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Just one year ago, neither Reynaldo nor Marieta Udal had imagined where they would be today. Reynaldo had lost his job as a security guard when local demands for the service waned in his hometown of Cantilan in Surigao del Sur. Unsure of how he could find a similar job, Reynaldo fell back on a skill he had had his entire life - making fried carabao rinds, a snack known locally as chicharon. He decided to try to expand his part-time business of making chicharon into a full-time business.
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In October 2000, Reynaldo joined a loan program offered by the Rural Bank of Cantilan to microentrepreneurs, initially borrowing 5,000 pesos. Now, one year after their first loan, Reynaldo and Marieta receive requests for more chicharon than they can produce. Because of this, he recently received a second loan of 10,000 pesos and foresees a need for another loan if demand continues to exceed his supply.
Reynaldo supervises the production and delivery of the chicharon, and his wife, Marieta manages the business and purchases the necessary supplies. Now that business is booming, the Udals have put their second loan towards additional supplies and raw materials. Since the Udals began production 14 months ago they have hired five employees to help them keep up with the demand.
Manufacturing and selling chicharon has turned out to be more profitable than Reynaldo’s work as a security guard. The Udals work six to seven days a week as they rush to supply sari-sari stores from Cantilan to Surigao City, more than an hour away by taxi. After expenses, the Udals make two to four times what Reynaldo earned in a day as a security guard.
“We could never have guessed that we would be this successful,” says Reynaldo. “But we never could have gotten to this point without the help of our loans. We see much potential for growth and expansion because we have a good base to start from.”
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