Banaue, Ifugao—Hard work and perseverance pays off. That’s what Xyryle Shane R. Dulnuan, a beneficiary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), learned and wants to share with fellow entrepreneurs and like-minded folks with her business venture journey under the Program.
“Agyamanak unay ti livelihood nga naawat ko ti naimbag nga opisana yu. Salamat ta nariknak t suportayu idi awanan akun. Wen agpaysu nga ‘Ang Bawat Buhay ay Mahalaga sa DSWD’. Awan ti adu nga apan ku ibaga nu di agpasalamat laeng” (“I am very grateful for the livelihood assistance I received from your Office. I truly appreciate how you have met the needs of my business when I had nothing. It’s true, ‘Ang Bawat Buhay ay Mahalaga sa DSWD’. I don’t have much to say but my sincerest gratitude.”), Dulnuan said.
Caught in the middle of the pandemic lockdowns in 2020, her thriving milk tea business shrank and was in the brink of shutting down. Lack of customers and restrictions in the community have rendered her helpless against their family’s living expenses, with little to no income in sight. Although her husband did start a small vegetable garden to help supplement the family’s food supply, bringing some relief in this aspect, it was not to enough to meet all their needs. The garden was more a symbol of resilience than a sustainable solution to the deep financial crisis they were experiencing.
However, in 2021, just as Xyryle was starting to lose confidence with her milk tea enterprise, came a ray of hope from the DSWD when she was introduced to the SLP and subsequently enrolled under the Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG). With the P15,000.00 worth of financial assistance, Dulnuan made the most of the support and decided to rebuild her dream. Looking at the potential, Xyryle was encouraged to pursue trainings from other agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to expand her entrepreneurial knowledge and skills. Until now, she says she is eager to have further and more active involvement in additional trainings and learning opportunities.The trainings proved transformative for Xyryle and helped her develop a resilient business model. She gained valuable insights into how to develop more effective marketing strategies, which helped to better position her products in the market and attract customers. Further, she learned how to strengthen her relationships with suppliers and clients, creating a more reliable base that supported her business.
Over time, as Xyryle’s business experienced significant growth, she made sure to prioritize customer experience. And in order to help draw and keep patronizers, she employed precise and strategic marketing initiatives, such as special offers and promos as well as providing diversified and additional menu items such as coffee, pancit, mami, french fries, snacks, and meals, among others. To maximize this, she makes her online presence felt through photos and posts of her food and drink offerings in social media, even earning word-of-mouth and good reputation beyond her niche in Banaue to other towns near and far.
Having envisioned and created an ideal eating spot for customers in the locality—maximing their three-storey building that they also call their home and having designed the dining area as comfortable a space as can be for regular and new customers—Xyryle hopes to sustain her success with her earnest approach to business and the continued support from the DSWD moving forward.//### Christian Robert M. Sandoval (AOIV, SMU) with reports and photos from Clinton P. Manachao, MPDO, Banaue, Ifugao.
