Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s initiative to help sari-sari store owners, which was relaunched as the Sari-saring Pag-asa on August 31, 2021, has already benefited 2,168 sari-sari store owners, including the 100 beneficiaries announced on September 4, 2021.
One of them is Nancy Asi Rosales, who was chosen last August and is now reaping the benefits of having an additional P3,500 for her store and personal needs.
“Simula noong nabigyan nila ako ng dagdag puhunan, nakita ko na may pagbabago. Kung noon, may benta lang ako mahigit dalawang libo, ngayon, nadagdagan na siya kahit papano ng mahigit isang libo,” Rosales said.
(Ever since they gave me the additional capital, I noticed that something changed. Before, my [daily] profits amounted to P2,000, but now, it grew by P1,000.)
Now an empowered sari-sari store owner, Rosales shared her two “diskartips” for other business owners:
- First, use the P3,500 aid as capital to restock the sari-sari store’s inventory.
- Second, limit the customers’ credit or pautang.
“Sa lahat pong nakatanggap ng dagdag puhunan, sana po magamit natin nang maayos. Maidagdag natin ng tama sa ating munting tindahan,” she added.
(To everyone who received the additional capital, I hope that we use it properly. Let us invest it wisely in our small businesses.)
During the August 31 pilot episode of Sari-saring Pag-asa, Cayetano explained that the initiative aims to distribute P3,500 for owners to support their basic needs and replenish stocks in their respective sari-sari stores.
“That’s why we’re giving you P3,500, para yung P1,000 magamit niyo sa mga immediate needs niyo. Then, yung P2,500, magamit ninyo para i-replenish, i-restock ang sari-sari store,” he said.
(That’s why we’re giving you P3,500, so that the P1,000 can be used for your immediate needs. Then, the P2,500, you can use it to replenish and restock your sari-sari stores.)
