After a traumatic accident at sea, Ryan Ojeda could no longer work on a ship. He returned to the Philippines, where he and his wife, Marian, settled in his hometown of Barangay Poblacion, Quezon in Quezon Province.

At that time, the couple had already built a one-storey home. But they wanted to expand their residence so that Marian could run a sari-sari store on the ground floor. They also planned to put up a rental property on a piece of land they had purchased with their savings.

To raise the capital, Ryan applied for their first loan: a five-year, P720,000 housing loan from Bayanihan Bank - then called the Rural Bank of Atimonan. With the funds, the couple built a second floor at home and a rental unit on their empty land. Their rental was soon occupied, giving them another source of income, on top of their store sales.

Shortly after securing the housing loan, Ryan applied for an SME loan from the bank to expand their store. They increased their product offerings and leveraged wholesale demand, supplying goods like rice and daily essentials to neighboring barangays. Through the SME loan, Ryan also ventured into other income streams – buying and selling livestock, operating fish corrals (baklad), and supplying copra, the dried white meat of coconuts used to produce coconut oil.

Nearly two decades later, the couple is now in their third cycle of microfinance loans. Bayanihan Bank has been a constant companion as they continue to fuel their business, while successfully navigating market shocks and the seasonal nature of their agri-fishery activities.

In managing their finances, Marian takes the lead, ensuring that their monthly loan payments are covered by their rental income and business proceeds. Every day, she sets aside an amount in proportion to their sales, and the discipline has paid off. In Barangay Poblacion, the Ojedas’ store is a well-known institution.

Marian reflects on these blessings with much gratitude. “Ngayon, may nagtitiwala sa amin. Maraming salamat sa Bayanihan Bank at nagkakaroon ng pinaghirapan. Nagkakaroon ng magandang bahay. Dahil sa pinapahiram, nadagdagan ang aming negosyo, nadagdagan ang tindahan ko.” (Now, there are people who trust us. We're so grateful to Bayanihan Bank because we're able to see the fruits of our hard work. We have a good home. And through these loans, our business has grown and my store has expanded.)

Ryan and Marian have indeed come a long way since their first loan with the bank in 2007. And they are far from done, with Ryan now building their latest project - a new rental property in the next barangay. To aspiring entrepreneurs, he won’t claim that it is easy, but he has this to share. “Basta laban lang, sipag, at tiyaga.” (Keep fighting, work hard, and persevere.)