by Franklin P. Gumapon
SIBUTAD, Zamboanga
del Norte - -Several years back his life used to be too difficult – no
permanent job, no decent home and not enough food on the table. In those trying
times, his only source of strength was his family who stuck to him no matter
what.
Antonio M. Daboda,
63, and a resident of Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte obliged the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) with an interview on how he started his chicharon
business.
The interview was
held at the house of his son where some workers were packing chicharon made of
cow and carabao rinds. Provincial team leader Alex Sabal of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Zamboanga del Norte Field Office and
Municipal Social Welfare Officer Gertrudes T. Navaja of Sibutad town were there
to help elicit clear responses from Antonio who is a beneficiary of DSWD’s Self-Employment
Assistance-Kabayan (SEA-K) project.
P4,000 capital seed
fund
Before he started
his own chicharron business, Antonio served as a worker of a chicharon maker
who learned the craft from working in a chicharon factory in Manila. At first,
his employer’s business was doing well until vices got in the way and blew his fortune
away. That left Antonio, who had to feed seven children, jobless.
Out of nothingness,
the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) through its
Self-Employment Assistance-Kabuhayan (SEA-K) program came to Antonio’s rescue.
DSWD found him qualified to avail of its loan assistance, which is payable
within two years.
Initially, the DSWD
granted him P4,000.00 as capital seed fund in 1995 to start a livelihood. Without
an iota of hesitation, Antonio immediately began making chicharon, applying his
knowledge on chicharon making he learned from his former employer. His chicharon
tastes good and sells briskly in the market. Thus, in less than two years,
Antonio was able to fully pay his loan and got some savings as well.
MRD Special Chicharon
Antonio named his
product “MRD Special Chicharon.” MRD stands for the names of his seven
children, consisting of two daughters and five sons, and his family name,
Daboda. All the first names of his two daughters start with letter “M” and his
five sons with letter “R.” They are Mary Ann, Marissa, Rizalino, Renan, Remar,
Reneboy and Regie. And they are all engaged in chicharon business.
Industrious
children
DSWD-Zamboanga del
Norte Provincial Team Leader Alex Sabal could not help but express admiration
for Antonio’s children, saying “they are all level-headed and industrious –
always helping their parents in any way they can. All his children take part in
all the processes in chicharon making up to marketing.”
Decent homes
As the years passed
by, Antonio was able to build a house made of cement and galvanized iron.
Unlike his “all in one” shanty before, his house is now spacious with living
room, bedrooms and kitchen. His married children have their own decent homes,
too.
Antonio and his
married children were also able to acquire residential lots from the proceeds
of their spicy and crunchy chicharon.
Out of town markets
People who have
tasted MRD Special Chicharon would ask for more owing to its appetizing bite;
it is well-prepared with no traces of stench from cow or carabao rinds. “A
hundred bites follow after your first taste of MRD chicharon,” said a regular buyer
interviewed by PIA.
Antonio’s wife,
Walirica, told the PIA that MRD chicharon is now being sold in major grocery
stores not only in the cities of Dipolog of Dapitan but also in the cities of
Oroquieta, Ozamis, Tangub, Iligan, Cagayan de Oro, Dumaguete and Cebu, and in
the municipalities of Molave in Zamboaga del Sur and Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay.
Walirica, who keeps
record of sales, said the MRD chicharon is now earning an average monthly gross
income of P227,000.00.
Delivery vehicles
To facilitate
marketing of chicharon to neighboring towns, cities and provinces, Antonio
decided to buy motor vehicles to deliver his products to his customers. He
first bought a motorcycle. As the demands for his chicharon kept growing, he
also kept adding more motorcycles and finally four-wheel vehicles.
Presently, Antonio
has six motorcycles, a multi-cab and a delivery van which are being used to
transport his products to the different parts of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga
del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte and Misamis
Oritental.
Twist of fate
Antonio’s former employer
who lost his chicharon business to vices had one time become one of his
workers. He, however, did not stay there for long as he decided to again try
his luck somewhere else and no more information about him since then.
For his part,
Antonio vowed to continue seeing his business grow as he could not afford to
lose this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him and his family to taste a
better life that came about through the help of DSWD’s SEA-K program coupled
with sheer hard work, perseverance, frugality and prayers. (FPG/PIA-Zamboanga
del Norte)