By Alithea De Jesus
It takes an astute person to turn a litter into something better because in reality, every litter bit hurts.
And for many of us, paper bags are usually taken for granted, thrown in bins for the product it encases is more important after all.
Not for Mar Teresa Siega! The nurse-teacher found them as products on their own feat and eventually used them as her stepping stone to bag the success.
Paper Bags and More – Cebu.
Just like any typical Filipino family breadwinner, a dedication to employment is a way to make both ends meet on a day-to-day basis. Same with then Siega, who was a dedicated working class-woman on a shipping box manufacturing company based in Cebu as a business development officer. Everything was routinely normal until one day she decided to take a look at the process of crafting paper bags. Her versatility in the paper for working over the years inside made it easier for her to figure out the nitty-gritty of the craft. She found a lucrative business potential on it and decided to launch herself into, and this time on her own. Armed only with a light training she earned as an incumbent employee, small capital, and a dose of confidence, she tried her luck on paper bag bulk-supplying arrangements.  Â
Taking a shot at chance, 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 3 sets of 5000 pieces’ order with the said hotel-chain. Together with her first employee, her own husband, they were able to fold, cut, and bring together the company at their own hands literally. From there, she was able to bag supply contracts from other hotels and hospital 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 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.
For the meantime, her company shifted in online platforms, catering bulk orders on demand, like any other businesses nowadays. She was able to purchase equipment such as printers, and adapted to emerging local businesses and local sellers.
So next time you purchase an item, would you mind keeping the paper bag?
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