People have different yardsticks in measuring and defining success, depending on their values. For Ms. Lourdesita Roda, a high school and techvoc graduate, success is achieving one’s greatest dream in life.

Discovering the Dream
Before attending the TESDA Women’s Center (TWC) course on dressmaking, Ms. Roda had already learned how to sew through self-help and experimentation. She practiced this skill to help augment her husband’s income. But at that time her greatest dream was to work in Canada.

Thus, at one point in her life, she considered “buying” a certificate of training in dressmaking from diploma mills in order to start a small tailoring shop in their neighborhood. She also planned to use that bogus certificate when she applied for work abroad, specifically in Canada. According to a friend, the certificate would serve as proof that she knew how to sew or repair a dress, and that she had basic computer knowledge.

However, she considered the possible dire consequences, so she did not proceed with her plan. At that time, she only knew how to get waistline or bust measurements. Should a customer come in to be measured for a uniform, she would not know what other measurements to take, and she would certainly lose clients in the end.

Pursuing the Dream
She learned about TESDA Women’s Center from a newspaper advertisement and from a TWC graduate. With the foremost objective of getting an authentic certificate, she decided to enroll in a computer course at TESDA’s National Institute for Technical, Vocational, and Education Training (NITVET). While at NITVET, she learned about TWC’s pre-employment courses.

At first, her husband—a stay-in contractor at Meralco—was hesitant to let her attend the course because no one would be available to take care of their three children. But Ms. Roda really wanted to learn techniques in sewing and get a certificate so she could work in Canada. She inquired from other schools that offered sewing courses; but those she found charged sky-high fees that she could not afford since she had no permanent job. She worked as a freelance insurance agent, seamstress, vegetable vendor, and manicurist. From these jobs, she did not get a fixed monthly income. On the average, she got P6,000 quarterly from commissions as insurance agent and around P3,000 a month from her other sources of income as seamstress, vegetable vendor, and manicurist.

But she was determined to obtain a certificate. With the support of her husband, she took a six-month course in dressmaking. While studying at TWC, she still tried to sell insurance plans, sew, and do some manicure jobs for her classmates during her free time. As much as possible, she did not want to use her husband’s salary (P7,000) for her training. She used the income she got from her odd jobs to cover her transportation fare.

She also did not neglect her duties as a wife and mother. She woke up early and managed to look after her children’s needs when she was at home. At times, she had no choice but to pay a neighbor to look after her youngest child while she attended the training.

On-the-Job Training
Part of the pre-employment course was a two-month on-the-job training (OJT). Normally, TESDA has partner firms that take trainees into their fold.

But Ms. Roda insisted that she no longer wanted to have her OJT in a factory, since she had already had several years of work experience in such an establishment. She wanted to have her OJT in a boutique so that at least, she would learn how to make gowns or clothes for the high-end market. She even bargained to look for a boutique that would take her in as a trainee. Her perseverance paid off. She was able to find a boutique where she tried her hand at making patterns for gowns and other dresses.

Life after Training at TWC
Right after graduating from TWC, Ms. Roda applied for a loan and was granted P7,500 credit from the Loren Legarda Fund. Eager to use her newly acquired knowledge, she rushed to Divisoria and bought meters and meters of textiles. She then started to work, using her old sewing machine.

Before the training, her confidence level was very low in terms of technical know-how in dressmaking. But since she obtained her TWC certificate, she could proudly say that she was an “expert” sewer. Today she is confident to face any client—whether it is for a school uniform, office uniform, or even a gown. She now knows how to get the right measurements and make patterns.

Once, she even tried to go into supplying school uniforms. But her mentors at TESDA advised her against it since she could not supply in bulk all by herself. She may be a skillful seamstress; but if she gets an assistant who is not well-trained like her, they might not meet the demand and the quality may suffer.

Ms. Roda then started sewing shorts and other garments and sold them at TESDA bazaars. Her income as a seamstress increased by 75% after the training. However, her funds were still not enough to buy a more efficient sewing machine. So when a job opportunity abroad came her way, barely four months after graduating from TWC, she grabbed the chance and worked in Kuwait as a seamstress.

What she really wanted at first was to apply what she learned and put up her own dress shop. But due to lack of resources she decided to remain an overseas Filipino worker (OFW). She was an OFW for three years, earning an average of P12,000 a month. She arrived last February 2004, and a few days after, she began accepting sewing jobs from her former customers as her main source of income.

Scaling Success
From a scale of 1-10, with 10 being very successful, Ms. Roda thinks she is at number 9. Although she was not able to go to Canada, she is able to finance her family’s regular monthly expenses, which average about P3,000. She now supports her family—husband and three children. Her husband’s job as Meralco lineman ended last June 2004.

In terms of technical know-how, she has gained much confidence because of her formal training in sewing.

Only one unfulfilled dream remains to make her score a 10—the eventual establishment of her own boutique or dress shop. She envisions a family-owned dress shop wherein sewers or pattern makers are all family members. Under her tight supervision, she would make sure that their products were all of high quality.

However, she still keeps her options open about working abroad again. She also considers the possibility of staying put in the Philippines and looking after her growing children while engaging in income-generating schemes, using her TWC-enhanced skills.

Success Factors
Money has always been a problem for struggling entrepreneurs. In Ms. Roda’s case, she lacked money to buy certain equipment, such as top-of-theline sewing machines. But despite these limited resources, she was able to use her skills here and abroad.

• A lot of credit goes to her training at TWC, especially the session on entrepreneurship. Ms. Roda is unsure whether she would have gotten the job abroad without it.
• Family support also helped her in achieving what she has accomplished so far.
• Most importantly, credit goes to her strong self-motivation and determination, as well as the immense sacrifices she was willing to undergo in order to succeed. For instance, the distance from Ms. Roda’s house in Cavite to TESDA in Taguig did not discourage her from attending the course. In fact, to save on a few pesos, instead of taking a tricycle, she walked a few kilometers from their house to reach the highway, where she would take a jeepney to Taguig.

Ms. Roda encourages women to enroll at the TWC to learn and use their skills to earn. She is so thankful for the assistance of the TWC and the TWC Alumni Association (TWCAA). Though she worked abroad, they have kept her updated on TWC activities.