Union leader ventures as entrepreneur to create jobs

CAVITE, Philippines- For most of his productive life, 50-year-old Donaldo "Don" De Villa always saw himself as a worker. As an active trade union leader under the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Don relied on his wages in sustaining the needs of his family. However, in 2017, the company where Don worked closed, and he lost his job.

He was at a loss and extremely worried how he will provide for his family, particularly his children's education who were still very young. Jobless in his mid-40s, Don thought it was impossible for him to still land a job.

Believing that what had happened was merely a test to overcome, Don embarked on a small printing business called PXL Enterprise – something he admitted he knew nothing about. Don embraced the change, driven by the belief that challenges are part of God’s greater plans for him.

With such an open-minded spirit, Don eagerly welcomed the FFW's invitation to participate in the ILO Start and Improve Your Business (SIYB) programme. At the training, he learned how to develop a marketing plan which he acknowledges as vital for his business to grow and become known. He also appreciated the training discussions on financial planning which is useful in better business operations and helps him manage finances so that he could support his family.

Don proudly shares that PXL Enterprises is slowly growing, with more customers coming in. “This business is not just helping me provide for my family’s needs. It is also creating employment opportunities for our workers so I want to ensure the business grows and that our workplace remains safe and healthy", Don shares.

Never to forget his trade union roots, Don believes that his small business should exemplify what trade unions have always fought for – decent jobs for all. He shares his hope for more small business owners to seek out training programmes that support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) development particularly those that stress the importance of decent job creation. He shares that if that happens, the country will soon have more responsible employers and business owners.

Don's experience is a testament to the transformative power of dedicated support and training for entrepreneurs, proving that with the right resources, overcoming adversity is not just possible, but can lead to flourishing new opportunities.

The Bringing Back Jobs Safely (BBJS) Project funded by the Government of Japan organized SIYB trainings. SIYB is a management training programme that focuses on creating more and better employment for women and men, particularly in developing economies.

SIYB is composed of a set of inter-related training packages and supporting materials for different levels of business maturity from starting to growing enterprises. It is implemented through a three-tier structure comprising Master Trainers, Trainers, and entrepreneur-level end beneficiaries. This provides a means to assure quality and to reach scale through a multiplier effect and explains why SIYB is one of the world’s largest programmes in this field, with an estimated global outreach of six (6) million trainees and a network of over 17,000 trainers.