Miagao weaver is Outstanding Ilonggo Entrepreneur
Constancia Fagarita-Atijon, proprietress of Connie’s Handwoven Products in Bgy. Indag-an, Miagao, Iloilo, was awarded as one of the Outstanding Ilonggo Entrepreneurs within the testimonial dinner in culmination of the 108th Semana sang Iloilo last April 17. Atijon was cited in the field of wearables and was the first Miagaowanon to be conferred with such honor.
Atijon, from a third generation of a humble weaving family, started the Indag-an Multi-Purpose Cooperative (IPMPC) in 1991. With weaving as its main business, IPMPC likewise embarked into ricemilling, grocery store operation, and micro-financing. In 1995, sensing that she could make it on her own, she relinquished the IPMPC management and started her own enterprise with a seed capital of only P500 and one weaving equipment.
The cooperative, on the other hand, has since abandoned its other businesses and concentrated instead on loom-weaving. IPMPC is now famous in its right and was even awarded as an Outstanding One Town One Product (OTOP) MSME during the Iloilo Provincial OTOP Congress on April 16.
Married to a farm laborer with whom she has four children, Atijon confessed that weaving has become their source of income and has sustained the college education of her children.
The success of her business has brought employment to her neighbors who served as weavers. To date, she has employed ten weavers who earn an average of PhP500 per weaver per week. She has contracted the office uniforms of some government offices like the Miagao municipal employees, Department of the Interior & Local Government and uniforms of elementary and high schools in Miagao and in various towns in Iloilo.
She is also the most sought after weaver of famous Ilonggo designers like Jaki Peñalosa and Angelette Borja-Ragos. In the mid-1990s, she was sent by the Department of Trade & Industry CIDA to Canda for a trade fair and weaving demonstration. She has always been a permanent fixture in provincial, regional, and national trade fairs.
As this developed, Atijon disclosed that her business has posted some PhP267,000.00 net income in 2008.
“I do not intend to stop weaving. Weaving has become my passion and I wish to pass on this business to my children and grandchildren who showed interest too. I wish to thank the LGU for their promotional efforts and some agencies like DTI who honed my skills in weaving,” concluded Atijon.
For orders Atijon may be reached at (033) 513-72-92 or at 0919-393-72-85. (ABM)