One More Day with Agnes

A sari-sari store owner and fish vendor.

Agnes Aguayon is one of the recipients of a microenterprise loan from the Negros Women For Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. (NWTF), a microfinance institution (MFI) partner for Revive MFI-Ph project funded by USAID and implemented by RestartME Inc. Under the project, select partner MFIs receive additional financing for business recovery through the Php40-million Covid-19 Loan Fund (C-19 Fund) which they retail to qualified microenterprise clients. 

Agnes runs a sari-sari store in her rural hometown in Igbaras, Iloilo. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, her store used to earn Php2,000-3,000 daily. The amount was enough to purchase the needs of their five-member household, including three children with her husband and another relative who lives with them. 

According to Agnes, she managed to maintain an average level of her earnings during the earlier phase of the pandemic. It helped that she had savings with NWTF which she was able to use at times when her store did not make enough profit. They also received in-kind aid from the government in the form of one sack of rice. 

However, things began to change in 2021 following a second wave of lockdowns imposed by the national and local governments between January and February. During this time, Agnes’ sari-sari store income dropped by 75%, making only roughly Php5,000 per month. 

With the new Php30,000 loan that she received from NWTF through the Revive MFI-Ph Project, Agnes was able to have enough capital to start selling fish and vegetables at the public market. The income will augment her earnings from the sari-sari store especially in the coming months as the country recovers from the pandemic. While the recent lockdowns have affected the market schedule in their area, Agnes is committed to her new business venture. According to her: 

“Mabuti na mas marami kaming pinagkakakitaan sa panahon ngayon. Nakatulong din na mayroon kaming emergency savings mula sa NWTF, at yung loan naman ay nakatulong para makabangon at makapagsimula kaming muli.” 

(It is better to have more than one income stream at times like this (COVID-19 pandemic). Our emergency savings with NWTF is also a big help, while the loan helped us recover and to restart again.)