Josephine Ramos, Junior Writer
“I will keep working as long as I can,” is the daily mantra of 61-year-old Anastacio Castillo. True to his word, he continues to work tirelessly to earn a living.
Born in Quezon Province, Anastacio’s life took a new turn when he met his wife, a native of Pangasinan, at a mutual friend’s wedding. After getting married, they moved frequently, living in Bulacan, Cavite, and Batangas before settling in Tiaong, Quezon, upon discovering his wife was pregnant.
In those early days, selling mami (noodle soup) was their main source of income. To grow their livelihood, Anastacio established a small carinderia (eatery). One of his most successful strategies was using social media to promote his business, where he went live to showcase the food he was offering.
Aside from cooking, Anastacio is also skilled in making aluminum glass — a craft he learned from his uncle when he was just 17 years old. This skill eventually became another source of income for his family. Five years ago, he decided to start his aluminum glass business, starting with small contracts. Over time, his work gained recognition in the community.
Recently, Anastacio tried his hand at hog raising, but it suffered a significant setback due to the African swine fever (AFS) outbreak. Many of his pigs died, leading to heavy financial losses.
Despite this, Anastacio remains optimistic. “We had previously faced sleepless nights to make ends meet and send our children to school, so a business failure is just another challenge we can surely overcome,” he said. “In business, losses are inevitable, and dwelling on your failures won’t help you recover.”
Although three of his children now work abroad, helping him with their finances, he still keeps on working. “I don’t want to rely entirely on my children, so as much as possible, I’ll keep working. What matters most is that they are in a good state,” he explained.
To support his business, Anastacio became a CARD Bank client in 2021. Currently, he has obtained a PHP 100,000 loan from the institution.
“CARD Banks’ services are outstanding. What I like about them is that they support small businesses like mine that lack sufficient capital,” he said.
Anastacio Castillo’s story proves how dreams combined with hard work can lead to a better state in life.
