In the hopes to elevate the life of her family, Maylin Ligad, our 44-year old Nanaypreneur from Branch Mandaue 2, pursued the works of a seamstress by sewing fabric scrap to bags, wallets, and other accessories.
Before the year 2013, her family was purely relying on the income provided by her husband, Pablito Ligad, a steelman. From that time, their seven (7) kids needed to go to school. The income provided by her husband was not enough; thus experiencing scarce in food, limited money for transportation to go to school, and no one was able to give them financial help because she had no job.
With the motivation to uplift their lifestyle, she decided to try stitching with the help of her neighbor who had a business involving the fabric straps. She had the chance to be trained using a treadle sewing machine, which was operated by pushing back and forth the foot pedal of the machine. Eventually she started her business alone.
When the year 2016 came, one of her acquaintance invited her to join RAFI Micro-finance, Inc. (RAFI MFI) to help her business grow bigger. She started with a loan amount of Php 7,000 and immediately bought raw materials to make her products.
“Nausab gyud akong negosyo pag apil nako sa RAFI MFI tungod kay nailado ko sa mga activity ug trainings nila na patindahon mi sa event, mao na daghan ang nakaila namo kay gi-market pud mi nila. (My business changed when I joined RAFI MFI because I became known to new customers through their activities and trainings where they made us sell in their event, many were able to know about me because of how they market my business).” Nanay Maylin said about her journey and experience in RAFI MFI.
While her market grew, competition grew as well. It became hard for her to sell because there were a lot of other seamstress selling the same thing. Aside from this, the raw materials were sometimes out of stock, that’s why she’s unable to display her items from time to time. Now that the pandemic has also took a toll on her business, it also became hard to sell because of the strict measures implemented in their barangay such as the quarantine.
This did not stop her. She continued sewing even though orders were not coming through and continued to display different variety of designs that was all based on her creativity. She had different designs that made her unique and made this her selling point. Eventually, sales were increasing and slowly helped her stand up again.
She is now accommodated with her nine (9) employees who works at her new automatic sewing machines and her cutters. She plans to add more sewing machines and continue to market their items when it becomes safer for them and the community.
“Padayon lang gyud ta bisan unsa man kalisod ang panahon kay ang negosyo naa man gyuy failure and success, di gyud na mawala ug mao nay makapakusgan nato. Dili lang gyud ta mu-surrender kay mao ni ang makatabang nato ug sa atong pamilya. (Let’s continue to strive for our business even though there are hard times like this. Businesses will always have its failure and success because this is what makes us stronger. Let’s not surrender because this is what helps us and our family).” Nanay Maylin’s message to those who wanted to pursue business and those struggling this pandemic.
Through RAFI MFI, she was motivated to join trainings for business management, budgeting and financial management. She was also invited to train women who were also interested to learn sewing the bags during the year 2017. The certificates she gained during the events made her an even powerful Nanaypreneur who uses her knowledge to improve her business throughout the years.
“Gusto ko magpasalamat sa RAFI MFI sa pagtabang nako ug sa akong pamilya sa among financial na panginahanglan, labi na sa pagtudlo nako unsaon pag save sa akong kwarta ug sa paghatag ug mga benepisyo na di namo makit-an sa laing mga kompanya. Karon na nay pandemic, wala mi ninyo bya-i ug gisulod pami ninyo sa Tindahan ni Nanay. Maayo unta na magpadayun mo sa inyong serbisyo namong mga myembro. Daghang salamat kay nakakita mo ug potential namo ug nagpakita mo ug tabang namo. (I would like to thank RAFI MFI for helping me and my family with our financial needs, especially teaching us how to save and for giving us different benefits that other companies do not have. With this pandemic, you did not leave us and you even opened Tindahan ni Nanay. I hope you continue your services to all the members. Thank you because you found potential in us and you did not hesitate to help us).”
The story of Nanay Maylin Ligad will be an inspiration to all small business owners who strive to be bigger in the industry. With her dedication, her sewing will lead her and her family to success.
The Microfinance Program of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI-MFI) 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.
