The Best Place to Achieve Goals

Posted on August 1, 2022

Merlita found herself at the best place to pursue her goal.

Merlita K. Gille’s story speaks of moving from one place to another in search of a better tomorrow.

Merlita has always longed to leave her hometown in Southern Leyte due to the hardships of life. She wanted to change her family’s situation, so she worked hard in school. Because of her eagerness, she went to Manila and worked as a housemaid as a working student for 2 years. But when she got married, she decided to move to Antipolo City in Rizal province to find a better job. This time, she and her husband found difficulty finding work and access to water, so they considered moving again in order to meet their needs.

They then considered moving to Caloocan City. Merlita worked as a cook. Her earnings were not capable of sustaining her family so her husband also worked as a construction worker in Olongapo City. Being away from her husband also posed challenges for her. Despite their best efforts, it has not been sufficient to lift their family out of poverty.

They found hope when her cousin encouraged them to apply as caretakers in a resort in Calamba City, Laguna. Since then, their family found a permanent home in the city.

However, as their family is growing, their needs also grew. Apart from their jobs, they also wanted to start a small business to generate additional income for their family. Many people pushed her to join CARD SME Bank, a thrift bank that offers financial and non-financial services such as access to micro and SME loans, savings, microinsurance, business development services, and other community development services to assist its clients develop. She was enticed with the benefits it may provide one of its clients. Now, she has been a client of the institution for 13 years.

Since becoming a client of the institution, her family’s living conditions began to improve. The guests who visit the resort they work in purchase food and their other needs in her sari-sari store Because of that, Merlita was able to purchase a land in Lawa, Calamba, Laguna where they intend to build their family’s home. She was also able to purchase a motorcycle for her husband in order to boost their family’s income. Merlita’s family flourished until the COVID-19 pandemic came.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on their business especially that it is highly reliant to the influx of tourists. According to her, it reduced her sales to less than half of what they earned before.

Due to the pandemic’s mobility restrictions, most people learned to value digital financial transactions. CARD SME Bank introduced her to konek2CARD, a mobile application that allows the clients of CARD SME Bank to enjoy a hassle-free banking transaction anytime, anywhere using their smartphones. She eventually became an agent.

Transacting through konek2card became popular among clients in her area. The number of CARD SME Bank clients transacting through her has grown, which has greatly helped and increased their family’s income. She claims to be serving 12 centers with over 300 clients. As a result, her social relationships and friends grew. She helped more people, not just her family but also her co-clients.

Merlita’s story has proven that there is no right or wrong place to pursue your dreams. Because if we know how to find our way out of the rocky road and onto the path of achievement, it all becomes right. The CARD, she said, brought light in the midst of the passing darkness and paved the way for providing the right direction for success.