A Profile of Success: Maria Raquel B. Torralba

“In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity”.

– Albert Einstein

As  we  all  know  now, the pandemic caused nationwide lockdowns that started in September 2020. The spike of covid cases caused many businesses to close and schools to suspend classes, and practically the entire economy was put on hold. This is not to mention the innumerable social costs and the emotional toll this pandemic has brought to our people.

This unprecedented crisis has been a bane to many of us, but this has also proved to be an opportunity for the few who are strong of heart and spirit to achieve what they aspire for. MARIA RAQUEL B. TORRALBA is one of those who sought and found opportunity in the midst of this crisis.

An aspiring entrepreneur, Raquel started her small business endeavor selling eggs in her neighborhood which she sourced from, initially, a poultry farm in Bulacan and later in Batangas, from a poultry farm of a friend from way back when she was a cashier at the LBP-Sucat Branch. While building patronage for her egg business, she, little by little, was stuffing her mini- store with various items needed by her neighbors, with much help from the CBMPC where she and her husband, Benjamin are members since 2019.

Raquel retired at Landbank in 2016 after 21 years of service and for a time, enjoyed a stress-free life with Benjamin and their three grown-up sons. She and Benjamin availed of a dream loan from the coop of P150,000 to pay real estate tax and capital gains tax on the property they purchased in 2019. In August 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, they renewed their loan of P150,000 to purchase eggs in volume to start their egg business, and used a portion of their residence to stock the eggs. Selling eggs during the pandemic has proved to be a profitable business, selling about 500 trays in 2 to 3 days.  The profit per tray is not much but their sales volume makes up for the slim margin they’re making per tray.  Fired up to venture further in consumer trading, they renewed her loan again in August 2021 as additional capital to start their consumer goods retailing.

The same friend whom she was buying eggs from offered her a store space in a building that this friend owned which Raquel found very convenient because it is only five minute-drive from her residence. And in the kind of business that location, location and location are what matter most, this is very ideal since it is located just at the entrance of a public market.

She has since added rice, sugar, coffee and other consumer goods like shampoo and conditioner. One of their best sellers are dog and cat foods because pet owners realize that feeding their pets with store- bought feeds is more economical than feeding them with table food. The then modest sari-sari store has now become a mini-grocery. Raquel’s store is also selling rabbit and rabbit meat. She swears rabbit meat does taste the same as chicken meat. How did Raquel resort to selling rabbit? Benjamin is a certified rabbiteer and is a member of the Cavite Rabbiteers’ Association, who learned that rabbit meat can be eaten and as delicious as chicken meat.

Soon, Raquel may purchase a photo copier because her store is also very near a school where students are sure to flock her store now that face-face-classes are open. Talk about exploiting the business prime location to the hilt. And she will not hesitate to come to the coop again for some help in the same way that it has helped her many times in the past.