Resumen

Having lived in a town near the sea, Rogelia M. Ferolino, was familiar with sea treasures that not only come for free but also in artistic fashion outshine expensive diamonds and other jewelries. Rogelia started manufacturing small shell items 13 years ago, when a then established exporter approached her to seek help in producing small shell handicrafts. She worked on her skills together with 2 assistants and produced hundreds of shell items. After that she decided to put up her own business and called it, KLACC Creation and Handicraft which focuses on producing not only sea shell handicraft but also used wooden beads as an alternative material.

Initially, Rogelia sold her products at the local market riding on the wave of tourists that flock Cebu yearly. Nowadays , she does not only sell seashells by the sea shore, she now also exports to the US and Europe.

Relying on her honed experience in manufacturing sea shell pieces, she was able to grow her business to 16 regular employees who are all housed at a vicinity in the manufacturing facility.

As Rogelia is dedicated to helping her community live a better life while manufacturing high quality products from the natural resources that land and seas offers, she qualified for support by Lendahand’s partner, NPFC. She applied for a working capital loan to purchase raw materials during the lean season. This would make her earn more and produce more in preparation of her peak dates.

Today, Rogelia is an example in her community that an ordinary woman, from an ordinary town, with what we perceive as ordinary nature stuff, can accomplish extraordinary feats and uplift not just her own family but other families as well.

N.B. this project has now been split into 2 equal parts; this is the first tranche (A)