She takes orders on weekdays, delivers meat on Sundays

When she was 13, Lowela Bolongan Arcenal, dreamed of having a better life than what she had in her hometown in Lanao del Norte.

Arcenal, who now lives in barangay Casuntingan, Mandaue City, is on her way to make that dream a reality by setting up a meatshop business in her neighborhood.

She came to Cebu in 1999 where she landed a job doing tinting in a furniture company earning at least P130 daily.

She got married to an electronics technician in 2004 and had two children.

With their combined income, the couple still found it difficult to make ends meet. In 2010, Arcenal had to quit her job to take care of their children.

The next year, Arcenal decided to start a small business selling mango float and bahalina (coconut wine) to augment the family’s meager income.

“I ordered the bahalina from Argao, Cebu and sold it in our neighborhood in Casuntingan, Mandaue City,” said Arcenal.

Her inital capital was P300.

“I saved P8,000 from the small business, which I used to buy a pig to start a meatshop,” said Arcenal.

Arcenal named her meatshop after her two children, her inspiration for the business, and opened Ynawen and CJ’s Meatshop in November 2011.

To ensure that the pork meat would be sold, Arcenal didn’t wait for customers to come to her.

She went to neighbors and offices in the area to get orders.

“I only sell meat every Sunday. On other days I go around getting orders,” she said.

From a single pig, Arcenal now butchers two to three swine every Sunday to meet the higher volume of pork meat orders.

For a single pig of at least 75 kilos, Arcenal earns a gross income of at least P14,000 leaving her a profit margin of at least P4,000.

The enterprise enabled the couple to provide for the basic needs of the family and send their children and some relatives to school.

“I am now helping send two of my siblings as well as my niece to school as my way of giving back for the blessings I got,” said Arcenal.

She said she planned to open more meatshops in other areas like the Mandaue public market soon.

“I believe that we all have opportunities that come our way. It’s all about how you grab these opportunities,” she said.

Arcenal was one of 20 women entrepreneur-finalists in Mandaue City’s Search for WINNERS or Women In Need Now Entrepreneurs Season 2.

The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized the event as part of the Mandaue Business Month celebration held in August.