Born with a congenital condition, the mother of four proves that she can raise her four children through her livelihood.
How it started
Lalaine Viodor, 55, residing in Linangkayan, Naawan, Misamis Oriental, is a sixth of the brood with seven children. His father was a fisher folk while her mother sold his father’s catch. Of all her siblings, only one earned a degree and eventually became a teacher.
In 1996, 28-year-old Lalaine bore her firstborn, Joseph Moor. Unfortunately, the child’s father left Lalaine and her child to fend for themselves. Seeing this, she swore to herself that she would raise her child without bothering her parents.
Lalaine wanted to prove to herself that she can do it. “Ako’y naningkamot sir, wala ko nagsalig sa ako ginikanan”
She started to borrow manicure/pedicure equipment in pursuit of starting her humble business. Soon enough, her small-scale business gained momentum and attracted loyal customers. Over time, she slowly invested in equipment and also bought what was lent to her when she started.
At 31 years old, Lalaine met her husband and bore their 2nd child, Jofelyn. Soon enough, her 3rd and 4th children, Daisy and Mary Cindy, added color to her life.
Now in her 50s, Lalaine raised her four children single-handedly. Her husband passed away due to diabetes.
The benefits and challenges of Lalaine
In January 2011, she was one of the 1,086 participants in the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office Orientation and Interview for Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) at the Barangay Hall of Barangay Maputi, Naawan.
As she became one of the 4Ps beneficiaries in the same year, the program granted her Php2,800.00 in November. Since then, the same program has empowered her family every month as her two children still attend school.
In her vivid recollection, the DSWD social worker Sunshine Marquez affirmed that Lalaine’s success could be attributed to her diligence. One would know if this local manicurist is in the area as her customers would line up in the waiting shed.
When this waiting shed was demolished to make room for a house, Lalaine had to cater to her customers at her own home.
Sunshine and her mom remained loyal to Lalaine’s manicure and pedicure services during this time. This humble abode, made of wood and cloth, fueled this solo parent’s drive to give her children a great future.
A few years have passed since Sunshine and Lalaine met. However, in her recent visit, the same house is now made with concrete material, clearly showing how Lalaine takes care of her finances.
There were also challenges that Lalaine overcame.
In her continuous quest to improve her children’s lives, Lalaine sought to become a house helper for a police officer. She saw this as an excellent opportunity to earn, but it demanded she stops her manicure business. Five months later, she quit as she wanted to focus on her small business.
Sustaining her passion
Earning 2,000-3,000 Php per month from her manicure/pedicure business, Lalaine can still send her two children to school. However, with the pandemic, her enterprise was affected as it required face-to-face interactions.
A cousin of Lalaine, William Dandasan, endorsed her to become one of the recipients of the Livelihood Assistance Grant(LAG) under the Sustainable Livelihood Program(SLP) which helps individuals who have businesses that were affected by the pandemic.
As of April 2021, she is one of the 57 referrals receiving 5,000 from LAG. She bought it to buy equipment for her pedicure and their essential needs. Although Lalaine could save the money to buy her materials, she is thankful that the assistance helped her reach her goal earlier.
Now, Lalaine continues with her business to let her two children graduate. The journey will be long, but she believes she can one day make this a reality—a moment where she has raised her children and supported them in their dreams.