Being a stay-at-home mom may look easy to some people. After all, nasa bahay ka lang, nag-aalaga ng mga anak mo, naglilinis paminsan-minsan. For many, it is the standard of easy living.
But the truth is, not everybody can actually afford to just stay at home. Not with bills and tuition fees to be paid. Not with the rising cost of living. Gustuhin man ng marami sa atin, hindi siya practical.
For many women like Dolly Pelle of Noveleta, Cavite, taking time off from work to be a full-time, stay-at-home mom is a sacrificial act. Wanting to start a family of her own, Dolly put her rising career on hold and settled into home life. She took to raising her two kids at home and let her husband be the sole provider for the family.
“Actually ok yung work ko before. Nag-work ako as customer service sa isang BPO sa Ortigas,” she explains. “Kelangan ko lang talaga umalis at mag-resign dahil sa baby ko.”
Despite her exceptional work record and young age, hindi nagmadali si Dolly na bumalik sa pagtatrabaho kahit kasama niya ang mga magulang niya sa bahay. Karamihan ng mga young parents, ibibilin ang kanilang anak sa mga magulang para magtrabaho agad. Hindi naman masama iyon lalo kung kailangang kumita talaga. But the downside is, you miss time with your children.
For Dolly, however, it was an easy choice. “Mas madaling kumita kesa magpalaki ng anak,” she says, smiling.
Making ends meet
The challenge for most homebound mothers is making enough to pay off the bills and meet the family’s needs. Like any stay-at-home mom, Dolly struggled. “Oo at nag-e-enjoy ako sa anak ko, pero siyempre kelangan kumita. Saan ka kukuha ng pambili ng diaper, or ng gatas, or gamit niya?” she says.
With her parents’ help, Dolly managed to open a small sari-sari store at their family home in Noveleta, which was in front of a public elementary school. Business was brisk, due to the high volume of children passing by her store every day. Naging sapat naman ang kita ng tindahan para madagdagan ang kinikita ng asawa ni Dolly sa kanyang office job.
Pero dahil kultura ng mga Pilipino ang gumaya, nagtayuan din ng mga tindahan ang mga kalapit-bahay. What was once a monopoly turned into a competitive free-for-all. Dolly was forced to rethink her strategy. “Lumalaki ang mga bata, tapos yung panganay ko nag-aaral na, so kelangan naming dagdagan ang kita,” she says.
Instant payment center
“Matagal ko nang gustong magtayo ng payment center, kaso lang sobrang mahal,” paliwanag ni Dolly. “Nag-research ako at nakita ko nga itong POSIBLE. At first, hindi ako makapaniwala, kase sobrang mura niya para sa payment franchise. So nag-request ako ng demo, at nung nakita ko na legit siya, bumili agad ako.”
For Dolly, it was like having her dream payment center instantly. “Ang pinakamalapit na bayaran ng bills dito, sa bayan pa, mga two to three kilometers. Pero kasi magta-tricycle ka pa, gagastos ka ng 30 to 40 pesos round trip, at pipila ka pa doon so mauubos ang oras mo. Dito sa POSIBLE, pupunta ka lang dito sa tindahan, time-saver siya talaga,” she explains.
With help from her ever-supportive parents, kumalat agad ang balita sa barangay na may POSIBLE sa tindahan ni Dolly na pwedeng mag-process ng bills. “Unforgettable sa akin nung first time na dumagsa yung mga customer,” kwento niya sa amin. “Nakapila sila diyan sa harap ng tindahan, nagbabayad ng MERALCO or nagpapadala ng pera. Medyo inaaral ko pa yung Device that time pero mabilis naman na-process payment nila at di naman sila nainip o nainis,” she adds, laughing.
Not surprisingly, POSIBLE gave Dolly’s store the edge it needed over her other competitors. “Kahit maraming tindahan dito sa street namin, dahil nga dito nagbabayad yung mga tao, dito na rin sila bumibili,” Dolly says.
Inspiration for stay-at-home moms
Currently, life has been better for Dolly and her family. “Nakaluwag-luwag na rin kami, sa kita ng tindahan and itong POSIBLE,” she says. Dolly now enlists her niece to look after the store’s day-to-day operations while she takes care of her kids, full-time. Mas maraming oras na rin kasi ang kelangan lalo ngayon at nag-aaral na ang kanyang panganay. “Wala naman kaming yaya, kaya ako na rin nag-aasikaso sa kanya, pati tumutulong sa homework niya,” she adds.
Dolly has some inspirational words for stay-at-home moms like her. “Hangga’t kaya niyo, mag-business kayo, mag-research kung anong negosyo ang pwede niyong gawin. ‘Wag ma-discourage o manghihina ang loob kapag nag-fail. Parte ng buhay iyan, ang mahalaga magsikap ka,” she says.
Given the chance to start over, will she trade her current life as a housewife for a promising career?
Dolly simply smiles. “Obvious naman ang sagot, di ba,” she says.
To learn how you can have a productive career while being a stay-at-home mom, you can check here. To learn how to start your own POSIBLE Business, click here.
Images courtesy of and property of Action.Able Inc.
