In Photo: Marita Villamor showcases her crispy pata business, which has been running strong for nearly four decades.
Growing up, Marita Villamor from Sampaloc, Manila, dreamed of becoming an office girl and thriving in the corporate world. With this goal in mind, she pursued a secretarial course in college and even enrolled in a typing lesson class—all in hopes of landing her dream job.
But life has different plans for her. After starting a family in 1986, Marita found herself venturing into business. Her godfather, who owned a hog-raising business, offered to supply her with pork, a gesture that led her to start her crispy pata business.
Marita recalls how the support from friends and neighbors ignited the fire within her. Their loyalty has stood the test of time. Even after moving to the province, some of them still visit her store whenever they are in Manila, never leaving without bringing home crispy pata as pasalubong.
Determination built her daily routine. She’d wake up at 5:00 am to get ready, even when tired. For her, there was no room for rest; they had to earn money for a living.
Over time, their hard work began to pay off. Today, the business has expanded with an additional branch and now employs three workers, an achievement that Marita takes great pride in.
Marita received support from CARD, Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) to boost her capital. The largest loan she received from the institution was PHP 200,000.00, which she used as revolving capital.
After nearly four decades in the business, Marita looks back with a sense of fulfillment. Opening another branch is undoubtedly an achievement, but the most meaningful success for her was sending her two children to college.
“Take the risk, even if it’s not your planned path. One day, you’ll thank yourself for having the courage to start,” she concluded, leaving an encouraging message to those held back by fear and doubt. (Josephine Ramos, Junior Writer/CARD MRI)
