She lost four kids and a business selling kinilaw or vinegared raw fish but this didn’t stop Meliza Cortez Posadas from trying to realize her dreams.
Posadas, one of the top 23 women entrepreneurs included in the Search for WINNERs or Women In Need Now Entrepreneurs and Role Models last August, sold food since she was nine years old.
“I used to sell kinilaw here in our neighborhood, which I started with only P300 that I borrowed from a friend, but I got sick and the doctor told me to stop doing activities that will drain my strength like carrying a pail full of kinilaw,” Posadas said.
But Posadas won’t give up because she already had patrons.
She also wanted to help her husband Junard, a welder in Naga City, Cebu.
After resting for a few weeks, Posadas gathered her strength and decided to sell mangoes.
She used up her savings to buy green mangoes that she would sell in a small stall at the corner near her home in Banderas Zone 3, barangay Canduman, Mandaue City.
Her former patrons bought her mangoes regularly, boosting her confidence.
In a day, Posadas earns P500 to P600, which she uses to buy some needs at home.
She also saved her money so she can set up her own store.
Like other WINNERS, she learned how to sell from her mother who used to sell viands in their neighborhood.
“I learned how to make kinilaw from her because she used to sell that as well as lugaw (congee), which is a favorite snack item of our buyers,” she said.
Posadas said her husband supports her dream of having her own store.
“We often would talk about it. We know that anyone can lose their job anytime but when you have your own business, you have the final say on how much you can earn and you are independently earning,” Posadas said.
Posadas also survived four miscarriages to bear her only son, Jon Niño.
“I’m thankful to God for giving him to us because he serves as our greatest motivation to really succeed in our ventures,” she said.
Posadas said she may have to stop selling if her health condition persists but she won’t give up what she already started 23 years ago.
The Women In Need Now Entrepreneurs and Role Models held last August was spearheaded by the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry for their annual month-long Mandaue Business Month celebration.
“I don’t think God will give us trials that we cannot handle, maybe it was also time for me to move on to another business especially that my child is still young and will need my care,” Posadas said.