By Gabriel Bernales
In the bustling streets of Roxas City, Mary Catherine Joy Arce Velardo is carving her own path as a young entrepreneur and community leader at only the age of 23.
Fondly known as “Cath” or “Joy”, business was never a dry concept found in a textbook. It was the rhythm of her childhood. While other children played at home, she was a fixture at Arce Marketing, her maternal family’s trusted hub for appliances and IT.
Instead of seeing the family businesses as a chore, she saw it as a classroom. By age eight, she was already helping at McCoy’s Cyber Shop. She also later helped out at the restaurant Mariscos de Capiz.
Whether she was helping out as a cashier, a waitress, or a general helper, Joy was learning the most important lesson of the Arce family legacy: every person who walks through the door deserves to be served with dignity.
While still in college, Joy continued her various roles helping manage the various family business such as the printing press, the farm, and the Stages Child Learning and Computer Preschool.
In 2025, Joy became one of the recipients of the Youth Entrepreneurship Program – Bootcamp for Young Entrepreneurs (YEP BYE) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in Western Visayas.
Joy’s leadership is not only in businesses, but in the community. From the student councils of her elementary days to her high school years, she has always sought to be “people-centered.” This drive found its ultimate home when she became a Rotarian at just 21 years old. Within a year, her exceptional generosity and service earned her the title of Paul Harris Fellow, one of Rotary International’s most prestigious honors.
Joy is now at the helm of Colegio de San Benito Inc., a training school accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). As the CEO, she is making sure she is providing a lifeline to those with limited financial resources and with an alternative education that ensures livelihood.
“I didn’t just build a business, I built a purpose into it. My heart and passion are fully in it. My vision is not just to inspire, but to witness growth, not for myself, but for the purpose I was called to serve,” Joy says.
Mary Joy Arce Velardois more than an entrepreneur. She is a bridge-builder, carrying the torch of her family’s business legacy into a future where business is the ultimate tool for community empowerment.
