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Getting out of a Stinky Situation to Succeed

by RAFI Micro-finance| March 23, 2018

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Cirila Panerio could not forget how she learned about customer relations in a rather unusual way — a fish vendor lashed at her for refusing to accept the latter’s money, which was wet and reeked of fish. To the fish vendor, it was judgmental and condescending.

The incident was in the 1990s — Cirila was young and already a mother at 19. She was not able to finish college but found work as a cashier in a mall in Cebu City. Her boyfriend then, now her husband, was a jeepney driver. 

She did not fully understand the fish vendor’s scolding but she realized more about it by the time she was selling fish herself. 

The mall where Cirila was working was gutted by fire. Cirila lost her job, failed to pay rent and had a child to raise. This prompted them to go back to Argao in southern Cebu and live with her mother. 

Cirila occasionally helped her mother sell vegetables at Carbon Market in Cebu City. It was also her mother who was introduced to RAFI Micro-finance (RMF). However, she never got to fully understand the records and systems of cash flow, so she prodded Cirila to attend the meetings instead. 

Cirila was able to join RMF as she continued to help her mother in buying and selling vegetables. Because of old age and health conditions, her mother eventually passed on the business to Cirila.

Cirila, with added capital from RMF, also expanded her own garden of vegetables and raised  chicken and pigs. Her business was doing so well her husband had to stop working as a paid driver and instead, help Cirila in driving her stocks of vegetables to the market. 

With this idea, they were able to save money and purchased vehicles. Cirila also saw the need to grow seedlings and vegetable plants, and use organic fertilizers. She now provides seedlings and organic fertilizers to famers in their rural community. In exchange, the farmers sell to Cirila their harvested produce. 

It was through this arrangement that Cirila learned to value her relationship  with those  who work for her—helpers in the delivery to the market, and in swine and hog raising, farmers who sell their crops to her, and customers in the market. She now understood the importance of respecting people regardless of their status in life because everyone goes through hardships, especially in doing business no matter how small. She knows that hardships cannot be easily controlled so she finds it hard to refuse to  help  people around her who need help. 

Cirila now believes it is always good to reach out and offer help than doing nothing at all. 

Cirila’s kindness led her to successfully expand her business and develop good relations in her barangay as an active member of the women’s association. She is also known to be supportive of her husband who is now a barangay councilor.

For Cirila, good relationships with fellowmen and committing your business with prayers to God are must haves you want success in business.

The Microfinance Program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI Micro-finance) provides financial and non-financial services to micro-entrepreneurs with a mission of elevating lives of the vulnerable and disadvantaged communities through stable and rewarding livelihood.

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