Category: Feature Stories

Standing roughly five feet tall, Nanay Maria De Vera Campanero’s petite frame belies the greatness of her wisdom as an entrepreneur and depth of her commitment to her mask making business. The 57 year old wife of Tatay Lucio, who works as a security guard for a tire company in Santolan, and mother of two did not hesitate to share the reason why she put up her mask business. “Ang nagtulak sa akin na magnegosyo ay kahirapan na rin po, … Continue reading “SEWING MASKS, SOWING HOPE”

“Magpakatatag. Kumapit sa Diyos. Huwag bibitiw. Dire-diretso lang ang pagtratrabaho. Dadating ang panahon, makakarating din sa matayog at matagumpay na pagnenegosyo.” These are the words of wisdom of Nanay Rowena Manalo, the Sustainable Business Awardee of the 2017 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards, when asked what advice she can give to new entrepreneurs. She speaks every word from her heart, because she herself held on to God and never gave up – and that’s one reason behind the success of her driftwood … Continue reading “HARVESTING SUCCESS, ONE TREE AT A TIME”

At only 43 years old, Nanay Josephine Mayuga has already gone through the most painful experience for any parent. It was the first day of September in the year 2000 when her first born child – a three year old girl – was hit by a motorcycle in their native province of Batangas. Her child did not survive the impact. After their child’s burial, Nanay Josephine and her husband Tatay Ronaldo went up to Baguio to seek healing from the … Continue reading “A MOTHER’S STRIDE TOWARDS HEALING AND SUCCESS”

IN CELEBRATION of its 10th anniversary, the TSPI Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. (TSPI MBA), held its Annual General Membership (AGM) meeting with a special theme, honoring God’s faithfulness for the past 10 years.  The theme, “Sampung Taon ng Pagpapala ng Diyos sa MBA,” paved the way for the AGM and other activities last May 31 at TSPI’s Engr. Padilla Hall in Makati City.  A thanksgiving mass was offered to commence the general assembly. SAMPUNG TAON NG PAGPAPALA Recognizing its role … Continue reading “CELEBRATING A DECADE OF FAITHFULNESS”

IN DASMARIÑAS, Cavite, scraps of fabric have spawned communities of hardworking rag makers and families with added income. At the helm of this movement is husband-and-wife team Ranie and Haydee Villaruz, who found a fortune in basahang bilog (round rags). In May 2016, TSPI’s Enterprise Development Services (EDS) was thinking up new community-driven projects when the idea of affordable, easy-to-produce rags from factories’ scrap materials came into the picture. “We wanted something productive for our nanays (mothers) and their families … Continue reading “FROM RAGS TO RICHES”

SATURDAY, 3:30 AM—a time when everyone sleeps soundly after a tiring workweek. But not for TSPI employees who were up to join Walk for Life at the Quirino Grandstand.   Organized by Sangguniang Laiko ng Pilipinas, Walk for Life was a demonstration of people who believe that life is a gift from God, and that we are called to protect and preserve it. Tulay sa Pag-unlad, Inc. (TSPI) Executive Director Eduardo Mendoza led the organization in participating in this event.  … Continue reading “TSPI WALKS FOR LIFE”

WHEN TYPHOON Glenda tore through Calabarzon in 2014, the province of Quezon was among the heaviest hit. Nanay Gina Mernilo, a mother of three from the town of Macalelon, said the water system in their barangay was one of the casualties, and it made things very difficult for the already struggling community. “Since then, we had to buy water,” she said.  “And for three pesos per container and five containers a day, that’s around P450 a month, which is too … Continue reading “WITH WATER, HOPE FLOWS”

THE SERENE waters of Tayabas Bay would sometimes peek in between the coconut trees dotting the horizon in Catanauan, Quezon. A six-hour drive from Manila, the first-class municipality stands on gently rolling hills, so fertile that almost every household depends on the land for sustenance, from copra production to rice farming. But for farmer Tatay Fortunato Mendoza, a TSPI Programang Pang-agrikultura (TPP) client since 2012, harnessing the richness of the soil is far from easy.  For one, his community’s experience … Continue reading “EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES”

WE USUALLY have a stereotype of a typical small town Filipino farmer—hardworking, skillful, and yet poor.  He tills the soil, sows the seeds of food staples, and provides not only for his family but for a hungry nation in need of sustenance.  And the cycle goes on, leaving the small farmer, content with just providing enough food for his family but not exactly earning the income required to uplift his way of living. What he doesn’t realize is that he … Continue reading “THE FARMER IS A BUSINESSMAN”

2008 is a year that Nanay Annabel “Mayeth” Bonsol would rather forget.  Her husband, a barangay councilor, was fatally shot after a political altercation, and her childhood home in Bauan, Batangas was foreclosed by the bank. Up until then, she has had modest success in her ecobag and rug business, which she started in 1999 with a loan from TSPI and a rented sewing machine.  But the twin tragedies drained her resources, and the stress from the ordeal weakened her … Continue reading “WHEN HAPPINESS FINDS YOU”