Newspapers for Packing

“I tried everything, I tried working as a vegetable stocker in trading post. I tried to be a purchaser. I also tried going abroad for two years. I also worked as a lady guard in SM, did direct selling and back to trading post.”

After going through numerous jobs trying to look for her luck, Arlene has finally found her place. One day, she realized people need paper in the trading post for packing their vegetables. She requested a friend to help her look for someone who sells newspaper back issues in Balintawak and the rest is history. Mrs. Arlene Abella a resident of Upper Bayabas, La Trinidad, Benguet now owns a stall at Strawberry farm selling newspapers for packing and rents out weighing scales.

A friend referred her to borrow from JVOFI. Initially, she loaned 5,000 pesos to top up her paper packing business. She has been with JVOFI for four years now. Now, she is at her 14th cycle of loan and has reached 79,000 principal loan amount.

In a span of four years, she was able to expand her business, acquired a HiAce van, bought a lot and employed two regular workers in her stall. She also started another business across the trading post, a snack house, where she employed another worker.

She plans to expand her business by being a supplier of vegetable packing materials like sacks and plastic bags to be able to employ more workers.