“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you”, is Client Jeriel’s life verse. He carried his life verse in his everyday living that’s why for him, “Even marami po akong pinagkakaabalahan priority ko pa rin ang kaugnayan ko sa Diyos kasi worthless lahat ng achievement ko kung mapapabayaan ko ang kaugnayan mo sa Kanya. It is the blessing of God that makes one rich, that’s why I keep on going”.
A 26-year old Jeriel D. Gelito is an active TSPI client of Catanauan Branch in Quezon Province. His mother is also a TSPI client and they are in the same center. Upon attending the program orientation last 2013, he become interested to the savings benefit. He used his first loan amounting to P5,000 as fund for his Gcash e-wallet so he could transact with his customers.
Additionally, Jeriel is also the current Deputy Center Chief of his center. For him, to become a good leader, he himself must be an example to his co-member. And with that disposition, he is one of the better performing member in his center.
About Client Business
One of Jeriel’s businesses is rice farming for 7 years. He has great interest in that business since he studied Agricultural Technology. He has 2 hectares of rice fields located in Catanuan Quezon. During planting and harvesting every cropping season, he generates temporary employment for at most 20 people to do the farm work. Having 2 cropping per year, his yield is about 2000 sacks of palay and turns it into 1000 cavan of rice after milling. Before harvesting, he asks his neighbor and friends for a pre-order of rice.
Jeriel is also engaged in GCash and Paymaya businesses. He facilitates e-loading and accepts remittances. He earned his income since he collected transaction fees from the clients who transacted for the services that Gcash and Paymaya offered.
Jeriel is also given the opportunity to become an authorized TAAS Agent by TSPI after demonstrating good performance and being an active client. TAAS or TSPI Agent Account System, is an in-house program developed by the TSPI Information Technology (IT) Department. This system will record and monitor Agent’s transactions such as credit-in and client’s payments. He earned his income from this since he collects transaction fees for every transaction made by his fellow-TSPI clients.
Since he used to do field work, he adds another source of income, by being a broadband agent. He offers internet service through the modem that he sells.
The effect of digitalization to business:
Prior to digitalization, Jeriel’s income is solely from his farming business, and he markets his products using the traditional face-to-face method.
But as a millennial who is inclined to technology and wants to increase his income, Jeriel takes advantage of social media to promote his produce in his farming business. He posted his well-milled rice on the Facebook Market place. Through digital marketing, he can easily and rapidly sell his produce. Before he did the digital marketing, it used to take 6 weeks to sell his produce, but now it’s only 3 weeks. He was also used to selling his produce within his community, particularly in the public market, but with the help of social media, he now has customers from nearby towns.
Since he is already using a smart phone, he engages in doing GCash and Paymaya services as his additional income.
And being an internet broadband agent, he usually closes deals with a minimum of 10 clients per month, from which he gets his commission.
By going digital and incorporating digital solutions into his business, Jeriel’s annual income increased.
Since Jeriel increased his income, he has already acquired a hand tractor and two hand tractor machines for his farming business. He also helped his mother pay debts.
Business Expansion Plans:
Jeriel helped his friend by giving him capital to engage in Gcash services as well. As a return, they would equally divide the profit. He plans to help out more people, considerably 5 of his friends, with this same set-up
He also wants to have a physical store in the town proper. By having physical store, he can offer more services.
As a Sales Representative of internet broadband, he wants to look for other agents so he can become a team leader and expand their territories. With that strategy, his income will increase and he can earn even if he does not do fieldwork. He will have more time to focus on his other businesses.
Community Involvement:
Jeriel is also a member of the Catanauan Farmers Association. He joined knowing that being a member of the said association will benefit his business in terms of providing a low cost of inputs for his farm as well as the additional knowledge that the association may impart to him.
