Some people believe that starting a business requires a substantial amount of money. But for 29-year-old Geselle Carrollo from Dipolog City, a modest P15,000 was enough to transform her life and uplift others in her community.
In 2017, Geselle left her underpaid and exhausting job as a promoter, using her final salary of P2,000 to launch a banana cue business near a local school. The humble venture grew as she reinvested her earnings to sell ripe bananas alongside her banana cue. However, not all her fruits sold quickly, and the overripe ones began to pile up. Refusing to let her efforts go to waste, Geselle started making fruit salads and palamig (refreshing drinks) to salvage her inventory and generate additional income.
Her resourcefulness eventually allowed her to rent a stall at the public market. However, the challenges didn’t stop there—unsold and overripe fruits were still a problem. Ever the innovator, Geselle purchased a piglet, feeding it with the leftover fruits. The piglet grew and gave birth, enabling her to sell its offspring and reinvest the earnings back into her fruit business.
Thriving Amidst a Pandemic
When the pandemic hit in 2020, forcing her market stall to close, Geselle adapted once more. She sold her fruits on the sidewalks, noticing that many customers preferred street vendors over market stalls. Capitalizing on this insight, she secured a roadside spot to display her goods.
With her savings, Geselle and her husband purchased a motorcycle to travel to a neighboring city for better fruit supplies. However, the new expenses, combined with operational costs and losses, strained their finances.
A Turning Point
In November 2021, Geselle received a Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) worth P15,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Sustainable Livelihood Program. Determined to turn things around, she used the grant to purchase fruits. This time, she managed to sell all her stock before it became overripe. Encouraged by her success, she reinvested her earnings, scaling up her business step by step.
A Thriving Enterprise
What began as a small business funded by the LAG blossomed into a full-fledged enterprise. Geselle and her husband paid off their debts and eventually purchased a truck to transport fruits from suppliers in bulk. No longer limited to nearby cities, they now source their goods from provinces such as Cagayan de Oro and Davao, where wholesale prices allow for greater profitability.
Today, Geselle operates two thriving fruit stands. She continues to repurpose overripe fruits into fruit salads and palamig while feeding the waste to her hogs. With her business thriving, she has provided jobs for relatives and neighbors, empowering them to support their families.
Paying It Forward
Four years after receiving her livelihood grant, Geselle’s family is debt-free and financially stable. Beyond her business success, she has become a beacon of hope in her community. By employing others, purchasing upgraded equipment, and even helping send students to school, Geselle has proven that perseverance, resourcefulness, and a modest capital can lead to extraordinary outcomes.
Her story is not just one of personal success but a testament to how determination and a willingness to adapt can uplift an entire community.