Vigan bag maker grows business from P4-K fund

 By Hilda Austria 

VIGAN CITY – Using a P4,000 capital and basic knowledge in sewing, along with an immense desire to learn and hard work, a widow from this city has raised her children with her souvenir-making business
    When Lucila Datuin, 63, lost her husband in 2007, she quit from her job as a restaurant manager in Metro Manila and returned to her hometown.
    She learned how to make bags using the abel Iloco, an Ilocano textile made of cotton, and a second-hand sewing machine with the intent to sell them to souvenir shops.
    “Unang gawa, sabi nila, ano ba ‘yang gawa mo basura (On my first try, they said it was garbage),” she said admitting that she only had basic sewing skills.
    The harsh comments motivated her to improve her craft.
    “At first, I was the only one doing all the work but when orders kept coming, I hired and trained people,” she said in a phone interview on Monday.
    Datuin said her business boomed when Vigan City was hailed as one of the New 7 Wonder Cities of the World in 2014.
    From producing bags as souvenirs, she is also selling printed t-shirts, pouches, and tote bags among others.
    Her shop now has 20 employees, including seven seamstresses working from the comforts of their homes.
    They produce about 80 regular bags and 100 tote bags daily.
    Work stopped during the pandemic and they resorted to selling dressed chickens and bed sheets to get by.
    “I have my savings but I cannot spend it all, especially since those were times of uncertainty as to when the pandemic will end,” she said.
    She also has to deal with competitions and copying, especially from former employees who resigned to set up their own business.
    Nonetheless, Datuin always comes up with fresh ideas and offers new products to her customers. 
    “Pinapakita ko naman quality at nag-iba ako ng tela ngayon (I always make sure of the quality of our work and I also try to use other materials),” she said.
    Datuin said she was thankful for the help on her way to stabilizing her business, among them the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions Incorporated (CARD-MRI Inc.), a microfinance company that lent her capital for her business.
    Her borrowing capacity has grown from P4,000 to P300,000.
    “I thank God that I was able to send my children to school and buy properties and start other businesses and help other people in their livelihood as well,” she said. -- PNA