Paper bags are usually taken for granted, thrown in bins because, after all, the product they used to hold is more important. However, a nurse-teacher found them as products on their own and eventually used them as her stepping stones to bag the success she’s been dreaming of.
Just like with any family breadwinner, strong dedication toward work is needed to make ends meet on a day-to-day basis. The same goes for then nurse-teacher Mar Teresa Siega, who used to work in a shipping box manufacturing company based in Cebu as a business development officer. Everything was routinely normal until one day she decided to observe the process of crafting paper bags. Her knowledge in paper manufacturing from working in the field over the years made it easier for her to figure out the nitty-gritty of the craft. She found a lucrative business potential in it and decided to launch her own. Equipped only with the light training she earned as incumbent employee, a small capital, and a dose of confidence, she tried her luck on the paper bag bulk-supplying arrangements.
Taking her shot, she offered an unsolicited proposal to supply paper bags to a famous hotel chain in Cebu. With a brush of luck and a dash of determination, she bagged their first three sets of 5,000 piece-order with the said hotel chain. Together with her first employee—her husband—she was able to fold, cut, and bring together the company with their own hands, almost literally. From there, she was able to bag more supply contracts from other hotels and hospitality establishments locally.
Over the years, Mar Teresa has been a common face at the DTI’s Kapatid Mentor-Me Programs (KMME), sharing her own story of success to potential entrepreneurs.
The pandemic has dried up the businesses of hotels and other hospitality sectors and therefore affecting Mar Teresa’s packaging demand, but thanks to DTI’s CARES Loan Program she was able to secure credit just enough to keep her business afloat.
In the meantime, her company shifted to online platforms, catering to bulk orders on demand, like any other businesses nowadays. She was able to purchase equipment such as printers and adapted to the emerging local business trend.
For orders, you may reach them via their Facebook page: Paper Bags and More – Cebu. For more information on local products and produce proudly made from Cebu, visit DTI Cebu Facebook page. ♦
Date of Release: 18 December 2020