Former OFW, seafarer’s wife find success in business

SOME 30 years ago, Loida Sandalo was receiving regular remittances from her husband, a messman working on a ship overseas.

But with Oliver earning just $100 a month, which at the exchange rate of P8 to the US dollar, meant just P800 a month, she was having problems making ends meet, especially with relatives—thinking all OFWs are rich—trooping to the house frequently to ask for money.

"Matod Pa Sa Lola ni Noy Kulas." Join the story-writing contest on Cebuano folklore and win prizes.

“I told him to learn to cook so that he could become chief cook one day,” Sandalo, now 55, told Sun.Star Cebu in the vernacular.

Oliver’s long-distance culinary education began with her enclosing recipes in the letters she sent him.

In five years, he made chief cook. But just the same, Loida decided to get into business because with five sons to support, “ako man maglabad og budget.” (I would be the one to have problems with the budget.)

She opened a canteen at the Mactan Economic Zone but stopped after the long hours became too much for her.

Security

Three years ago, on the suggestion of a friend, she put up a security agency in Barangay, Kalunasan, Cebu City with P50,000 in capital. Later, she took out a loan under the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa)-National Livelihood Support Fund Livelihood Development Program for Overseas Filipino Workers.

Jadds Investigation and Security Services Agency now employs 70 security guards and has branches in Tagbilaran and Tacloban cities. Its clients include Gaisano Mactan, Mactan Doctors Hospital, Evergreen Park, and a subdivision in Mactan.

Sideline

Despite the success of her security business, Loida has continued with her “sideline,” receiving orders for cakes and catering for wedding receptions, barangay meetings and other occasions.

Two of her sons help in the business. Two other sons are seamen like their father.

With plans to ultimately have more than 100 security guards, she got another loan from the Owwa last month.

Her fiscal discipline has borne fruit. Yet, she is still planning for the future—a time when her husband and sons won’t want to board ships anymore.

She has bought lots on which she is now building apartments for rent.

Like Sandalo, Kenneth Carredo believes Owwa’s loan program is a godsend with its rate of nine percent per annum a bargain compared to other sources of credit.

Carredo, 42, an OFW returnee, and his wife put up Josrika Computer Training Center Inc. in Tabunok, Talisay City in 2000 with their savings and a loan from the Owwa.

Carredo knew it was time to stop working overseas when his youngest child no longer recognized him when he returned for vacations.

In 1996, he had left his job as the school administrator of Interface Computer College in Cebu to work as a management information systems manager in Bangkok,
Thailand.

After almost three years abroad, he returned to the Philippines to become his own boss.

Offering courses in PC troubleshooting, networking, web design and Flash 2D animation, among others, Josrika is now a training center accredited with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for vocational courses.

Graduates

Some graduates of his courses, which run from one month to one year, now work as call center agents, he said.

Josrika started out as a 10-seat Internet café. When Carredo noticed that there were no clients in the afternoons, he went to the barangays in Talisay and Pardo and invited out-of-school youth to study for free, getting 120 students for every two-month program.

This went on for three years, during which he transformed tricycle drivers into computer technicians. Some of his students became hospital encoders and one even became a businessman, opening a shop selling cellular phones.

40 branches

Three to four years ago, Carredo put up another business, this one built on Thai massage.

Nuat Thai Foot and Body Massage now has 40 branches nationwide.

Asked why he succeeded in business while other OFWs failed, he said one must really be interested in business and have a plan.

He should also manage the business himself, so he will be familiar with all aspects of it. And he should have a vision.

Carredo’s vision is to own a computer college in five to 10 years.