able to buy ten (10) electric-powered sewing machines. Myrna became a full-time supervisor while Norberto still was the cutter but at the same time the company’s sales person as he was the one dealing with Secosana. At that time they were able to deliver 2,000 bags of different designs, which generated a weekly sales of P100,000.

Adding the weekly sales from Baclaran, the business was able to earn a weekly net sales of about P105,000. Sixty percent of the amount went to paying expenses such as such as labor, rent of delivery vehicle, electricity, etc., and whatever is left from the net income was used to buy another set of raw materials. Beginning 1987, the couple decided to focus on becoming a sole sub-contractor of Secosana. Unfortunately, after 14 years the business relationship with Secosana also came to an end when bags from Taiwan swarmed the markets in 1996. “Mabenta ‘yung Taiwan bags dahil mas mura at naiiwan ‘yung mga gawa namin” (Taiwan bags were easily sold-out because they are cheaper than the ones we made). Norberto got discouraged and stopped dealing with Secosana. They laid-off nine (9) of their tailors. Having only four (4) tailors left, their bag manufacturing slowed down and they resorted to becoming sub-contractors for different bag suppliers within the province of Bulacan.

During that time, Myrna always slept late and she was very anxious about their business. Things even got more difficult because her husband was very disheartened by the influx of those Taiwan bags, though he still was with the business as the bag cutter. Before sleeping, she would always pray. She attests, “Iyon ang gabay ko, ang paniniwala sa Taas” (My faith in the Lord is my guide). Myrna thought of putting up a small eatery in the city proper to make up for their lost sales. However, a friend advised her, that it might be best if she would just focus on making bags since she still had her sewing machines and in that way she could also watch over her children. Myrna heeded that advice and she told her husband of her plans to revive their bag making business.  She recalls, “Matagal kong sinuyo ang asawa ko na bumalik sa negosyo” (It took me a long time to convince my husband to get back to business). As fate would have it, Secosana contacted them again in 2002 because sales of cheap and low-quality Taiwan bags are at low. This was the same year when Myrna became a TSPI client. She used her loans for additional capital in their bag manufacturing business. “Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa TSPI dahil dere-derecho ang negosyo” (I am grateful to TSPI because our business is now continuously operating).

Myrna demonstrates kindness and compassion in dealing with her workers. Presently, she has ten (10) tailors – 4 of which work in her house while she lets the other 6 bring home her sewing machines in their respective homes so they could still look after their own children while working. “Kung laging galit ang pauunahin mo sa tauhang namamali, bukas wala ka nang mananahi”. (When you always reprimand workers who commit mistakes, they will certainly leave you). She also lets two (2) of her workers live with her free of charge. Her workers are paid on piece rate basis. The 4 in-house tailors get P500-1,000 a week while the 6 others get higher wages (P1,000-1,500)  since they use their   own electricity.

At present , they are sub-contractors not only of Secosana but also Urban, a sister company of Secosana that distributes backpacks and handbags for men. The business is again hitting a weekly sales of P100,000. They still accept sub-contracting jobs from bag suppliers in Bulacan. During the Christmas season, they also make bags as give-away items for banks. The couple is now planning to purchase their own delivery vehicle so they no longer have to rent.

Because of her perseverance and hardwork, Myrna was able to revive her business and bring it to its present level, garnering the admiration of her co-clients and TSPI staff, she was chosen by TSPI- Malolos Branch as the “Pinakamahusay na Negosyante ng Taon” (Best Entrepreneur of the Year) last year. Because of the success of the business,  the couple was able to send all their children to school. Berna, 25, is a Commerce graduate at the Far Eastern University (FEU) and is now working as a Physics professor in Mary Child’s College in Manila. Normita, 22, was not able to finish college but now actually helps in the business. Nerissa, 19, is a working student at the Bulacan State University and a part-time worker at Jollibee-Malolos. Their youngest, Roberto, 16, is a graduating high school student.

Myrna is often called in their community as “Doña” because her business became successful compared to others. Despite her new stature, she still remains humble in heart. Myrna, currently the center chief of the TSPI center she belongs to, is on her 8th loan cycle amounting to P40,000. She humbly tells them that “Hindi nyo ako dapat kainggitan. Huwag ninyo akong tularan base sa kung magkano yung halagang inuutang ko, mas magandang tularan ako kung paano ko ginamit ang perang inutang” (You should not envy me. You do not have to strive to borrow the same amount that I am able to borrow now. I would rather that you imitate the way I made productive use of the money borrowed). She does not only get along well with her workers but also with other people in their community. In fact, she is a member of two (2) community organizations named Victory and Ilaw, which help the relatives left by deceased members of those organizations. They extend help by giving money and assisting the grieving relatives in the burial of their loved ones.

The Torres couple was able to prove the saying “life is like a wheel; sometimes you’re on top and sometimes you’re at the bottom”. They have experienced both the ups and downs of their business. But through it all, the important thing is learning how to stitch back all those lost hopes and start anew. Now they are back on top again.

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