From Struggle to Success: Pampanguena rises above poverty, builds biz

Maryjoy Delara in front of her sari-sari store in San Fernando, Pampanga, which she has built up from a starting capital of P 5,000.

The saying goes that for every ‘hat’ a man wears, a woman wears two. The concept of a “work-life” balance appears to weigh more heavily on a woman as she’s expected to juggle domestic duties with a career. This rings true for Maryjoy Delara, an entrepreneur and a mother, who has been supporting her family since adolescence while still keeping her dreams alive. 

As she tells it, Maryjoy has been in the service of her family her whole life. Starting in the summer of her third year in high school, she has been selling dried fish to support her family in rural Bicol. With school out for two months, she had the idea to do a side hustle; while her mother discouraged her, she was determined to save up for school supplies for her siblings and herself. 

“Nag-isip pa rin ako ng paraan na magka-pera. Naisip ko may P 500 ako, bibili ako ng dilis, ipapatuyo ko tapos ibebenta ko. Nag-click naman yon. Yun yung tuloy tuloy na pinagmulan halagang P 500 hanggang magpasukan na, may pera ako pambili ng gamit. Sabi ko sa mama ko, ito na gamitin mo na pera naipon ko para sa gamit ko and sa mga kapatid ko,” she said. 

This inherent determination and can-do attitude carried Maryjoy through numerous obstacles, including the death of her mother, and compelled her to pursue her dream of being an entrepreneur.  Maryjoy opened a sari-sari store in 2018 in San Fernando, Pampanga with her partner and built up enough business know-how to keep it going – even through the pandemic. 

“Naabutan kami ng pandemic – medyo natigil kami nung 2019 pero di kami sumuko. Patuloy pa rin po, hanggang nakabili kami una ng motor ng 2021 dahil sa sari-sari store na ito.  - buy and sell ng partner ko. Nagsimula ako ng puhunan ng P 5,000. Ngayon napalaki namin to more than P 50,000 may savings pa kami at insurance. Nabibili ko pa gusto ng mga anak ko,” Maryjoy proudly said. 

 

Maryjoy uses her S2S fiber prepaid connection to push sales, not just for her tawilis and tuyo business but also in her partner’s buy-and-sell business

Supporting her small business through the ups and downs is the Converge Surf2Sawa prepaid fiber, the most affordable product of Converge. Surf2Sawa, or S2S, offers quality connectivity for as low as P 50 for one day, up to P 700 for one month usable for 6 gadgets. The prepaid product offers unlimited (no data cap) connectivity, has no contract attached, and is priced at a level within reach of low-income Filipinos. 

S2S has not only helped Maryjoy secure more orders, but helps her manage the connectivity needs of her households, including the e-learning of her two kids.

“Malaki din po ang natipid namin sa S2S. Dati sa data, nakaka-P 2000 kada buwan kasi iilan ang cellphone namin dito. Mas okay nung nagpakabit kami ng S2S, tuloy tuloy na ang online class ng mga bata. Hindi na rin nagloloading, at unlimited pa. Pwedeng pwede na talaga ang P 700,” noted the 32-year old. 

Reflecting on her journey so far as an independent self-sufficient woman who has successfully built a small business, Maryjoy gleaned one pearl of wisdom: your circumstances shouldn’t define you.  

“Hindi ko akalain na maabot ko ang ganito, na dating walang wala din ako. Masaya pakiramdam ko na sa edad kong ito, may naipundar na ako. Hindi talaga hadlang ang kahirapan kung may pangarap ka,” she said.

Converge Empowers Marginalized Communities with Prepaid Broadband and Income Opportunities

Converge hosted a sales agent training for stay-at-home moms in Tondo, Manila, introducing its prepaid fiber broadband brand Surf2Sawa.

Empowering communities beyond connecting high-speed fiber broadband internet, Converge ICT Solutions Inc. continues to open income opportunities for under-resourced families as it conducted a sales agent training session in Tondo, Manila featuring its prepaid fiber broadband solution Surf2Sawa (S2S).

With the support of its S2S partner JK2L2 Inc., Converge trained housewives and moms from Baseco Compound on the know-how of operating as home-based sales agents.

The participants were also shown how to effectively use social media to boost their earning capabilities, as well as some practical tips to protect themselves against online scams, such as phishing.

"This livelihood training allows us to take tangible steps towards fostering sustainable development in communities where opportunities may be limited," said Converge President and Co-Founder Maria Grace Uy.

"We recognize the reality among mothers that they find it hard to look for streams of income because of their duties at home. But with the help of the internet and social media, earning from home is now achievable which we hope we are able to impart through this S2S training session,” she added.

Creating equitable and accessible opportunities for all, the initiative was part of the company's broader sustainability commitment to driving positive impact to the communities it serves.

IN PHOTO: JK2L2 Inc. Sales Support Head Yuan Malinawan

"Unlike typical CSR initiatives that offer one-time relief, we see to it that our approach to community development is always towards addressing challenges in the long-term, in ways that leverage our capabilities as a business. For us, making a difference in the lives of others is what it means to be a responsible business, and we do that particularly for those who have been left behind in terms of economic progress,” said Converge Chief Commercial Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer Benjamin Azada.

He also underscored that aside from offering income prospects to disadvantaged communities, the project also contributes to the company’s pledge of bridging the digital divide as it enhances their penetration into dense urban populations.

S2S employs a community-based business model where retailers and sales agents sell directly to customers within their own neighborhoods.

Moving forward, the newly trained participants, after officially signing up to be S2S partners, will work primarily within their community, aiding Converge to reach more households who might otherwise be underserved.

Recently, Converge joined hands with Caritas Manila to formally launch its Unang Yakap community at Baseco.

The project intends to support underprivileged pregnant and lactating moms with sustainable healthcare and nutritional assistance for the next six months.

Converge Advances in Prepaid Fixed Broadband Since Debut

The Rhien Store in Tondo, Manila was one of the first retailer outlets in the area that took advantage of the surging demand for the prepaid fiber product.

The bold venture into prepaid fixed broadband of Converge ICT Solutions Inc. continues to bear fruit, with its prepaid solution Surf2Sawa (S2S) connecting  115,000 customers since its official launch in March last year.

Advancing its vision to leave no one behind, Converge introduced its pioneering prepaid brand S2S, aiming to extend the capabilities of fiber to the masses, which comprises approximately 9.3 million households.

According to Converge CEO and Co-Founder Dennis Anthony Uy, the rapid uptake in S2S subscribers demonstrates the inherently strong market demand for low-cost broadband services. 

Ann Lozareto, an S2S Agent from Binan, Laguna has been seeing a steady uptick in demand for the product since its launch last year.

“Surf2Sawa has truly been a game-changer for households that previously could not subscribe to a regular postpaid plan because of financial constraints. Offering both affordability and reliability, we are delighted to see how it's bridging the gap for many Filipino households as they engage in their digitalized lifestyle,” said Uy.

With flexible top-up options for as low as P50 for one-day service up to P700 for a 30-day unlimited connectivity, the product has gained popularity among disadvantaged households seeking to upgrade to fiber connectivity from mobile and wireless broadband.

“Hindi s’ya naging mahirap sa amin na ibenta kasi kasi ngayon ka lang makakakita ng internet na prepaid. Walang prepaid na internet; S2S lang ang mayroon no’n na napakagandang bagay sa mga estudyante na naglo-load lang,” said Ann Lazareto, S2S sales agent from Biñan, Laguna. 

["It wasn't difficult for us to sell because it was the first time a prepaid internet was introduced. There was no prepaid internet available before; only S2S had that, which is a good option for students who used to load for mobile data."]

The solution was initially launched to over 400 cities and municipalities nationwide, and has since received a positive response from the customers. In the first quarter of 2023, Surf2Sawa’s subscriber count had nearly doubled even before it had been fully rolled out in the market.

And as the company expanded the reach of Surf2Sawa across the country in the fourth quarter last year, S2S hit its all-time peak in customer acquisition with over 32,000 net subscriber adds, maintaining its consistent traction in South and Central Luzon, as well as the National Capital Region (NCR).

A family in Tondo enjoys the unbeatable speeds and a seamless connection of S2S for their livelihood and entertainment needs.

With capacity for six gadgets and speeds of up to 25 Mbps, S2S can be enjoyed by the whole family at an affordable rate of just P 700 per month.

In the same period, S2S had also made its presence in additional 100 cities and municipalities, making it available in more than 600 cities and municipalities and over 30 provinces in the country as of year end. 

Uy said that they expect S2S to maintain its growth momentum as they penetrate new regions to reach the unserved and underserved segments of the population.

“As we go all out in its delivery to more customers, we anticipate that S2S will maintain its traction given our strengthened presence in more areas, our partnerships with local distributors, and improved efficiency in our installation operations,” Uy added.

As of end-2023, Converge is serving almost 2.13 million residential customers in the country.