Every overseas Filipino worker has a story to tell, whether it’s about their struggle or success abroad. Luckily for former OFW Jun Medrano, he has a story that is inspiring to say the least.
In an interview with Entrepreneur Philippines, Medrano, who hailed from La Paz, Tarlac, said that life circumstances led him to seek greener pastures.
He was not able to finish his studies as he had to look for a paying job after graduating from high school.
Left with no other choice, he moved to Angeles, Pampanga with his uncles wherein he was able to find a job as a machinist. In 1987, the same job landed him in Baguio City where he also met his wife, Gloria.
Just like other Filipinos aspiring to achieve greater things in life, Medrano tried his luck as an OFW in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1992. For two years, he worked as a machinist until he decided to come back to the Philippines for good. The married couple decided to settle and build a new life in Baguio City—where his successful business now stands.
With a capital of P30,000, they bought ten sacks of rice to sell at the city public market. They rented a small stall owned by Gloria’s mother, which eventually expanded into two in 1995 after they began selling eggs as well.
“Nandoon talaga kami sa mga puwesto namin, mula 6 a.m. hanggang 8 p.m., seven days a week. Araw-araw, walang pahinga. Tulungan kami ni misis,” shares Medrano.
After a few years, what used to be their small ‘bigasan’ and egg stall in the public market transcended into a larger type of business. The couple became members of the Baguio Market Plaza Multi-Purpose Cooperative and were granted loans to help sustain their rice and egg business.
Through their business, the couple was able to save up as much as P2.7 million. And in 2003, the couple looked into buying a house and lot in Baguio as their future home as a family. However, a friend gave them an advice of putting up an apartelle instead, given the huge sums of money they have.
Upon starting the business, Medrano opened a bank account and applied for a loan. To the couple’s surprise, the bank granted them a loan for P7 million, which they invested to build the Medrano’s Apartelle.
In 2004, the apartelle opened with 29 bedrooms (ranging from 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom) that can house about 80 to 100 guests. All rooms are furnished with a common dining area, a kitchen, refrigerator, and cabled TV. When they first opened, it was only the couple and some family friends that were running the business. Now, the couple has more than ten employees working with them.
Despite his success, Medrano never forgets to look back and remember where his journey began. As a way to remember his first profession, which is being a machinist, he decided to invest a half a million pesos in a machine shop in Tarlac back in 2009 which was managed by his brother.
When asked what he has learned after all those years of being an entrepreneur, he simply said, “Importante talaga ang sipag at tiyaga, at disiplina.”
Photo credits: Entrepreneur Philippines
