Love, hope born from sacrifices
In the heart of Barangay Balud, Tobias Fornier, lives a woman whose quiet life reflects the strength and resilience of countless unsung heroes, the breadwinners. Behind every stable home often stands someone who has weathered life’s toughest blows without seeking praise. For Ma. Flordeliza Oyo, that role was not a choice but a necessity.
Born to Gaudencio, a hardworking farmer, and Nonila, a devoted housewife, Flordeliza was the eldest of four siblings. Her childhood was defined by simplicity and survival. Life was hard, and her family’s income barely made ends meet. At just 17, her life changed forever when her father suffered a stroke and became paralyzed. Their family, already surviving on little, was not only emotionally shaken but also financially vulnerable.
In 1987, Flordeliza made the heart-wrenching decision, to drop out of school and work in Manila as a dressmaker in Divisoria. There, among endless rows of fabric and crowded market stalls, she quietly began her journey as a breadwinner. Each month, the money she sent home sustained her bedridden father and supported her younger siblings.
Even with relentless effort, her earnings were not enough. Driven by love and duty, she looked beyond Philippine shores. After two years in Manila, she secured work in Singapore caring for a toddler and a bedridden person.
Life abroad was not easy, but it brought unexpected kindness. Her employer treated her with respect and eventually entrusted her with the responsibility of collecting earnings from their food stall businesses. She experienced things she had only dreamed of, such as summer trips to five-star hotels and gourmet meals she had only seen on television. Yet even amid comfort, her thoughts never strayed far from home.
After five years overseas, love entered her life. She reconnected with a gentleman from Barangay Balud, and their long-distance relationship blossomed. In the year 2000, during her vacation, they married. Choosing family over further financial gain, Flordeliza decided to stay in Tobias Fornier for good.
Her bond with her former employer remained strong. When she gave birth to her first child, they offered to bring her and the baby back to Singapore, but she declined out of respect for her husband and in-laws. Still, their connection endured. Her employer continued sending care packages and financial support as a gesture of gratitude and friendship.
As her family grew to four children, so did the weight of their needs. But Flordeliza’s entrepreneurial spirit, sharpened during her time in Manila, resurfaced. She established her small business of making and selling homemade peanut butter, pickles, salted peanuts, and viands. Though she had limited capital, she paired it with unwavering determination.
Loyal customers patronized her quality products. When peanuts were not available, she shifted to making bamboo shoot pickles or cooking viands for busy market days.
One customer, recognizing her dedication, referred her to the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). In 2024, after passing the Means Test and completing training and social preparation, she received a Php 15,000 capital assistance grant.
Flordeliza applied what she learned from the DSWD’s Financial Literacy Training in managing her business. She meticulously recorded her sales and expenses to track every peso. This simple act of bookkeeping, often overlooked in small ventures, became her tool for ensuring financial stability.
Thanks to her growing business, she was able to support her daughter’s review for the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) in March 2025, and her efforts paid off when her daughter passed the exam. It was a full-circle moment, echoing the same sense of responsibility that had once led Flordeliza to leave home in the first place.
Today, Flordeliza is not just a mother or a wife but a living testament to the quiet power of sacrifice. She may not wear a cape or make headlines, but beneath her calm exterior is a woman who has carried life’s burdens so her loved ones could carry a little less.
To her children, her community, and all who know her story, she is a hero not because of what she has, but because of all she has given./dswd6/cdf/Laarni Encarnacion