W.I.N.N.E.Rs champ: No such thing as poor if you strive hard

CEBU, Philippines - “Dili gyud ka angay mawad-an og paglaom bisag unsa ka kapobre. Wala’y pobre basta magkugi lang.” (You don’t have to lose hope no matter how poor you are. There’s no such thing as poor so long as you strive hard.)

This according to Dulce Señerpida, who was recently crowned as this year’s W.I.N.N.E.Rs (Women in Need, Now Entrepreneurs and Rolemodels) grand winner during the Coronation Night last August 28 at J Centre Mall Convention Center.

Also awarded as Ms. Three Sixty Pharmacy, she received a total of P53,000 cash prize, a brand new motorcycle from Granstar Motors for the barangay and gift packages from International Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Virginia, Three Sixty Pharmacy, San Miguel Purefoods, Monterey and Magnolia Station.

She added that Three Sixty Pharmacy and Dranix Distributors Inc. offered to have a store make-over which is worth P50,000 and will be completely done by this week.

Aside from being popularly known not just in Mandaue but also in other parts of Cebu, she said that winning the search helped her increase her daily income from P17,000 to P20,000.

In 2002, the 36-year old vendor started selling barbeque in front of Paknaan Elementary School with an initial capital of P2,000 and then also ventured in vegetable vending in 2009.

This year, she eventually grew her business to a mini-convenience store that offers the daily needs and basic necessities of her customers such as vegetables, spices, dried fish, rice, school supplies, ready-to-wear, dipper, brooms, basins, fans, pitchers, canned goods, chips, and other cleaning materials.

Located at Zone Camote, Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City, her “private little market” that has a capacity area of 200 square meters does not only cater to the needs of her community but of the other zones in the barangay as well.

Although she only sells in small quantities and in cheap prices which are good for retail and consumers, Señerpida aims to have an all-in-one store and plans to add more products such as fluorescent lights, light bulb and other housing materials with the prizes she had won from the competition.

“Aron kon unsa man ilang kinahanglanon ug pangitaon, naa ko. Pabor para sa ilaha kay di na silay mo-adto pa sa merkado. Okay na gamay ang ginansiya basta mahurot,” she continued. (So that I can attend to whatever they will need. It’s actually convenient for them since they don’t have to go to the market. It’s totally okay for me if I earn less profit as long as it would all be sold out.)

She admitted that her poor condition when she was a child and her family served as her inspiration to strive harder in her business.

“Di ko gusto mo-abot ang panahon nga ang akong naagi-an nga kalisod, mahitabo pud sa akong mga anak kay lisod kaayo,” she said. (I don’t want my children to encounter what I have experienced in the past because it was very difficult.)

She further revealed that her store is larger in terms of area than her house that only measures 25 square meters.

“Ang balay di man mo-generate og income. If magpadako ko sa balay, mapatay ang income,” Señerpida added.(A house cannot generate an income. If I would invest in expanding my house than my store, I would lose money.)

She also has an investment on a 42-square meter lot in Paknaan.

Even though she encounters spousal conflicts and tough competition as struggles in her business, she noted that her ability to send her children to school and respond to the needs of her family makes her overcome such.

At present, she has her husband, two children and two store helpers to assist her in managing and operating the store.

Citing integrity, patience, good customer relations and perseverance as the qualities of an excellent entrepreneur, Señerpida is more determined to continue making her store grow and her business more successful.

The Search for W.I.N.N.E.R.s is one of the flagship events of the Mandaue Business Month 2012 that was chaired by MCCI Vice president Carmel de Pio-Salvador and co-chaired by Marylou Ngo-Ang.