When venturing out in the world as a teenager, life may get confusing and at times very challenging.
For Carol Suela Laguardia, her family’s need for financial support motivated her to get her first job at the age of eighteen. She applied and was accepted as a crew member for Merci’s Fast food line back in November, 1997.
At a very young age, Carol was determined to help her family through the tough times. She decided to put her education on hold in search for a job to support herself and her family.
“At first, I was really planning to study college. Unfortunately, my parents could not afford to send me to school at that time. My father is a fisherman and he did not have his own boat and just tags along with my uncle to catch fish. Then, my mom would only sell whatever fish my dad catches and because of the nature of their work, there is really no stable income. That was the reason why I applied for a job at Merzci. I wanted to help my family.”
In her early years with Merzci, Carol had to be mature enough to cope with the challenges of the job. But with the help of other crew members, the work became easier.
“Of course everything was new. You had to adjust. But what I like about Merzci and what helped me through is the friendship. There was an instant connection between the crew members even though they are not from Negros. That’s why, I can say that there is really friendship in Merzci and after a while, you naturally become family.”
Carol found a second family in Merzci. She received guidance and help from her supervisors while being a crew member. Now, she is giving back the same compassion and support she received in the past to the people she manages as a Group Supervisor.
“With the help of my peers, I have learned a lot. I gained self-confidence because I know that at the end of the day, they’ll have my back. In Merzci, we treat everyone as family and now as their Group Supervisor, I want to embody the same sense of family within the branches.
I believe as a Group Supervisor and someone they look up to, you should be aware of what is happening around the store. You should know your crew, how they feel and if they are okay. There should always be constant communication and cooperation among the branch crew and their supervisors so that we’ll achieve good results as a team.
Carol said that her experiences while starting out in Merzci help her become a competent Group Supervisor.
“I also started out as a crew member in our Luzuriaga branch and after six months, I became a cashier. A year after, I became the supervisor until I was promoted as the Group Supervisor for Area 6 last 2017.”
However, the journey was not always rainbows and sunshine for Carol. While working with Merzci for 21 years, she had to overcome challenges along the way. But for her, everything was easier when she had the help from her Merzci family.
“There was this one time when I was at the Ceres branch and I was not feeling well. I felt like I was so dehydrated and I could collapse anytime. My husband even came and found me at the terminal’s CR looking very sick. I am just happy that when I was sick, my Merzci family helped me and looked out for me. I felt secured in Merzci. You know that whatever happens, you can ask a favor and they would be willing to help.
Of course, there were also financial hardships. In the past, the money I earned was not enough and we needed to really budget everything to get by. But I am really thankful to Merzci that I eventually overcame all of these.
I was able to provide not only for myself but also for my family. Me and my siblings pitched in to buy our father his own pump boat, so he had a more stable means of livelihood. Even in a little way, I am also able to support some of my nieces and nephews for their education. That’s why I’m very happy to have something we can see and say that ‘These are the fruits of our labor through the years.’”
Carol started working with the motivation to help her family. On the process, she met new people who eventually turned out to become an extension of her family. A family that grew after 21 years, and a family that she is very proud of.
“In the past, Merzci did not have a pasalubong line. Merzci had humble beginnings from a small bakery to eventually evolving into a top option for Bacolod pasalubong. The company was not this big when I started. But now, Merzci has over 50 branches all over Negros and Panay, and we also have dealers and wholesalers nationwide. We also have our new pasalubong factory at Vista Alegre and I am just excited to see the future of Merzci.
I think that Merzci deserves all the success because Merzci feels like home. We treat everyone as family that’s why we make sure that nobody gets left behind because we know we can always count on our Merzci family to help us in times of need. Also, when you see your family overcome challenges and succeed, you can be really proud that you were part of it. ”
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