“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, If a blade of grass springing up in the fileds has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.”
– Elenore Duse

It was a business she started to augment her family’s income. Now, this woman’s entrepreneurial endeavor has grown to become an important component of her community.

Mrs. Emilia D. Fernandez or Emy to her family and friends recognized that the small income that she and her husband were earning as government employees would not be enough to provide their kids with a decent life. She faithfully prayed to have a business.

In 1998, Emy started her business on fossilized flower making. It begun when she participated in a training on Fossilized Flower Making conducted by DTI.

With the laborious procedures entailed in the training, most of the participants opted to quit except for Emy who patiently persevered and finished the training. Fueled with passion to earn additional income for her family and with her earnest desire to help others through this endeavor, she wholeheartedly embraced all the hardships of the training. With full determination she started the business and was able to convince five other women to help her operationalize the business.

In the starting years, her products were not so appealing to buyers so they had a very difficult time capturing the market. Again, she persevered and hurdled the problem with optimisim. She unceasingly prayed for Divine intervention and during those times, God always proved His goodness. “He sent me new friends (workers) to help me continue”.

Emy diligently attended various DTI initiated seminars. With the financial assistance availed, her business expanded which have benefitted many Ifugao students struggling financially.

Through the years, the products of Maddela Flowers and Crafts became a Trademark. With the help of the provincial government of Quirino and her own municipality she was able to participate in foreign trade fairs, 4 times at the CAEXPO, Manila FAME, National and Regional Fairs.

Now, she is not only reaping the fruits of her sacrifices but is giving inspiration to other people who also dream to build their own businesses in the future.

The secret of her success is putting God at the center of everything. She took problems as challenges. Through this business, she was able to send her children and her workers to school. She was able to provide the needs of her working students who could hardly buy their basic necessities. Emy‘s happiness doubles every time she was able to touch other people’s lives and help them to make their lives better.

It was a long, tiring run on a rocky and steep road. It was dangerous and risky. The success of Maddela Flowers for its 17 years of successful operation was made possible through the help of everybody especially the rural women who worked hard for it.

As Emy said, God gave me more than I prayed for through perseverance and faith in God I was able to make a great difference in everybody’s life, as she recognizes that the people are big factors for her success, “we rejoice with the simple things of nature, for it makes our soul alive.”