SUSANA Grabillo, a resilient entrepreneur from Barangay Basiao, Basey, Samar, proudly showcases her handcrafted bags alongside her husband in their newly constructed concrete home—a testament to their perseverance through life’s challenges.
At 55, Susana continues to weave her dreams into reality with unwavering determination, supported wholeheartedly by her husband. Her journey began early, assisting her parents in Saob Cave where she learned the art of weaving mats while her father fished. This early exposure honed her skills and ignited her entrepreneurial spirit.
From a young age, Susana demonstrated her industrious nature by selling fruits in her barangay to finance her education. Despite their family’s move to Manila in 1979, where they initially sold eggs to make ends meet, Susana pursued her education diligently, completing elementary and high school against all odds. Her ambitions led her to enroll in a vocational sewing course in Pasay in 1994, driven by her desire to achieve greater things for herself and her family.
“My determination in learning sewing was fueled by my dreams,” Susana reflects. After completing her course, she secured a job at a sewing factory in Taguig, later moving to Sucat and eventually settling in Makati, where she specialized in sewing dresses for dolls. It was during this time that she met her husband, then a tricycle driver in Manila. They married in 1996 and decided to build their future together, eventually moving to Pasay before relocating back to Samar in 2001.
With a modest loan of PHP 1,500 from her brother-in-law, Susana ventured into pig farming in 2006, laying the groundwork for their family’s livelihood. However, recognizing the challenges, she pivoted to selling pancakes and ice candy while her husband worked in a handicrafts factory, where he learned the art of weaving by observation.
The turning point came in 2012 when they launched their handicraft business with just PHP 700, crafting slippers and coin purses from tikog grass. Guided by her sewing expertise and her husband’s design skills, their product line expanded to include woven bags, baskets, and mats. Their business was flourishing until disaster struck in 2013 when Typhoon Yolanda devastated their home and wiped out their inventory. Despite this setback, they found solace in the support extended by NGOs and CARD Bank, a microfinance-oriented rural bank that had been backing them since 2011.
“Even before Yolanda, CARD Bank believed in our potential,” Susana recounts. “Their loans enabled us to rebuild and expand our business after the storm.” With resilience and determination, they rebuilt their business from scratch, starting with a humble hut to display their crafts. Their perseverance paid off as they gained traction, securing customers from Manila, Davao, and Cebu, and participating in trade fairs to widen their market reach.
The onset of the pandemic in 2020 posed new challenges, but Susana and her husband persisted, weaving in their small hut until they could finally afford to construct a concrete home in 2022. Grateful for CARD Bank’s unwavering support, Susana acknowledges, “Without their loans, we wouldn’t have sustained our business or grown to supply products to Mga Likha Ni Inay, a member institution of CARD MRI supporting microfinance clients.”
Today, Susana’s beautifully crafted coin purses and laptop bags adorn the shelves of Mga Likha Ni Inay stores, introducing their products to a broader audience. With an existing loan and plans for further expansion, Susana remains steadfast in her commitment to nurturing hope and resilience during uncertain times.
Despite the hurdles encountered along her journey, Susana Grabillo’s unwavering determination and entrepreneurial spirit have transformed her dreams into a thriving venture—a testament to the power of perseverance and the support of community and institutions like CARD Bank. (PR)
By Josephine Ramos, Junior Writer, CARD Publishing
