Former Seafarer Now Owns Grocery Store, Finds Income to Stay for Good

A former seafarer now owns a grocery store – and he finds the income to stay for good, something that many OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) wish for…

Former Seafarer Now Owns Grocery Store to Stay in PH for Good

Most OFWs dream of finding a sustainable income so they can go home and stay for good in the Philippines. Sadly, many of them remain with a mountain of remittance receipts and still a lot of debt despite years of working abroad.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, it didn’t just claim lives but also led to massive loss of jobs, particularly for many OFWs.

former seafarer now owns a grocery store

Photo credit: Tata Muyco / KAMI

With the world economy affected by the pandemic and the very strict travel requirements, it wasn’t unusual to hear stories of people losing their jobs here and abroad.

There were also many OFWs who got “trapped” in the Philippines while taking a break or vacation from their jobs.

Photo credit: Tata Muyco / KAMI

Photo credit: Tata Muyco / KAMI

One of them is Tata Muyco, a former seafarer who was unable to go back to his work when the pandemic hit.

In hopes of finding a source of income while waiting to go back to work, Muyco and his wife decided to open a small grocery store at the height of the pandemic in February 2020.

Photo credit: Tata Muyco / KAMI

Photo credit: Tata Muyco / KAMI

Business Strategy from the Former Seafarer Turned Grocery Store Owner

From that small store, they were able to steadily grow and expand their business. According to Muyco, they made sure to track their cash flow and are now doing alright.

Of course, finding a good location was one of the keys to the business’s success.

Also, they made sure that they aren’t spending their profits.

Muyco added that they also found the merchandise or brand agents that offered the cheapest products and made sure that their suppliers also delivered the goods to the store.