MANILA, Philippines - It doesn't take a rocket scientist to make soap. But it does take a lot of determination to earn millions from it.
Meet Nora Salvane, a chemical engineer who turned P500 worth of coconut oil, papaya extracts, lye and a baking pan into a business that earns P25 million a month.
"Noong 1994, we were hard up financially kaya I prayed to God na bigyan kami ng negosyo," Salvane said.
On ABS-CBN's "My Puhunan," Salvane shared how an unlikely visit from a skin care product salesman inspired her to make her own brand of papaya soap.
"It was God's answer to my prayer that he sent somebody to my office and asked kung interested ba ako sa mga skin care products. Being a chemical engineer by profession, ito na yung sagot sa prayer ko na makapag-practice ako ng profession ko," she said.
It was in her own kitchen, with a baking pan and a determination to help her husband, whose own business was on the verge of bankruptcy, that drove her to slave through the process of making an initial batch of 201 bars of papaya soap.
"I am a fan of baking cake para sa pamilya ko. Anong ginawa ko? Doon ako gumawa ng sabon sa baking pan," Salvane said.
And from then on, making around P1,800 a day through direct selling, that Salvane's company, GT Cosmetics, started to skyrocket her family out of poverty.
Today, GT Cosmetics, who also produce sunblock, whitening creams and various other products, earns P25 million a month, shipping 500 to 1000 boxes of products daily.
"Mga Filipino kasi gusto pumuti," Salvane quipped.
However, Salvane remained humble.
"We acknowledge that it is all from God," she said.
Salvane is currently working on building an elementary school in Liloan, Cebu, investing around P21 million for the project.
"Binabalik namin kung ano yung mayroon kami. We shared to the people working with us, we shared it to the less fortunate. We are planning to open the school next year," she said.
Helping struggling family
And Salvane's generosity would again take spotlight in My Puhunan's segment where they have a self-made millionaire meet a family struggling to jump above the poverty line.
Davila took the family of Jean and Joel Divinagracia, who also sells papaya soap to help appease their everyday needs, to meet Salvane in one of her factories in Cebu.
"Pag wala po siyang trabaho, talagang naglalakad siya, umaalis para lang may kita," said Jean Divinagracia about her husband.
It was like a dream come true for the couple who avidly turns to the weekly ABS-CBN program for inspiration.
"Tuwang-tuwa po kami kasi nakikita namin na ganoon pala, mula sa maliit hanggang lumaki. Sana makarating naman yung opportunity para sa amin," she said.
And it was Salvane, like an answer to their prayers, that taught the couple how to make their own papaya soap in order to help them.
"Pag kayo talaga gumagawa, mas malaki ang kikitain ninyo," said Salvane.
She also gave the couple a few kilos worth of ingredients for the papaya soap and a "little puhunan" to jump-start their business.
"Wag kalimutan magdasal," advised Salvane.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
