Cristina Anggana, Hannah’s Handicraft owner, mans her booth displaying her company’s products in one of the trade fairs she joined. (Contributed Photo)
WHAT does it take for a 55-year-old former garments merchandiser to set up and grow her own handicraft company?
For Cristina Anggana, who learned the rudiments of the business from the ground up from two decades of working in several export companies engaged in décor and jewelry and in garment merchandising, it was a long bumpy road to the success she is having today.
Anggana is now the owner of a Minglanilla-based handicraft venture which supplies handmade bags and fashion accessories to different export companies in the Philippines.
With only P30 in her pocket as well as 20 years worth of experience in garments merchandising then, Anggana set off to establish her own company called Hannah’s Handicraft in 2003.
Anggana said they supply bags, fashion accessories, table tops and baskets, among others, to one exporter in Boracay and two in Manila.
Her company is named after her daughter, Hannah, whom she had when she was 35 years old.
Hannah’s Handicraft uses locally sourced materials such as abaca, ruffia and pandan. Her husband, Gerard, helps her run the business.
The first order they ever received was place mats worth P5,000, which she asked advance payment for to use as capital for raw materials.
Her first employees were five of her colleagues retrenched from the last company she worked for.
Within three years, Anggana was able to earn enough to buy five high-speed sewing machines and two special sewing machines.
In 2005, she registered her business with the Department of Trade and Industry.
Things were looking up when she faced another challenge in her business when her employees left her to work for another company.
“Business went down for one year and I was discouraged for three years. I wasn’t able to manage the company properly,” she said.
During those times of crisis, she turned to her friends and God. Eventually, she got her bearings and started to pick up where she left off and now more determined to make her business successful.
She started joining bazaars and seminars organized by the DTI and by 2013, she said Hannah’s Handicraft became “healthy” again.
Today, she has five regular workers and provides employment to at least 40 neighbors within her community, giving them a chance to earn from assembling garments and accessories.
Last year, she was able to secure a permanent spot in SM’s Kultura, a store that offers an expansive range of products made from indigenous materials that best reflect Philippine heritage and contemporary culture under three main categories: fashion, home and souvenirs.
This was made possible after she participated in an exhibit mounted by the DTI in Cebu.
Moving forward, she said she wants to focus more on fashion accessories. She added that they also plan to apply for a small space at Ayala Center Cebu.
After all the ups and downs, Anggana said what keeps her motivated is being able to provide for her family as well as help her community.