The daily life of Raymond Muella of Brgy. 15 San Jose Sitio 7, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte depends on tricycle sidecar making. It provided the daily needs of his family for years until the pandemic heightened.
His enterprise suffered from losing clients because of community lockdowns. To cope with the global outbreak, he maximized the power of technology. He created the @raymond_works YouTube channel and started vlogging. He featured the different types of sidecars, process of making it, and engaged with his subscribers. His channel has now reached more than 11,000 subscribers.
“Noong kasagsagan po ng pandemya ang tanging inaasahan ko lamang noon ay ang pagvlo-vlog, nakasalalay ang aking kinikita sa pag-uupload ng quality content at bilang ng views para ito ay mamonetize. Kada buwan ay sumasahod lamang ako ng PhP 4,280.00, sapat na para sa aming mga gastusin (During the pandemic, I only relied on vlogging, my income depended on uploading quality content and the number of views for it to be monetized. I was only earning PhP4,280.00 every month, just enough to cover our expenses),” shared Raymond.
To recover his business from the pandemic, the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) provided Raymond PhP15,000 worth of Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) in 2022. “Ginamit ko po ang puhunang natanggap sa pagbili ng mga materyales sa paggawa ng dalawang sidecar na nabenta po sa halagang Php29,000.00 na kung saan halos nadoble ang aking puhunan (I used the capital I received from SLP to buy material to make two sidecars which were sold for PhP29,000.00, almost double my capital),” Raymond happily shared.
With the help of the program, he continued vlogging to further promote his products to a wider market and audience, and gain additional income. His sidecars have now reached other provinces in Regions 1 and 2, supplying sidecars for a retail store network of motorcycles. He has also gained additional assets for his business. He bought two additional welding equipment, improved his facilities, and he hires additional manpower within his community for every project he gets.
Maraming salamat sa DSWD FO 1 – SLP para sa tulong pinansyal na muling nagsalba ng aking negosyo. Maraming salamat din sa pag-alalay upang magamit ko nang maayos hanggang sa lumago ito at makatulong sa aking mga kasamahan dito sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay sa kanila ng trabaho (Thank you so much to DSWD FO 1 – SLP for the LAG that saved my business. Thank you for helping me use my grant effectively so that it can expand and benefit my community by creating jobs).”
Because of LAG from DSWD FO 1 – SLP, Raymond can now continue capturing his journey in making sidecars, showcase his skills and talent, and influence other people with the story of his successful business venture. (by: John Chris B. Zureta, Social Marketing Officer, details from: Fernan S. Pumbo, Project Development Officer II, Sustainable Livelihood Program)
