The franchise owner of a local milk tea business opened up about the challenges of running her operations amid rising costs in the country.
Bea Pelayo Laderas, also known online as “The Savvy Pinay,” shared on Sunday, September 27, that she is already “closing” her “chapter as a food business owner.”
She accompanied the post with images of a branch of Infinitea, a milk tea shop she has operated as a franchisee since 2013, at the height of the milk tea craze in the country.
Laderas said that the store is undergoing “demolition after seven years of operation.”
“Akala ko magpapamana ako ng business sa anak ko, pero for now — hindi pala,” she wrote in an Instagram post.
Laderas added that they closed two of their physical businesses this year, with sales varying depending on location and local foot traffic.
These include their Infinitea store and another frozen yogurt business, the latter of which ceased operations a year after opening.
The franchisee shared a September post reporting that Philippine businesses “turned sharply pessimistic in July, with confidence falling below levels recorded in published surveys during the COVID-19 pandemic as Middle East tensions, higher oil prices and persistent inflation weighed on sentiment.”
“Remember this headline?” Laderas said.
“Damang-dama ko ‘yan. And I’m sure many small biz owners. Since late last year pa, [to be honest]. Even before the Middle East tensions. I’ve made a few videos about this in January 2026,” she added.
“I sometimes wonder… bakit kaya nung mga nakaraang dekada eh parang mas madali ang mag-establish ng negosyo? Not just to survive, but to thrive,” Laderas said, adding that she was speaking as someone whose family has a “small enterprise built from the ground up” by her parents.
She added that their milk tea business initially thrived but was affected by the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the business continued operating.
However, she said thatthe past one and a half years have been challenging and made it difficult to sustain the business.
“Rising costs of rent, rising cost of utilities, rising cost of raw materials, rising wages (na gusto ko talaga magkaroon ang mga Pilipino, pero sana merong subsidy ang gov’t para sa SMEs kasi hindi po kami big corpo na malalim ang baon). Add to that: Taxes na hindi transparent ang computation. Na hindi bumababa kahit mas mababa ang sales mo (based sa LGU experience),” Laderas said.
LGU refers to Local Government Unit.
“Pataas ang gastos. We try to minimize costs where possible. BUT THE SALES? Not just stagnant. May times pa ngang pababa. Because I myself as a consumer, gets ko na sa taas ng increase sa presyo ng bilihin eh malamang, hindi priority ng customers ang non-necessities. Eh kaso andyan na ‘yung negosyo. Kahit anong marketing mo, ‘pag walang budget ang customer, wala kang magagawa,” she added.
Laderas shared that she has “other friends and acquaintances in similar scenarios,” adding that they, too, needed another income stream because having only one business was not enough to sustain their cost of living.
She also advised aspiring entrepreneurs to venture into e-commerce, digital-related businesses, or service-based industries if they want to thrive in today’s business landscape.
Laderas said she hopes the government will do “something that can alleviate the sufferings of the Filipino MSME owner.”
MSME stands for micro, small and medium enterprises.
“After all, ilang milyong Pilipino ang nakaasa rito. We pay so
much in taxes, but we could not feel practical support. Nawa’y magkaroon ng wage subsidies, transparent [and] convenient tax payments, tapat na assessment from agencies, tax breaks, at mga programa na magbe-benefit ang maliliit na negosyante,” she added.
Laderas shared that she is “unsubscribing” from being an entrepreneur for now, saying that starting a business in the country nowadays appears to “carry the biggest risk.”
She added that she would “rethink” her decision if there were “systematic changes in the future.”
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Other Filipinos also shared similar experiences about running their own businesses.
“I saw this post too, and as someone running a small home industry cake business, I really had to reassess my business, ang hirap i-balance ‘yung kailangan kumita at affordable,” a Threads user wrote.
“My mom’s business is in red na because of the corrupt government. Yes, the government, they are basically killing my mother’s business. Increasing business tax, rent, extra charges in utilities and the ‘lagay (bribe), mas malaki pa expenses kaysa sa pumapasok na client. I hate these goverment, especially those who sit in important positions na out of touch sa reality,” another Threads user said.
“Same boat. Can relate, especially to the LGU biz (business) permit cost, as well as (Bureau of Internal Revenue) harassment,” a Threads user commented.
“We feel you. It’s so hard to be an honest, law-abiding business owner here in the Philippines. Compliance can get very expensive pero parang walang pay off because there’s not enough support for local MSMEs,” another Pinoy wrote.
Earlier this month, it was reported that MSMEs were adopting cost-optimization measures while considering layoffs and passing higher operating costs on to consumers to stay afloat amid the fuel crisis triggered by the Middle East conflict.
The conflict has also affected petroleum prices, with Filipinos facing significant price hikes almost every week.
George Barcelon, chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, previously said that the conflict, along with the peso’s depreciation against the US dollar, has increased operating costs for MSMEs, including electricity, logistics, manufacturing inputs, and customs-related expenses.
MSMEs account for more than 99% of all businesses in the Philippines and employ around 63% of the country’s workforce.
