The masterpiece of Elizabeth

Passed through generations, embroidery became the past time and livelihood activity of many local residents in Lumban, Laguna, which is the Embroidery Capital of the Philippines.

Among the many local embroiderers in Lumban is the 47-year-old microentrepreneur Elizabeth Agarao. She started to learn hand embroidery when she was in college. Through this skill, she supported herself financially.

“My mother was a laundrywoman and my father was a carpenter. I have four siblings. With our status, I could not ask my parents to shoulder all my school expenses. Because of that, I decided to do hand embroidery as part time job,” shared Elizabeth.

Doing hand embroidery, according to Elizabeth, takes much time and patience; however, “when you master the process, it will always be a fun job to do.”

Years of effort and hard work were compensated when she received her diploma in Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education. She then worked as a substitute teacher in various public and private schools for more than a year. Afterwards, she decided to leave the field of teaching and look for a job in line to her passion and interest.

After some time, she found a secretarial job in an embroidery shop where she met Ariel, who was a delivery staff of a mobile retail store. They became lovers and not too long, they decided to get married. They became happy and thankful especially when they were blessed with two children.

Like other couples, time challenged their love and relationship. They both lost their job. That moment made them realize to put up their own business. Elizabeth told her husband to put up an embroidery shop considering her background and experience and the income this kind of business can generate.

“I was hands-on secretary back then. When my boss is not around, I am tasked to oversee the whole production process, which made me more knowledgeable in running such kind of business,” recalled Elizabeth.

Ariel then vouched his go signal with an initial capital of P5000. They bought few yards of cloths and other needed materials. They designated the tasks. Elizabeth did the embroidery while her husband is in-charge of the laundry and cloth cutting. They just look for sub-contractual sewers who will make the barongs.

“For us to get customers, we walked to different municipal halls, schools, and other companies to introduce and sell our products. It was never easy at first but we sustained the strategies and eventually it reaped positive feedback,” she shared.

Customers continue to flow when Elizabeth’s sibling who is connected to CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) referred their barongs and Filipiniana gowns to the institution. CARD MRI is a group of 21 development institutuions that aims to eradicate poverty in the country by providing various interventions. One of which is business development under the CARD-Business Development Service Foundation Inc., which saw the design and quality of Elizabeth’s crafts.

CARD-BDSFI then encouraged Elizabeth in 2011 to become a client of CARD Bank, the microfinance-oriented rural bank of CARD MRI. “Becoming a member of Mrs. Agarao at CARD Bank will provide her wider opportunities especially financing her business and capacity building,” said Vladimer Sanchez, MLNI Operations Director.

Continued support in terms of business development and marketing is extended by CARD-BDSFI to Elizabeth’s business venture.

Two years after Elizabeth met CARD Bank, she was given the privileges to sell her products in other countries like Laos and Thailand during the Asia Fair Summit where she represented CARD Bank. Privileges never ended there because in February 2014, three months after the summit, she received a request from the Philippine Embassy to join the Women International Group to showcase her products in Laos once again together with the other Asian women entrepreneurs. Then last October 2018, as part of the Great Women Organization, she was selected as one of the embroiderers of the Philippine-made bags designed by the world known designer Christian Louboutin.

“Given all these privileges and extraordinary experiences, I am grateful to God for letting me know CARD,” shared Elizabeth who is currently a client of CARD MRI Rizal Bank, Inc., also a member institution of CARD MRI. Elizabeth was transferred to Rizal Bank because it’s the nearest branch of CARD in their area

Introduce and highly recommended for its quality and affordable products, Elizabeth’s Agarao Barongs and Gowns Embroidery Shop, continuously caters to bulks of orders from various schools and local government offices. More than that, Elizabeth is one of the suppliers of Mga Likha Ni Inay (MLNI) stores, the marketing arm of CARD MRI.

MLNI is the outlet of the microfinance clients of the financial institutions of CARD MRI in promoting locally sourced products. MLNI further supports clients through promotion, marketing, and selling their products.

Elizabeth is glad that many of her customers like and purchase their embroidered masterpieces.