General Santos City — For most of her childhood, Shina Aquino was told she would never amount to anything. She grew up poor, and worse, she carried the weight of prejudice for being a B’laan. But instead of allowing discrimination and hardship to define her, she transformed them into fuel to reach her dreams. Today, she is the proud CEO of Amara Shia Jewelry, one of the country’s thriving jewelry brands, and a self-made multi-millionaire.
Shina was born in Sapu Padidu, Malapatan, Sarangani, to a B’laan mother and Christian father. Life was difficult from the very start. Her father worked hard trading livestock, but it was never enough to escape poverty. By Grade 4, young Shina was already selling plastic bags in the public market of General Santos City so she could help her mother and buy small toys for her younger sibling. She also sold marshmallows in school to add to her allowance.
When her father died of cancer while she was only in Grade 5, her family’s struggles deepened. They fell into debt and could no longer afford her schooling. To survive, she lived with her grandmother and aunt while continuing to study and sell in the market. Despite the exhaustion, Shina pushed on, believing education and hard work were her only way out.
But poverty wasn’t her only battle. As a B’laan, she was ridiculed and judged. People often told her that she would never succeed in life because of her Indigenous roots and poor background. Each word of discrimination stung—but rather than letting it crush her spirit, Shina turned it into motivation.
She worked at a mall under a false identity because she was still a minor, saving every peso for her college dream. Later, she moved to Manila, balancing studies with modeling jobs to survive.
Years of struggle eventually bore fruit. With determination and faith, Shina built Amara Shia Jewelry, which has since grown into a multi-million peso enterprise. Today, she is no longer the little girl mocked for being poor and B’laan, but a symbol of hope and pride for Indigenous Peoples in Mindanao.
“Every hardship I went through made me stronger. Poverty and discrimination pushed me to prove that nothing is impossible,” Shina said.
Her story is a living testament that one’s heritage and circumstances should never limit what can be achieved. From a once-discriminated B’laan market vendor, Shina Aquino has risen to become one of the country’s most inspiring entrepreneurs—shining as brightly as the jewels she now creates.