IN a pinch, two men turned to their wives for financial help – proving the resourcefulness of Filipino women when it comes to supporting the businesses of their spouses.

Take Leticia Marrero who worked as a domestic helper in Hong Kong so that her husband would not sell a piece of property he inherited from his parents. The couple now owns and operates a resort in the Mountain Province and was awarded by a government-backed group for their inspiring business story.

There’s also Didi Dayag who flew to Kuwait in 1986 and worked as a nurse so that her salary could serve as additional capital for her husband Eugenio’s cattle business in Cagayan.

What the two women had in common was their reason for working abroad and their subsequent decision to come back after achieving their goal.

Aside from supporting the expansion of her husband’s ranch, Dayag was able to buy eight hectares of rice land. The Dayags now own a fully mechanized plantation with three tractors, a stockroom, and a solar dryer. They manage 14 hectares of rice land, 43 hectares planted to sugar cane and 17 hectares to cassava.

They have also ventured into seed growing.

The couple’s business created jobs for around 68 families who rely on seasonal farm work for their living.

For her part, Marrero’s salary as a domestic worker augmented her husband’s income as postman and ensured their children would finish college. When the youngest of her four children received a bachelor’s degree, it marked the end of her life as an OFW.

With what she had saved – just a little less than P100,000 – Marrero’s family decided to develop their property into a garden resort with three swimming pools, picnic cottages, a lawn tennis court, a playground, and a convenience store.

It was the first of its kind in the province.

“Masaya ako dahil mayroon konting pinagkakakitaan,” Marrero said. “Pag wala na kami, merong maiiwan para sa mga anak ko na naumpisahan na naming mag-asawa.”

Beginnings

Both women agree that their businesses are easier to grow when it begins with something one already has or enjoys doing.

Dayag’s husband, who runs a cattle ranch, simply followed in his own father’s footsteps. He worked as a medical officer in a stevedoring company in Saudi Arabia and used his savings to pursue his interest in cattle-raising.

“When I came home after two years, I had a lot of savings because my salary was nearly two thousand dollars a month that time,” Dayag said.

He bought 11 cows and a bull and set up his ranching business in Cagayan province. After more than two decades, Dayag said they currently have 300 heads of cattle.

He said he never had to borrow money to raise capital.

“Ranching is good because you can lean on to the business,” Dayag said in Tagalog. “If you need money, just sell one or two heads, presto! Problem solved,” he added.

What they needed to deal with was a little pricklier. On more than one occasion, the Dayag couple and their two sons were visited by rebels who wanted to solicit their support.

Instead, they offered free medical attention and health services.

“It’s my duty to treat sick people, regardless of their ideology,” the medical doctor said. “‘Pag may sakit ang pasyente ko tinatanong ko kung anong masakit sa kanila, hindi kung ano ang kanilang paniniwala,” he added.

His wife, on the other hand, thinks only of the good her stint abroad and its fruits have wrought.

“You go abroad to earn and at the same time, save,” she advises other OFWs . “Then when you go back to your country, think of a good investment, something that’s your passion. Because when you love your work, you enjoy your work, nothing would go wrong,” Dayag said

Seasons

As for Marrero, it was her experience in running a small store and dressmaking shop before working overseas that nourished her business sense despite working as a domestic helper. It also helped that her husband also had a job and carried on raising their family during her 15-year absence.

Her children’s decision to support the family business went a long way into ensuring the success of their resort venture since they didn’t have to divide their parent’s property among themselves.

Although income is seasonal, the Marreros learned to ride the off-peak period. They also raised bananas and opened a dry goods store.

The resort also provides odd jobs to children who attend a nearby school. On weekends, some of them help in the cleaning and earn pay and snacks from the Marreros.

Even though the family cannot afford to install heaters and other state-of-the art facilities to improve their resort, Marrero said she has achieved a kind of bliss.

“Sometimes, I think had I not worked in Hong Kong, we wouldn’t have our resort business,” she said.

OFW Journalism Consortium