By Josephine M. Ramos
In pursuit of a comfortable life, Jennifer Llanera, from Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, and her husband started a tamarind jam business in 1994. Since this was also her in-laws’ line of business, entering the venture was easier for them.
At first, they sold their products outside school, where students became their first customers. While it was a good start, sales dropped significantly during school vacations. This prompted them to travel to neighboring cities and municipalities to sell their products.
Through her hard work, Jennifer’s business began to thrive. But in 2016, her child passed away due to health complications. The heartbreak was deepened by overwhelming medical expenses.
Income from her business was no longer sufficient to sustain their needs and she worked abroad in 2017 to provide for her family. By 2019, she returned to the Philippines and continued the business she left behind.
The tamarind she uses is sourced from San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. Since tamarind trees only bear fruit during the first half of the year, Jennifer typically purchases around 100-300 kilos during peak season.
There are instances where their funds are insufficient to cover the cost of raw materials, so she would borrow from CARD Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) for additional capital. She became a CARD Inc., client in 2019. Through her loans, she was able to secure enough tamarind to sustain production even during the off-season. At present, she has an active loan of PHP 80,000.00 from the institution.
Shortly after returning home, another unexpected hardship struck her life. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she lost her husband.
As if the pain were not enough, the strict lockdown implementation also prevented them from producing jams. To make ends meet, she planted vegetables and sold them to buy rice and other daily needs. In the years that followed, the African Swine Fever (AFS) outbreak also affected their pigs.
But even in her difficult moments, she chose resilience over struggles, continuing to rise every time life tested her strength.
Today, her perseverance is evident in the steady growth of her business. They are able to produce up to 500 packs of jam daily, reaching 12 cities in Negros.
For now, one of her goals is to invest in a delivery van to speed up the distribution of her products. Currently, they rely on commuting and renting a tricycle to transport orders from Sagay to Bacolod. She also hopes to increase the amount she can borrow from CARD Inc., so that she can purchase larger quantities of tamarind in the future.
Jennifer’s story is just one proof that hard work, combined with dedication and perseverance, can take you far in life.
