Photo 01 · DSCF0181-2Profile 13 · Cebu, Philippines
Fish processor · Mother · Family entrepreneur
What the sea provides
For the past six years, 47-year-old Eleonora Ofianga and her husband, Danilo, have built a family business around fishing in Cebu, Philippines. Danilo works as a fisherman while Eleonora processes and sells dried fish to local market vendors and customers who come directly to their home.
A livelihood shaped by weather
The business has become a family affair. Their youngest child helps Eleonora prepare the fish, and the income supports an extended household that includes their three children, two sons-in-law and two grandchildren.
Danilo supplies part of the daily catch, but Eleonora also purchases between seven and fifteen kilos of fresh fish from other local fishermen to meet demand. The fish are cleaned, prepared and dried before being sold for between 250 and 300 Philippine pesos per kilo.
Capital for the next catch
The business is not without its challenges. Bad weather can prevent fishermen from going to sea, leaving Eleonora without fresh fish to process. On those days, production can come to a complete stop. Maintaining enough inventory to serve her regular customers is an ongoing concern.
A measure of stability
For Eleonora, growing the business is not necessarily about expanding beyond her community. It is about having enough capital to purchase fish when it is available, maintaining a reliable supply for her customers, and providing a steady income for her family. Much of what determines her livelihood remains beyond her control, but the decisions about how to manage the business are her own.