A small kakanin business that began with just one kilogram of ingredients is helping a widowed father in Santander, Cebu, keep his two children in college as he works toward financial independence.
Ronald Colipano Arestang, a resident of Barangay Pasil, continues the livelihood he and his late wife, Jenita, started after both lost their jobs during the 2008 global financial crisis.
The couple initially sold puto, bingka and budbud in Mandaue City. When their earnings proved insufficient to sustain their household there, they moved to Santander, where they continued the business while taking on other jobs to make ends meet.
Arestang, who earned a degree in Business Administration major in Management Accounting from the University of Cebu Main Campus, had worked at Goodwill Industries of Cebu in 1999 before transferring to LEAR in the Mactan Economic Zone in 2003. Jenita, meanwhile, worked at TIMEX.
After their retrenchment, Arestang worked as an all-around helper in Mandaue while his wife accepted laundry work in Santander. They eventually settled in Barangay Pasil, where they built a modest shelter on land owned by Jenita’s mother.
The couple became beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) on Feb. 15, 2012. The assistance helped cover their household’s basic needs and support the education, health and nutrition of their children, Cheryl Melanie and William Gabriel.
Arestang later secured work as a job order employee of the Santander local government, initially handling paperwork and collecting parking and public market fees.
He also repaired and sewed shoes to supplement his earnings, while Jenita managed their kakanin business.
Both also took part in community programs. Jenita served as a 4Ps parent leader, helping fellow beneficiaries and participating in community initiatives, while Arestang volunteered under the KALAHI-CIDSS program.
Their family faced another challenge in 2020 when Jenita was diagnosed with breast cancer in Dumaguete City. Her medical care was disrupted by the COVID-19 lockdowns, while her condition continued to worsen in the following years.
In 2021, the couple joined the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and received a Livelihood Assistance Grant to support their kakanin business.
Jenita died on Feb. 18, 2025, due to breast cancer and complications, leaving Arestang to raise their children and shoulder their education expenses.
He said the possibility of being unable to finance their college education was among his biggest concerns after losing his wife. His faith and his children’s determination to continue studying, however, encouraged him to keep working.
“Human sa pagkawala sa akong pares, ang pinakalisod gyud kay ang kahadlok nga basin dili nako makaya ang pagpaeskwela sa among mga anak, labi na kay nagkolehiyo na silang duha. Pero ang nakapadasig gyud nako sa pagpadayon mao ang akong pagtuo sa Ginoo ug ang pagtan-aw nga naningkamot usab kaayo ang akong mga anak nga makapadayon sa ilang pag-eskwela bisan pa sa kalisod. Busa, isip amahan, akong gipaninguhaan nga makasuporta sa ilang pagtuon ug sa ilang mga panginahanglan,” Arestang said.
He now works as a regular collection clerk at the Santander municipal treasurer’s office while continuing to sell kakanin.
Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, he goes door to door to sell their products before reporting for work.
He also sells at the public market on Sundays. His children help prepare the rice cakes when they return home from Dumaguete City on weekends.
Cheryl Melanie is now a fourth-year civil engineering student, while William Gabriel is a first-year aviation student at Negros Oriental State University in Dumaguete City.
Arestang recently received P20,000 in Seed Capital Fund assistance through the SLP to help sustain and strengthen the family’s existing kakanin livelihood.
The family also reached another milestone on April 22, 2026, when they graduated from 4Ps after attaining Level 3, marking their transition toward self-sufficiency.
The assistance provided through 4Ps helped meet the family’s basic needs, particularly the children’s education, while livelihood support from SLP helped them maintain their small business.
Arestang continues to run the enterprise he and Jenita built from limited capital, carrying on their shared goal of giving their children opportunities to finish their studies and establish their own futures.
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