Liezel Arda believes that grit and perseverance are basic components of her secret to success.

A mother of four (4), from Busay, Cebu City, Liezel shared her struggles to provide for her family’s needs by selling ornamental plants that she gets from suppliers on a consignment basis. She basically started from scratch, with a small income as she is the only one earning to provide for her family.

During the pandemic, no one was allowed to go out, which greatly affected her livelihood. When she learned about the grant for small entrepreneurs who were heavily affected by the pandemic, she was elated, hoping they would soon experience a breath of fresh air. Liezel narrated that since she became a beneficiary, life has been better.

A beneficiary of DSWD’s Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG), implemented by the Sustainable Livelihood Program, Liezel immediately purchased ornamental plants and seedlings with the PHP 10,000 grant she received in 2020.

“Ang gisuguro nako og palit ang mga halinon nga tanom, kay naa naman koy mga suki sa akong mga ornamental plants (I bought the most saleable plants during the pandemic because I already have patrons and buyers of my ornamental plants),” quipped Liezel.

She also added fruits and vegetables to her items.

According to Liezel, she was able to save money and have her house fixed in two years’ time. “The key to saving money is to be wise and always strategize,” she added in dialect.

“Kining pagdisplay nako diri dako kaayo ning tabang sa akong negosyo (This product display is a great help to my business),” declared Liezel. When KADIWA ng Pangulo of President Bongbong Marcos had a product display in Mactan Economic Zone 1 on April 20–22, Liezel joined and brought all her saleable items to the venue. Her sales reached up to 80,000, and her profit was more than 20,000 for the 3-day product display.

“Nakapalit gyud ko og secondhand nga motor sa akong ginansya sa KADIWA ng Pangulo sa MEZ (I bought a secondhand motorbike with my profit from KADIWA ng Pangulo sa MEZ),” Liezel claimed.

Liezel also regularly displays her products at SM City Cebu every Sunday. This is the SM Foundation’s advocacy that helps local entrepreneurs showcase their products.

“Tungod aning mga product display, makatawid gyud ko sa adlaw-adlaw namo nga panginahanglanon, labi na sa baon sa akong anak (Because of these product displays, I was able to provide for our daily needs, especially for my children’s school allowance),” Liezel proudly expressed.

The Sustainable Livelihood Program has proactively provided technical support to its beneficiaries, especially in activities like KADIWA ng Pangulo and other events where the beneficiaries can sell and market to possible plant enthusiasts and patrons.

Liezel is one of the beneficiaries blessed with opportunities and shares her blessings with others as she now provides income to her neighbors, relatives, and her parents. She hired them to assist her during product displays and paid them PHP 500 each for a day’s work.

“Mahatagan man ta og grasya ato usab kini i-share sa uban (When we are blessed, we also share the blessings with others),” conveyed Liezel.

Liezel does not consider herself successful. She strived because she wanted SLP to see that the grant given to her had come a long way.

Liezel’s journey to success could be a motivation to others because, despite her situation, she persisted until she realized her dream. Grit and perseverance, coupled with prayers, indeed, brought her to where she is today. ###

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