Study highlights transformative power of PH women ‘sari-preneurs’

Marlyn Llorin, “sari-sari” store owner —IAN NICOLAS P. CIGARAL

MANILA, Philippines — Marlyn Llorin, 62, has been a sari-sari store owner for more than three decades. Through those years, she has experienced ups and downs that taught her all the important lessons in running a small business.

Now a grandmother, Llorin is at the point where being a sari-sari store owner is more than just a means to earn extra cash for her family.

“Nakakalibang siya (It’s leisurely),” she says in an interview outside of her small store in Sucat, Muntinlupa.

Llorin is just one of the many Filipino women entrepreneurs whose small business is a vital source of their empowerment both inside their household and within the community. And there is a new study that tries to explain why the substantial presence of women in the local microenterprise industry is translating to a unique kind of strength that allows them to navigate through complex social, economic and cultural issues.

One might argue that there is already a rich literature in this subject—from the role of sari-sari stores in community development to financing aspects of women-led sari-sari stores. But the researchers, Diana Rueda and Eylla Laire Gutierrez, believe that existing works have fallen short of examining the experiences of women sari-sari store owners from a “more holistic and noneconomic perspective, specifically through an empowerment and human flourishing aspect.”

“This study therefore aims to bridge this gap,” Rueda and Gutierrez say. “This study departs from purely economic perspectives on sari-sari stores, and instead focuses on the psychosocial impact of sari-sari stores on women owners.”

Confidence

The state-run think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) has collaborated with sari-sari store technology provider Packworks on a study that surveyed hundreds of female sari-sari store owners in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Region IV-A) between May and June 2024.

Ninety percent of the respondents are married with dependents, while 7 percent are single. The remaining 3 percent are separated or widowed.

Dissecting the roles of these respondents, 78 percent of women polled contribute to their household income while 16 percent serve as breadwinners. Lastly, 6 percent of those surveyed are single mothers.

Simply put, what the researchers have found is that women sari-sari store owners have high levels of individual well-being and psychological empowerment. They take pride in their ownership of sari-sari stores and in being the boss of their own business.

Others have cited the confidence that being a store owner can give: “I am no longer dependent on my husband for money,” one respondent is quoted as saying in the study.

But in terms of economic empowerment, those women surveyed admit their income is still not enough, especially those with kids who are growing up. Running a sari-sari store business also means that much of the earnings are typically spent on restocking supplies regularly.

“My income will not be enough in the long run,” one respondent says. “I use the income for the day to replenish the supplies of the store,” another store owner adds.

A ‘sari-preneur’ displays her ware. – Contributed photo

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Politics and society

As far as their relationship with the government is concerned, women sari-sari store owners seem to have a very limited participation in political matters.

“I only interact with them [the government] when it’s the election period,” a respondent says. “When I need capital or if I need to register, that is the only time I seek help from the government.”

But while that might be the case in terms of politics, the researchers say that all the women in the PIDS poll believe that their ownership of the sari-sari stores has helped improve their social status.

“Now, they call me madam because I own a store,” one of the respondents says. “Because they saw me opening a store, they thought I was rich and that they could just borrow money from me,” another interviewee adds.

Ultimately, underpinning such a high level of empowerment is the support that these women entrepreneurs get from their very own households. “If they [family members] know I am tired from managing the store, my child or husband will do the house chores for me.”

Issues and solutions

According to the PIDS researchers, a common theme that has emerged among women owners is their issues with finance, particularly access to credit and other forms of funding that can keep them well capitalized. This is despite micro, small and medium enterprises like sari-sari stores being the backbone of the Philippine economy.

Others also admit that they do not possess business acumen—information on how to create their respective financial and business plans. “I only learned about doing business through experience. I just play everything by ear,” one respondent explains.

This is where companies like Packworks, the collaborator of PIDS in the study, can come to help.

Packworks empowers its network of over 300,000 sari-sari stores nationwide by digitizing their daily operations, offering tools for pricing, inventory management and sales tracking. The startup also provides access to working capital, product promotions and rewards.

READ: Startup raises $2M to boost sari-sari store platform

“This research underscores the resilience and transformative power of women sari-preneurs in the Philippines,” Packworks CEO Bing Tan says.

“They are the heart of their communities, and by supporting them, we are strengthening the social fabric of the nation,” Tan adds.