A SECOND SERVING OF HOPE: HOW CARD HELPED MELYnda DECANO BUILD AGAIN

When life forced Melynda Decano to start over, she did not have a large capital, a business plan filled with guarantees, or an easy path ahead. What she had was experience, determination, and the courage to begin again.

For Melynda, that new beginning took shape in Nanguma, Mabitac, Laguna, where she opened her own lomihan in 2021. The business was born from an earlier chapter of her life, when she learned to prepare pancit lomi while helping manage her partner's family's restaurant.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, Melynda had already experienced the challenges of earning a living. She left for overseas work at 19 and spent six years as a domestic helper. After returning home, she built a family and became part of the lomihan business. But when her relationship ended, she found herself raising two children and facing the need to rebuild her livelihood on her own.

Rather than remain defined by the setback, Melynda chose to turn what she knew into an opportunity. She opened a small lomihan and refined the recipe she had learned years earlier, giving her business its own identity.

Her first step was modest, but it mattered. That same year, Melynda became a client of CARD, Inc. (A Microfinance NGO) and received an initial loan of PHP 5,000, which she used entirely as capital for her new business.

For Melynda, the amount was small, but it gave her something more valuable: a chance to keep moving. She used the capital to establish the lomihan, serve customers, and gradually build a steady stream of income.

As the business gained customers, Melynda continued to access additional loans from CARD, Inc. She used the financing to expand her menu, adding goto, silog meals, and eventually rice meals. From a small food stall, her business gradually became a more established source of livelihood.

Her growth did not come without competition. Other lomihan businesses eventually opened nearby and pursued the same customers. Melynda chose not to compete through price alone. Instead, she focused on good food and good service.

“Pasarapan na lang ng lomi,” she said, describing her simple strategy: let the taste speak for itself.

Today, Melynda works with two staff members and is preparing to open another lomihan branch in the next barangay. Her business now supports not only her own household but also her children and three grandchildren, whose education she helps fund.

Through her earnings, Melynda has also acquired property and continued saving through CARD, Inc., showing how access to financial services can become part of a long-term journey toward greater financial stability.

For Melynda, responsible money management is as important as preparing good food. She advises aspiring entrepreneurs to be patient, start small, and keep business funds separate from personal expenses.

“It’s okay to start small, but don’t use the business’ money for personal expenses,” she said.

Melynda’s story reflects the role of microfinance in helping people turn limited resources into working capital and, eventually, into opportunities for growth. For her, the support from CARD, Inc. was not a shortcut to success. It was a starting point that she strengthened through persistence, discipline, and daily work.

What began with a PHP 5,000 loan has grown into a business with employees, an expanding menu, another branch in sight, and a family whose future is increasingly supported by its own enterprise.

For Melynda, starting over was never about returning to the life she had before. It was about creating something stronger from what remained.

Her journey is a reminder that resilience does not always arrive with a dramatic breakthrough. Sometimes, it begins with a small loan, a small store, a bowl of lomi, and the decision to try again.