A blessing from above

From a small house and meager source of income, Amie Salangsang, 38 years old from Magnetic Hill, Brgy. Timugan, Los Baños, Laguna, never thought that one day she’ll own a big, furnished house and a viable businesses.

“I was once a factory worker and my husband was a tricycle driver. Knowing our financial capacity, we never thought that we’re able to build this house and eventually run our own sari-sari store, junk shop, and scrap trading businesses,” said Amie while reminiscing what they have experienced in the past.

“When I got pregnant with my first baby, I decided to resign from my job. Then my cousin encouraged me to run a junk shop and scrap trading business to at least earn income while at home.” said Amie.

“Thanks to my husband’s daily income, the sales I generated from our small sari-sari store, and the PHP500 I borrowed from the 5-6 lending, I was able to start up a junk shop and scrap trading business,” added Amie.

Amie shared that it’s really hard to manage a business especially when the capital is coming from someone else’s pocket with usurious interest rate. “My earnings per day are just enough in paying my 5-6 lending,” she said adding that she is still looking forward for a better tomorrow for her family. Until one day, her prayers somehow were answered.

“In 2007, a family relative introduced CARD Bank to me. I was thankful because I was granted to borrow PHP5000 with a very low interest rate. I used it as an additional capital to my business. Eventually, I was able to manage well our cash flow,” she said.

Amie stopped borrowing money from 5-6 lenders and was able to save little by little. “Meeting CARD Bank was the start of making our dreams come true,” shared Amie. Today, Amie is already 11 years member of the bank.

CARD Bank is a microfinance-oriented rural bank that empowers socio-economically challenged families in the country by giving them access to financial and community-based development services.

“Living in the house you dreamed of is one of the happiest moments our family experiences every day,” Amie gladly shared. To Amie, what she have today is a blessing from above, which she is very thankful of.