Turning mockery into a badge of honor

It was not easy growing up in a hometown where, as a known son of a GRO (guest relations officer), he was always ridiculed by his peers.

But Henry Bayaua, who is now head of his own company, did not allow offending words and below-the-belt jokes deter his destiny.

“It came to a point when I left for Manila just to escape this place and somehow
try my luck there. But then I came rushing back,” said the owner of HENRICO Metal Craft, a business well-known throughout Isabela and nearby provinces for its high quality agricultural equipment.

During his venture in Manila, Bayaua, who was merely a high school graduate, landed in the streets of Caloocan as a barbecue vendor. He went back to Isabela after failing to make ends meet, finding himself as a helper in a metal crafts company.

“After three years, I became a welder. Then I went to another employer to further hone my skills. It was then that I got the steady feel of the industry,” Bayaua said.

In 1998, his big break came. When the club where his mother used to work experienced financial letdown, Bayaua was asked by his tito, the owner of the bar, to restructure and manage it. He readily accepted the task—only, there was a different plan at the back of his mind.

Believing that he has already acquired enough knowledge, skills, and experience in the agricultural metal crafts business, he transformed the bar to what became the meek beginning of HENRICO (named after himself and his half brother, Enrico). He borrowed P90,000 from his tito as his starting capital, and started with two welding machines and two workers.

There were difficulties in the initial stage of his business, Bayaua said, not only in terms of capitalization and production, but also in product promotion and marketing. To respond to these challenges, he doubled his effort, working up to 2 a.m. to accommodate the demands of a growing clientele.

“I even experienced two motorcycle accidents which got me sidelined for a while,”  Bayaua recalled. “But after recuperation, I headed straight to my office to work.”

In 2003, Henry was approached by FICO Bank for its microfinance loan program. With an initial loan of P40,000, Henry was able to purchase new equipment to boost his production.  At present, Henry is on his 9th loan availment with a loan amount of P100,000. The continuous partnership with FICO Bank allowed Henry to open a branch in Libertad, Cagayan.

At present, HENRICO employs 15 regular employees, most of whom are Bayaua’s kumpares (good friends). HENRICO sold at least 30 threshers, 10 kuligligs, and 10 trailers in 2006.

As a former worker who, before reaching the top, experienced many a struggle, he serves as an inspiration to his staff. He claims that he is not involved in any activities outside his business as he allocates 100 percent of his time to ensure that his enterprise is run smoothly and efficiently.

For his inspiring entrepreneurial story, Bayaua will be conferred the Maunlad Award (National Category) in this year’s Citi Microentrepreneur of the Year (MOTY) Awards, slated on Nov. 13 at the BSP Galleria, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, by Citi Country Head Sanjiv Vohra, BSP Governor Amando Tetangco and Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III. The Maunlad Award is given to microentrepreneurs that have grown a business to a level that is now generating employment for people apart from household or family members.

In partnership with the Microfinance Council of the Philippines and the Go Negosyo advocacy of the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship, the 2007 MOTY Awards is a project of Citigroup Inc., one of the world’s largest financial services organizations. The program’s pilot run was conducted in 2002, during the celebration of Citi’s centennial year in the Philippines. The awards aim to elevate awareness of and provide support for microfinance by recognizing outstanding microentrepreneurs.