Nanay Luzviminda Cacanindin, 46 years of age, has been a client of TSPI since 2004. The success of her mushroom production, hog-raising, banana and camote chips production businesses are founded on her hard work, persistence and desire to keep on expanding and learning as a micro-entrepreneur.

The mushroom production business of Nanay Luzviminda started in 1986, when one of her neighbors who was engaged in this unique enterprise caught her interest. Nanay Luzviminda and her husband, Tatay Melecio, asked the said neighbor to teach them the initial process of mushroom production. However, the neighbor refused to do so out of fear of competition in the community. Due to eagerness and interest in the said enterprise, the couple decided to still pursue the business.

Equipped with enough knowledge as an agriculturist and by conducting research, Tatay Melecio was able to discover the process in mushroom planting and production. Hence, with an initial capital of P87.50, the couple was able to purchase cellophane (to cover the mushroom beds) and organic fertilizer. The first batch of mushrooms (eight kilos) harvested by the couple was sold at P300.00. Since there was easy access to raw materials, such as dried leaves in their community, Nanay Luzviminda and Tatay Melecio were able to continue the business. In the same year, the couple bought a swine for P500.00 and was able to sell it at P2, 000. The couple then reinvested the said amount to buy four swine at P500.00 each.

Nanay Luzviminda proudly shows her piglets.

In 2004, Nanay Luzviminda was thinking of growing her mushroom production and hog raising businesses. She saw an opportunity and applied for a membership and loan with TSPI.  She used her initial loan of P5,000 and added this as capital to grow her mushroom production business.  She also used this in buying feeds for her fattening pigs.

In March of 2011, Department of Industry (DTI) representatives came to the community of Nanay Luzviminda and sponsored a training on producing banana and camote chips.  There were 23 of them who attended the training held in Nanay Luzviminda’s house but only she was able to continue and put up a banana and camote-chips business.  She also applied what she learned in the Entrep-eskwela seminar she attended in January 2011, as a benefit of being a semi-finalist of 2010’s Citi Micro-entrepreneur of the Year Awards.  Seeing the opportunity of engaging in this type of business, Nanay Luzviminda saw that all the necessary materials for producing banana and camote chips were in her community.  Banana was not that easy to sell in the market, but Nanay Luzviminda thought otherwise.  She used this opportunity to buy bananas from the community to avoid wastage and spoilage and help the people have an additional income.

Aside from her exemplary performance as a microentrepreneur, Nanay Luzviminda also serves as the Center Chief of their group. According to her, “Nagiging isang modelo ako sa aming komunidad sa pamamagitan ng pagiging isang mabuting mamamayan sa aming barangay. Bilang isang Center Chief, nagbabayad ako sa tamang oras at tinutulugan ang sino mang miyembrong hindi makakabayad o may pangangailangan sa pera man o ibang bagay. Hinihikayat ko ang mga ibang nanay o tatay na magnegosyo sa pamamagitan ng paghiram ng puhunan sa TSPI o sumali sa TSPI (I serve as a role model to the community by being a good citizen in our barangay. As a Center Chief, I make sure that I pay my loan on time and help members who are not able to pay their loans, or other needs aside from finances. I encourage mothers and fathers to start a business by becoming a member of TSPI).”

Nanay Luzviminda also expressed her gratitude towards becoming a client of TSPI combined with her hard work and perseverance, “Dahil sa pagsusumikap, napagtapos ko ang tatlong anak ko sa pag-aaral. Dalawa ay Registered Nurse at isa ay nagtapos ng BS Computer Science. Sa kasalukuyan, may dalawa pa akong pinag-aaral. Ang isa ay kumukuha din ng BS Nursing at ang isa ay nasa hayskul. Dahil sa pagiging masipag, matiyaga at pagsusumikap, at sa tulong na din ng TSPI ay nagagawa ko itong lahat (Because of perseverance, three of my children already finished school. Two of them are Registered Nurses and the other one graduated with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. As of the moment, I still have two children who are studying, one of them is also taking up Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the other one is in High School. Because of diligence, hard work and perseverance, and with TSPI’s help, I am able to do all these things).”

Nanay Luzviminda with her banana and camote chips.

Nanay Luzviminda wants to still expand and grow her businesses. She shares that she wants to grow her mushroom production and help more people in her community. She is thinking of expanding her mushroom production business line by engaging in seminars and trainings in doing other products such as crispy mushrooms.  With her newfound business, she shares that demand is good and that a ready market is waiting for this type of product.  She intends to improve on her systems and employ more workers in continuing her operations.

With the way Nanay Luzviminda handles her businesses, it’s not impossible for her to achieve her immediate and future plans. Truly, Nanay Luzviminda’s acumen for business combined with her giving heart makes her a model to look up to not only by her community, but also by starting entrepreneurs wishing to succeed.

This article was originally written by Ms. Dinah G. Bohol, Program Supervisor of Product Development, for the Citi Micro-entrepreneur of the Year Awards 2011.