A FEW days after mother’s day, Mary Ann Montemayor, owner of Villa Margarita Hotel and Catering, shared how her being a woman and a mother at the same time had helped her succeed in her business as well in her advocacy in the community.
Just last February, Villa Margarita Hotel and Catering was one of the medium and large enterprises given recognition during the Inspiring Filipina Entrepreneurs Awards organized by Go Negosyo. The awarding was held in Malacañang, with awards given to 25 more women entrepreneurs all over the Philippines under different categories.
Montemayor, a homegrown entrepreneur in Davao City, feels that the award was not solely for herself but for the entire community of Davao City.
Aside from her Villa Margarita Hotel and Catering, she also has a café at Abreeza Ayala Malls, which is called Habi at Kape. Aside from a wide array of affordable, delectable dishes and a buffet on Sunday afternoons, Habi at Kape also has a display of Dabawenyo crafts such as bags, pouches, and food processed products among others.
“I wanted to promote our Davao craft store. Our products displayed here are not ours alone but of our micro-entrepreneurs. We have members, we have producers that are relying on us to market for them,” she said.
She added that it is a woman entrepreneur’s challenge to be sensitive and broad enough to be able, not only to excel in the business, but also to touch hearts of other people.
“As women, you have many dimensions. In my case, I’m a wife, a mother, a grandmother before I’m even an entrepreneur. I have a lot of advocacies also for the community. Those are facets of a person. You balance everything. I think the award was inspiring because aside from tendering your home, you bring your home to your workplace. You bring your home to the community because a lot of us awardees there have different involvements in the community,” Montemayor said.
As a mother, it is an instinct to shepherd and guide others to the right and more fruitful path.
Montemayor said she believed in helping micro-entrepreneurs display their products at Habi at Kape as she shepherds the community with the hope to give them livelihood and to market their existing products.
“It always begins with a heart. You have to put it in your heart. If you engage in something, you have to put 100 percent solid dedication. If you don’t put your heart into it, chances are you’ll fail. But when your heart is solid for a really good purpose, success is not far behind. Ultimately, it’s hard work, dedication, inspiration because you have to study anything that you engage in. You have to know what you’re going through,” she said.
