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Philstar.com
January 30, 2026 | 1:00pm
MANILA, Philippines — There’s a specific kind of pressure that comes with running a business you didn’t start but you’re expected to grow. Dey Pabatang carried that pressure when he started managing a store in Magallanes, Agusan del Norte, a business his parents built in 2006.
When his father passed away in 2012, the responsibility fell on his lap.
“May negosyo kami na hardware. Ito po ay galing sa mga magulang ko. No’ng namatay ang papa ko, 2012, ayun, ako na ang nagdala,” he said.
He studied marketing. He learned how margins move, how volume protects profit, and how timing can beat competition. He also learned a hard truth; a business can stay small even when demand is real, because capital arrives too late.
At first, there was only one location and one set of risks. But he kept the store going, then started widening it—carefully, deliberately and faster than most people expected.
Seeing the opportunity in a challenge
Even before the pandemic, he already saw where the business could go. Construction supplies offered steady demand and fewer competitors.
“Ang napag-isipan namin is talagang i-expand ang business namin sa ibang lugar,” he said. “Doon namin nakikita na magkakaroon ng additional good profit.”
The problem was not the plan. The problem was the upfront cost. Expansion required inventory, transport, storage and supplier relationships. All of it needed cash before it produced more cash.
He started hearing more about borrowing through people he trusted.
“Nag-sharing kami about sa mga finances,” he recalled. “Dun na-open sakin 'yung possibility na mas maganda siguro kung mag-try akong mag-loan.”
Choosing terms that made sense
He did not rush into anything and compared options. The decision came down to what the monthly burden would feel like, not how good the offer sounded on paper.
“’Yung pinili ko is a loan na ‘yung margin sa rate, hindi masyadong malaki kung i-cocompare mo sa iba,” he said. “Hindi ako masyadong na-pressure sa charges.”
This kicked off a series of borrowings that funded each next move in the business.
How he utilized the loans
The first loan approved was P1 million. “’Yung nakuha ko, ibinili ko ng sasakyan,” he said. “Para madaling magamit sa panahon ng deliveries.”
Two delivery vehicles followed. After that, logistics stopped dragging the whole operation down. Goods moved faster. Customers waited less. Sales stopped getting blocked by transport.
He paid it off. Then he applied again. The second approval, P2 million, went into inventory and infrastructure.
“Nakapag-expand naman ako ng products gamit ‘yung second loan ko,” he said. “Saka nakapagtayo ako ng bodega.”
Stock became more consistent, while demand no longer outpaced supply. The store started selling what people asked for, when they asked for it.
The third loan, worth P3 million, changed the core of the business. “With that loan, naging direct buyer na kami,” he explained. “Dati, kumukuha pa lang ako sa iba ng supplies, pero ngayon, sa mismong kumpanya na talaga.”
Buying directly lowered his costs per unit. Lower costs lifted margins and better margins created room to expand without weakening cash flow.
“Mas mura na ‘yong presyo sa akin,” he said. “Mas malaki na rin ‘yong margin sa profit.”
The loan is ongoing, with a term running until 2027, but the returns are already visible.
What changed inside the business
Before the loans, Pabatang described the business as tight. “Dati parang talagang ipit na ipit ako sa products ko,” he said.
After expansion, the picture changed. “Ngayon, makikita ko talaga ang demand ng tao,” he said. “Hindi na ako mabibitin sa supply.”
The workforce grew, too. From a smaller team, he now manages between 15 to 20 regular workers, sometimes up to 30 during peak periods, across three of his business outlets.
Running three hardware stores also brought new challenges. “Pero naging big opportunity din naman sya," Pabatang said.
Today, he operates branches in Magallanes and Cabadbaran City. And his plans extend beyond hardware.
Next on his list; a gas station once a nearby bridge project is completed. He has also started putting up water-refilling stations—two of them—through a partnership.
Lessons about borrowing
Pabatang does not speak about loans as rescue tools. He speaks about them as accelerators.
“Kapag mag-add ka ng business, mag-loan ka,” he said. “Marami talagang magagawa doon ‘pag may expansion din ang capital mo.”
His advice to other entrepreneurs is direct. “Huwag kayong matakot mag-loan,” he said. “Diyan mo makikita ang opportunity, ang expansion.”
Without access to financing, he believes his goals would have arrived much later.
Asked why he chose SB Finance over other offers, Pabatang returned to the same theme—clarity. In five years—from the pandemic years to 2025—his business grew faster than he expected.
“Mabuti talaga ‘yong naidulot ng loan ko sa SB Finance para sa akin. Ang bilis ng growth,” he said.
Behind the numbers
Pabatang’s story reflects the purpose behind SB Finance’s Personal Loan, a multi-purpose form of financing for people who know where they want to go but need room to move. The loan is especially ideal for business owners who want to invest in inventory, logistics or expansion without pressure from unclear charges or shifting terms.
As SB Finance marks its fifth year, stories like Pabatang’s show how access to structured credit can shorten timelines, strengthen local businesses and turn plans into operating reality.
For him who went from one inherited store to three active branches—and more on the way—the difference was not just ambition. It was timing, terms and the confidence to move when opportunity appeared.
Editor’s Note: This press release is sponsored by SB Finance. It is published by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
