27/06/2025
๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ | ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ฎ๐น๐บ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด โจ
Diana R. Obial and her husband Henry, of Don Carlos in Bukidnon, started with almost nothing. He was their familyโs sole breadwinner, driving a motorela. She stayed at home to raise their two children.
Diana remembers the date when she signed up with FICCO โ September 12, 2005 โ because she was planning to put up a carenderia and a sari-sari store. She was able to achieve that in 2008 after taking out a loan for both projects.
Two years later, she applied for a loan again as they โupgradedโ their business. Henry assembled videoke machines and computers dedicated to computer games. It was profitable, but the business didnโt last long because it was risky for Henry to travel to collect payments or make repairs, as they had installed the machines in far-flung areas.
With FICCOโs help, more projects came: buying fast-growing gmelina trees and selling the timber to Davao City, and buying construction supplies from there and selling them in Don Carlos; a hardware store; a water refilling station; an educational supplies shop; and a furniture store. The last two are being managed by her son Jhon Rey.
โWhen I borrow money from FICCO, I use it solely for the intended business. Once I see itโs already profitable, Iโll use half the money to help the business flourish, and the other half for the familyโs use,โ she narrates.
They work hard all year round, then take one vacation each year, where they drive wherever in the country they want to go.
Dianaโs current project: to make a resort, complete with a swimming pool and cottages on a piece of land inherited by Henry, now that she already has all the heavy equipment needed to build one. Her backhoe, loader, dump truck, mini dump truck, and cement mixer, she rents them out to local engineers. Diana and Henry are just waiting for the environmental clearance certificate to be approved by authorities in Manila, then they will start building.
โItโs a business for our retirement, which is just a few years away. My children will take care of all the other businesses, and me and Henry will manage the resort. I just want to count the number of people who come in and charge them accordingly. I donโt want to work hard anymore,โ she jokes.
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