Leonida Macasiano

Leonida Macasiano lives in the village of Sitio, Cagay, Brgy. Su-ay, in the City of Himamaylan Negros Occidental. She is 47 years old and married to Rodolfo Macasiano, a Provincial Government employee. They have 12 children - the oldest is 27 years old and the youngest is only three. Most of their children are still in school. Even with such a big family to feed and raise, Leonida is contented with her life, determined to take care of her children and prepare them to face life once they're all grown up. She is indefatigable in her role as mother and wife.

To help her husband increase their income and set aside some money for their future security, Leonida set up a general store. When she started, she only had a little capital so she just carried the most basic household commodities that were in demand in her neighborhood. She decided not to sell food or candies in her store because she knew that her children would not be able to resist eating them, diminishing their income. For several years, she continued to just rollover her capital, earning a very small income. While it helped with their family expenses, her store was not expanding. She joined NWTF-Project Dungganon in 1995 to gain access to additional income so that she could finally expand her business.

As her income continued to improve, she was able to pay off her loans on time and maintain a good credit record with NWTF-Project Dungganon. Later, Leonida invested in a backyard hog-fattening project, which allowed her to involve her children in an income-generating activity by letting them take care of the pigs as part of their daily chores. She has been operating her general store for 19 years now and she testifies that her continuing success is because she is dedicated, works hard, perseveres and is disciplined in her pursuit. This has improved the quality of life of her family. She presently earns PHP 6,000 average monthly profit from her business and it helps to pay for the family expenses, allows her to afford sending her children to school, and contributes to making their life more comfortable than before.

Her previous loan of PHP 18,000 was used to add to her working capital. She paid all of her weekly installments on time and the loan was paid in full within its loan term. Now she is borrowing PHP 15,000 for her 16th loan cycle, again to invest in the expansion of her product offerings in her general store. She intends to use the income from this loan to do some house repair, pay for the tuition of her children and provide them with their daily allowance.


About NWTF:
In a world full of challenges, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. has answered the calling of not just a few but thousands of women. Through the alleviation program, these women have progressed from earning less than a measly $1 a day, to surpassing the realities beyond their dreams. They have learned to live a life where they can finally be called honorable. This is Project Dungganon.

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