Jamilla Pasilaban

One Day at a Time, One Dream to Last a Lifetime

Jamilla Pasilaban or Aling Jam to her friends and neighbors is a visionary woman who practiced this philosophy – “Dreams do come true when you work for it.” Born on December 13, 1977 at Barangay Bato, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, Aling Jam valued all the good and bad things in her life. For her, each step was a memory and a lesson to be shared.

Aling Jam is married to Jonathan, a driver of a small drug store in Hinigaran. Together with their two children, a normal daily routine would involve Jonathan delivering medicines to other towns while Aling Jam stays home to take care of their small sari-sari store that she started with a very small capital that she saved up from the income of her husband. Days went on, her family’s needs were continuously increasing and Aling Jam realized that the income from her husband’s salary and the sari-sari store would not suffice to cover their family expenses. They had limited capital to expand their store and had no other means to increase it due to unavailability of funds.

In 2004, opportunity knocked at the doorstep of Aling Jam where microfinance representative from Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. was conducting a marketing plan, who just happened to pass by their house while promoting the services and benefits of Project Dungganon.

“I was so happy and excited; I strongly felt this will lead to the fulfillment of my dream,” Aling Jam said.

So together with her friends and neighbors, they formed a group of five women, sharing the same dream of having a start-up capital to open or expand their own business.

Her 1st cycle loan of P5,000 was used in peddling dry goods and rice retail. The whole experience proved to be quite difficult while being drenched in the heat of the sun, walking through dust and rocky roads, and facing bad loans that became hindrances to her business. Her husband, who witnessed her situation, asked her to stop doing the business but with ruthless determination she was able to pay the whole loan only after 3 months. In her 2nd loan of P6,000, she used the amount for the expansion of her small sari-sari sotre.

She bought the rights to a piece of land in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City where she put up another sari-sari store. She set up the store as an additional income for their household bills that were slowly piling up. Her next loan of P10,000 was used as a beginning capital to put up a small canteen in a school within their locality. With painstaking time and effort, Aling Jam worked out a schedule that would make it possible for her to attend to her two stores and canteen. Although it became strenuous at times, it did not hinder Aling Jam’s plans and passion to continue building her business.

Needing a means of transportation for herself, her 4th cycle loan of P14,500, was used as down payment to a motorcycle. It was also at this time that she was able to lease a parcel of rice field. With good repayment, her loan increased to a higher amount that she used to expand her sari-sari store and got into buying domestic animals like carabaos, cows and goats that eventually grew and multiplied in number.

Realizing the need to deliver her new products to give better service and a fast turnaround time, she purchased a Suzuki multicab and a motorcycle to hasten the movement of the goods from one place to another. Believing in making her dreams happen, Aling Jam continues to expand her sari-sari store business, expand the lease of her rice field and has now invested in buying standing canes.

However, for Aling Jam, there were no limitations. She entered into a new enterprise of becoming a wholesaler for soft drinks and beer to supply around her community and for other nearby barangays. She also applied for pig fattening and eventually bought a truck worth P320,000 that was used for hauling of the sugarcane. The truck operates in good condition and generates a weekly income of P5,000 to P10,000. In addition, she went on to salted peanuts which rapidly expanded in a month’s time to other coatings like coated, bandy and hot & spicy peanuts starting only with one ganta to sell until it has reached thirty gantas in the market.

After all the challenges, hardships and what may seem to be a gamble in doing business, she continues to strive for her dreams. With an excellent record of repayment and a supportive husband, Aling Jam’s business has gone further with the employment of fifteen people who help till the eight hectares of sugarcane and rice plantation that she is currently leasing.

With both her children being in elementary and striving hard to have good grades, Aling Jam works even harder so she can afford to put them through college. She hopes that if she can expand and stabilize the business, they too, would manage it someday without starting from scratch and going through all the obstacles that she encountered.

“Just keep on believing, work on it and your dream will come true. Discipline and hard work are also the secrets of a dreamer,” she said.

Knowing how Aling Jam has been through the years, she hasn’t stopped yearning for something that may bring her amazing experience. Her ultimate dream for herself is to have a beautiful house that she can enjoy with her family. She is also hoping that she can get a franchise of a round-trip passenger jeepney in her area as an added income to her growing businesses. Since she has her own rice field, she wants to purchase a rice miller to her present acquisition and become a distributor of fertilizers. With every project, as it turns from one to the next, Aling Jam will surely add on to her list of plans in the coming years. And as long as she can, she will never stop adding on to that list.

These dreams, coupled by her hard work and family support, will surely find its way into the hands and hearts of the Pasilaban family. Taking one day at a time with one dream that will last a lifetime; Aling Jam is one woman with the right heart and passion for family and business.