Cebu-based food micro enterprise is one of Q Asia’s National Product Quality Excellence awardees

Jerry Gloria, owner of Mabolo Bam-I House, credits the University of San Carlos-Kapamilya Negosyo program and the financial assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment for her growing business. /Irene R. Sino Cruz

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Mabolo Bam-i House, a micro food enterprise, gets recognition as one of the recipients of the Q Asia 2019 National Product Quality Excellence Awards.

Jerry Gloria, 63, said  that the award recognizes companies, products and services that have achieved product quality excellence.  The awarding ceremony will be held in Manila next month.

According to Gloria, she started her business after she took a free skills training nine years ago. She is also one of the many successful beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment under its livelihood or Kabuhayan Program. The program is one of the two major components of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Programs (DILEEP).

Gloria received a P25,000 grant from DOLE-7 under its Kabuhayan program, which she used to transform the ground floor of their residence in Mabolo City, Cebu into a food shop. She only offered to sell bam-i, a stir-fry noodle dish, because it was the only dish she felt confident she could cook well.

When her business started earning, she went to culinary classes to expand her knowledge and cooking skills. Her determination paid off and now she measured her success with her savings that has reached P1 million.

“DOLE helped me a lot by providing me financial support. Still, I believe, it’s not enough that you are given the capital you needed. When you won’t work hard and do your best, it will all go to waste,” Gloria stressed.

DOLE-7 Regional Director Salome Siaton said these programs give priority to workers who are marginalized, vulnerable, disadvantaged and susceptible to risks.

“It’s a joy to see people, whose lives have changed for the better because of the assistance granted to them by the DOLE,” Siaton said.

“I’m personally very happy knowing that our beneficiaries utilize and put to good use whatever assistance they received from government through the department.”

But while DOLE provides assistance, beneficiaries have to make use of this wisely and ensure that their business undertaking will become sustainable, she explained.

Assistant Regional Director Lilia A. Estillore cited Gloria as an inspiration since the latter showed that a business that starts small could expand and become successful.

“I hope that more DOLE beneficiaries will reap the fruits of their labor, like Gloria did,” Estillore said./dcb