From P500 to a growing enterprise: How gov’t support allows Fel Bakeshop to flourish
By Nora L. Molde
Before Fel Bakeshop became a growing enterprise in Surigao del Norte and expanded to neighboring communities in Agusan del Norte, its story began with a young couple, a struggling bakery, and just P500 in savings.
For Adefel ‘Fel’ A. Madelo and her husband, Jonrel, entrepreneurship was not initially part of their plans. In 2010, the bakeshop where Jonrel had worked for years closed operations, leaving the young family uncertain about their livelihood.
Jonrel had learned baking since he was 14 and used the skill to earn a living, while Fel was a young mother caring for their first child. Seeing Jonrel’s dedication, his former employer offered him the opportunity to continue operating the bakeshop and acquire its equipment worth P350,000, and introduced the couple to suppliers to borrow raw materials to keep the bakery operating.
With only P500 in savings, the offer seemed impossible. But the couple took the risk.
They negotiated an “arawan” payment arrangement of P1,000 for the equipment. With no money to hire workers, Fel became the cashier and bakery assistant while Jonrel handled baking, procurement, and other operations.
Every peso earned was carefully managed. Jonrel would wake early to buy quality ingredients at wholesale prices, then hurry home to bake bread for the next day. There were days of low sales and difficult payments, but they persevered.
Within a year, they paid off the equipment.
When the old equipment broke down in 2011, the couple again found a way forward by acquiring a new oven in an installment arrangement. Located near the port, they later decided to operate 24 hours to serve customers looking for freshly-baked bread throughout the day.
The strategy worked.
In 2014, they changed the business name from JM Panetteria to Fel Bakeshop and opened their first branch along Narciso Street in Surigao City. As customers grew, so did the business, leading to additional branches in 2017 and 2020.
But the Madelos realized that sustaining growth required more than hard work. They needed technology, management skills, continuing education, and access to opportunities to become more competitive.
Investing in the entrepreneur
As Fel Bakeshop expanded, Fel also invested in herself.
Drawing from years of hands-on experience managing the business, she pursued formal education through the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) at Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT) in Butuan City, where she completed a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major in Marketing.
The degree complemented her practical experience by strengthening her knowledge of marketing, consumer behavior, branding, market development, customer relations, and business strategies, competencies that became increasingly important as Fel Bakeshop expanded its products, branches, and customer base.
ETEEAP provides qualified individuals with an alternative pathway to higher education by recognizing prior learning and relevant work experience. It is institutionalized under Republic Act No. 12124, or the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program Act, with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as the lead agency.
For Fel, ETEEAP bridged her years of practical experience with formal academic knowledge, strengthening the management capabilities needed as the business expanded.
Technology, livelihood assistance, and mentorship fuel growth
Education was complemented by technology and enterprise assistance from various government agencies.
Through the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), Fel Bakeshop received advanced equipment worth nearly P800,000, helping the enterprise increase production, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and meet growing customer demand.
The Madelos also received P400,000 in assistance under the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Assistance to Micro Enterprises (AMP) Program in November 2025, with the support of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Caraga.
For Fel, the assistance provided another opportunity to strengthen the business and support its continued growth.
“We received P400,000 from the DOLE AMP with the help of RTWPB Caraga in November 2025. We are very grateful to the government because even as our business has expanded, their support for our enterprise continues. Programs from DOST, DTI, and DOLE have truly helped us strengthen our business and provide better support to our employees,” she said.
The Madelos also benefited from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Kapatid Mentor ME-Money Market Encounter (KMME-MME) Program.
In 2023, Fel completed the 10-module mentorship program, gaining business knowledge, access to experienced mentors and networks, and strategies for managing and scaling the enterprise.
Meanwhile, through the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) at Saint Joseph Institute of Technology (SJIT) in Butuan City, Fel completed her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, major in Marketing, strengthening her knowledge in marketing, consumer behavior, branding, customer relations, and market development.
Together, ETEEAP, DOST SETUP, DTI KMME-MME, and DOLE AMP provided complementary forms of support—education, technology, mentorship, livelihood assistance, and productivity-oriented interventions, helping Fel Bakeshop strengthen both its enterprise and the people behind it.
Supporting the national MSME agenda
The Madelos’ journey reflects the national government’s continuing efforts to strengthen micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as drivers of employment, innovation, and local economic growth.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed the DTI to help uplift the condition and competitiveness of MSMEs through digitalization and technology, emphasizing that stronger MSMEs can contribute significantly to the country’s economy.
The President has likewise emphasized that MSMEs play a key role in absorbing workers and sustaining economic activity, while the government continues to expand support for Filipinos who want to start and grow their own businesses.
This national direction is reflected in Fel Bakeshop’s experience.
Government assistance did not build the business for the Madelos. Instead, it provided the technology, education, mentorship, and opportunities that enabled them to improve what they had already started.
Growing despite adversity
The COVID-19 pandemic tested the business anew.
With several branches already operating, the couple feared having to close stores and lay off employees. But as bakery products remained essential goods, Fel Bakeshop continued serving customers despite restrictions.
Instead of retreating, the couple opened another branch in 2021.
As the economy recovered, they continued expanding, opening branches in Mainit in 2022; Bad-as, Placer, in 2023; Roxas Street in Surigao City and Claver in 2024; and Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte, in 2025, its first branch outside Surigao del Norte, and now extended to Santiago Town and Cabadbaran City.
Each new branch meant not only market expansion but also additional employment and livelihood opportunities for local communities.
Digitalization and people drive sustainability
The Madelos also embraced digitalization to strengthen their market reach.
Their official Facebook page, now with more than 26,000 followers, helps promote products, announce new branches, and engage customers. They also use reels and user-generated content to showcase their products and customer experiences.
This digital approach directly supports the government’s push for MSMEs to use technology and digital platforms to improve competitiveness and expand their markets.
For Fel and Jonrel, however, growth is not measured solely by the number of branches or sales.
They consider their employees partners in the business and provide incentives such as rice, eggs, groceries, and personal hygiene kits.
The couple believes that “when you take care of your employees, they will take care of your business, even when you are not around.”
Their contribution to entrepreneurship and the local economy was recognized in 2024 when Fel was named among the Most Successful Women Entrepreneurs in Caraga.
Government and enterprise: partners in growth
The story of Fel Bakeshop demonstrates how government interventions can complement entrepreneurial determination and transform a small enterprise into a growing and competitive business.
The Madelos provided the resilience, hard work, innovation, and willingness to learn. Government programs, meanwhile, provided critical support at different stages of their journey.
DOST SETUP provided technology and equipment; DTI KMME-MME strengthened entrepreneurial knowledge, mentorship, and business networks; and ETEEAP at SJIT helped Fel strengthen her formal education in BSBA Marketing, building on her years of practical experience as an entrepreneur.
For Fel, these government interventions were more than assistance, they were opportunities that helped her become a better entrepreneur.
“I am very grateful to the government programs that supported us throughout our journey. DOST, DTI, and ETEEAP gave me opportunities to learn, improve our operations, strengthen our business, and reach more customers. The assistance we received came at the right time and helped us to move forward. These programs gave us not only equipment and knowledge, but also the confidence to continue growing and to dream bigger for our business and our employees,” Fel said.
She emphasized that government support works best when entrepreneurs are willing to learn, apply what they gain, and continue working hard to improve their businesses.
For the Madelos, the support they received did not replace their own efforts. Rather, it strengthened what they had already built through years of sacrifice, perseverance, and determination.
These interventions reflect the broader MSME development agenda of the Marcos administration, which prioritizes upgrading, upskilling, and upsizing MSMEs, while promoting technology, innovation, digitalization, and greater competitiveness.
From a family with only P500 in savings, Fel Bakeshop has grown into an enterprise that creates jobs, serves communities, embraces digitalization, and contributes to local economic activity.
Its journey is a testament to resilience supported by opportunity, showing that when determined entrepreneurs gain access to the right technology, education, mentorship, and government support, a small business can grow into a source of livelihood and a partner in community development.
For Fel, the lesson remains simple: perseverance, continuous learning, determination, and the willingness to seek help can turn even the smallest beginning into a lasting enterprise.
From P500 to a growing enterprise, the Madelos’ journey continues to rise, one loaf, one employee, one community, and one opportunity at a time. (NCLM, PIA Agusan del Norte)
