(This is a self write-up from the ACE Alumni)
I was born to a very poor family. Accepting the gospel, I left family to serve
an honorable mission and experience comforts in life which I have never tasted
before, things like a foam mattress, a study table, decent meals and an
apartment. Liking those basic amenities,
this led me to dream of the kind of life I wanted to pursue after my missionary
service was done.
Filled with that vision, I went
home with much hope. No sooner to realize that my situation when I came home
was drastically worst compared to that when I left for my mission. Instead of enjoying that regular bed that I
used to have, I found myself sleeping on our dining table every day.
Those dreams I had just suffered
a reality check.
In the year 1983 (right after my
mission), I started my Selling Career for Electrolux Philippines. I was an Aqua
Guard Water Purifier Specialist and did well in this path but still had a hard
time making ends meet. Since I was an undergraduate, my wife and I thought that
finishing college would provide us with better earning opportunities and so I
strived to finish my studies while raising two kids. My bachelors degree was
completed at the age of 37, which by that time I also enable my wife to finish
her studies and so she graduated at the age of 30.
We thought our college degrees
were the solution out of poverty but the scarcity of employment again made us suffer
further economic distress.
In 2001, I learned about the Academy
for Creating Enterprise and immediately took action steps to qualify for their
offered training. The curriculum taught in that 8 week stay-in program brought
a deep conviction and passion in my heart.
The lessons that were discussed from a book called the E-myth were both
sound and provided a road map to which I could initiate my plans to be in
business for myself.
Two years prior to attending the
ACE program and having been a top notch water purifier salesman of then
Electrolux Philippines. (# 2 Nationwide – Recognized at Bulletin Today, March 1988). I started to invent my own
water purifier and filter designs. These
water purification models were sold by me through direct selling. But regretfully, the profits from the sale of
my invented appliance were just a hand to mouth existence.
My training at the Academy helped
me conceptualize a business plan intended to bring into the market my own brand
of water purification system. And after completing my training with the 8th
batch, I went to venture out on my own as an Entrepreneur.
Determined to find funding for my
business plan, I approached government agencies and several private entities
but to no avail. I was simply turned down because I did not have a track record
that my appliance would sell; others needed collateral for a loan, among
others.
Discouraged with my initial
attempt to find funding for my idea, I ended up teaching business classes in a college,
using my BYU-Hawaii certificate credential from ACE and the handbook for my
service ticket which contained the ACE curriculum. Hearing about my unique way
of instruction, I received a verbal commendation from the School President. I
was happy because I was the talk of the school and of the students.
Having the highest evaluation
among college instructor was gratifying and brought self-fulfillment. This
proved to be consolation to my initial attempts to start my own business.
In October of 2005, for some reason my home was demolished. This was a very life-turning event since we had to live under a bamboo tree for two months. Together with our 8 month old baby, my family temporarily sought shelter at the side of a common toilet adjacent to a pig cage. The smell was indescribable. This went on until a kind member of the Church offered a place for us to stay, at least temporarily.
Even at the midst of hardship and crisis of life, all I can say is that I completely fell down and was striving to get up! Determined to fight poverty and calling upon all my courage, I counseled with my family that the only solution we had available to us was to sell my water purification designs ONLINE. This was a tough decision to make since we were boarding for free at a basement, had very meager resources but needed to have Internet Connection in that little home.
With the moral support of my
family, the Priesthood Service of a Bishop’s Counselor (Licinio Awa) and the Fast Offering Assistance from the
church leaders, I launched my business in the midst of these overwhelming
adversities.
Upon working in my business, much
of my time was spent in Internet Marketing Sites like Ebay and other sites, offering
and selling my centralized filtration system as well as posting my ACE-mentored
Business Plan for potential investors.
After several weeks of doing
this, I finally met my first client! It was a big hospital located in Butuan
City (7 hours from where I was located) called The MJ Santos Hospital. My
filtration system and business plan was seen by a foreign investor which paved
the way for the acceptance of my products and services.
In June of 2007, my eldest child collected our first check payment worth 90,000.00 Philippines Pesos (approx. US$ 2,000) from that initial deal. The deal was made in such a way that the client agreed to pay 50% down payment for the parts and services I would give. And the good news was that the 50% given as down payment was more than enough to cover the total project cost and even had a little extra profit attached to it.
In June of 2007, my eldest child collected our first check payment worth 90,000.00 Philippines Pesos (approx. US$ 2,000) from that initial deal. The deal was made in such a way that the client agreed to pay 50% down payment for the parts and services I would give. And the good news was that the 50% given as down payment was more than enough to cover the total project cost and even had a little extra profit attached to it.
The first thing I did with the
profits of that initial deal was grab some groceries for my family. We bought
food for the first time in our lives without worrying that we would run out of
money.
Today, my family and I no longer live under the scale of poverty living. My family has now the basic conveniences of life- a home, a vehicle etc. The business I built (www.bgwaterfilter.com) makes a weekly income that helps me take care of my family’s needs. My Industrial and Household filter is sold to clients all over the Philippines.
My company has also managed to fulfill our social responsibility. My Pag-ibig
sa Tubig Inc. (translated “Love for Water Inc.”), has rendered Donations to the
Rotary Club Of Pagsanjan and to Oro Habitat to provide water access to poor
communities.
