Secluded Cavite inn offers more than just bed and breakfast

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 06:31:00 12/26/2010

Filed Under: Philippines - Regions, Hotels & accommodation,business, Tourism

INDANG, CAVI-TE—A secluded inn here is enticing guests and tourists who want to experience tranquility away from the bustling city. And it makes itself distinct from the usual concept of bed and breakfast that most tourists know.

Aptly named as Balay Indang, guests can expect to feel at home while inside the area.

General manager Marge Tan says guests can feel as they own Balay Indang during their stay.

“We are not your usual bed and breakfast as we operate 24/7, and we offer more,” she adds.

According to Sonia Garcia, staff supervisor, some tourists who want to visit Tagaytay City sometimes opt to stay in Balay Indang for their accommodation.

Balay Indang is located a few minutes away from Tagaytay City where most tourists flock.

Garcia adds that staying in Balay Indang is like owning a rest house for a day. “We let our guests explore the four-hectare land. They will never run out of activities here. It doesn’t end in sleeping inside the room, eating and going home.”

Guests may need to bring mosquito repellant with them as they roam around as the area is full of plants and trees, making them vulnerable to mosquito bites, Garcia advises. “The idea behind this is to let our guests be closer to nature.”

Unlike the usual accommodations trying to invite guests, Balay Indang does not have a prominent sign that tells passers-by what it offers.

Balay Indang can only be distinguished by the house number “88” hugely painted on its gate, making it a seemingly concealed inn.

Tan recalls that Balay Indang started as a vacant lot in year 2000 that was later transformed into a retreat house with only a few rooms.

“The owner was wondering then what to do with that vacant lot. Then, he decided to build a house that soon turned into a retreat house,” he says, adding that this four-hectare property was developed in year 2004, and became open since then to accommodate guests who want to experience the laidback ambiance they offer.

Balay Indang started as a retreat house with a capacity of 35 until the demand increased, prompting them to build more rooms for at least 70 persons.

Some guests are already booked for their stay in April in time for the Holy Week, according to Garcia.

Tan clarifies, however, that Balay Indang does not have plans of expanding further as they just want to share the place. “Balay Indang is not meant to work in a ‘mass production’ mode. We want our guests to be relaxed and feel as if they own the place.”

No fixed menu

Guests staying in Balay Indang are not given a menu during meal time.

Garcia claims that the dishes they prepare are very flexible. “We prepare what we want, but we make sure our guests would like it.”

In some cases, the staff of Balay Indang needs to conduct research on what food to prepare whenever they have foreign visitors.

“We had some Korean guests who stayed here for almost a month. We wanted to make them feel at home by preparing the food they are used to. Marge and I researched on Korean dishes,” says Garcia.

Another reason she cites for not having a fixed menu is for the guests to be not tired of the food Balay Indang offers.

Asked on Balay Indang’s best seller, Garcia says each dish they prepare is considered a best seller. But guests often request for their famous Halo-halo Turon and baby back ribs.

Garcia says they make sure that they prepare balanced meals all the time. Meals are always composed of vegetables, fruits, seafood, chicken and pork. All meals are accompanied with fresh juice.

Guests staying overnight will be served with five meals. On every meal, each dish served is “refillable.” This offer of Balay Indang keeps guests coming back.

“Minsan, guests ang nasuko sa dami ng pagkain,” claims Garcia.

Homey feeling

Guests can feel that they own a rest house for a day as they can use most of the facilities within Balay Indang.

Some of the facilities include a swimming pool, tree house, playground, pavilion, secret garden and billiard hall.

The rooms are named after Biblical characters as it is intended to be a retreat house.

“No double decks are inside the rooms since we want our guests to feel at home and not to be inside a dormitory,” says Garcia.

A room service may not be needed as everything a guest needs is right inside each room—mineral water, toiletries, spare towels and blankets.

The rooms offer a rustic ambiance with the capiz-made windows, wooden sliding doors and high wooden ceilings.

Although the area is already naturally airy, most rooms are air-conditioned for the guests to be fully comfortable.

Balay Indang boasts of its main house that has a spacious living room and dining area where guests can also stay.

The interior is filled with pieces of furniture, projecting a fusion of different cultures—mostly countries from Southeast Asia.

Guests are also allowed to pick the fruits from the fruit-bearing trees scattered within the area, says Garcia.

Balay Indang is a favorite hangout place of popular cyclists, reporters and politicians.

Randy David, Representative Sonny Belmonte and some TV reporters are frequent visitors of Balay Indang, according to Garcia.

The place is ideal for seminars, retreats, team buildings and yoga sessions. Balay Indang has also been a favorite venue for weddings.

“Annually, there are around 8 to 10 weddings held here,” says Tan.

Without having to spend on marketing and advertisement, Balay Indang has gained a positive reputation through word-of-mouth and blogs of their previous guests.

The fee for an overnight stay is pegged at P2,500 which mainly go to the food served. Day tours are also offered.

Balay Indang is located along Mendez Avenue in Indang, Cavite, about 30 kilometers south of Manila. Reservations can be made through the general manager (0917-8665825).

Laguna couple earns meaty profits

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:05:00 05/15/2010

Filed Under: Food, Small Business

NAGCARLAN, LAGUNA, Philippines – When Manny and Virginia Valencia got married in 1993, they spent almost all their savings on their wedding.

Fortunately, they decided to keep P2,000 from the P7,000 they received from their principal sponsors and put that amount in a small meat processing business.

They never thought that Joshua’s Meat Products (JMP) would penetrate a significant number of stores and households in Southern Tagalog and nearby regions with its longganisa, tocino, hot dog, bacon and ham, and other meat items.

Manny, 42, says the biblical “Joshua” was the name he gave to a son.

Homemade

When they were just starting, Manny says he just wanted to bring enough income to his family so they could make both ends meet.

“My wife and I tried making longganisa (native sausage) on our own without any formal training,” he recalls, adding that he would simply buy ground pork from a nearby wet market in Nagcarlan, one of the top sellers of pork in Laguna.

“Our initial buyers were our neighbors,” Manny says.

Nine months later, the couple acquired a house from their earnings.

In 1994, Manny met a businessman from San Pablo City who was looking for someone who could produce P20,000 worth of longganisa. He accepted the job, and the influx of more buyers began.

Since then, the Valencias have developed more products to address a wider number of target buyers.

Higher demand

Now, JMP distributes products not only in Laguna and Metro Manila, but also in Bicol and other places in northern Luzon.

With 70 employees, it currently makes six to seven tons of meat products—a far cry from its starting output of 20 to 50 kilos.

“We also buy raw meat from local sellers, so we’re helping Nagcarlan townsfolk through JMP,” Manny says.

He remains hands-on in managing the business, and imposes strict rules on food safety and sanitation. The welfare of buyers always comes first, he says.

“It was perhaps a combination of luck, perseverance and faith,” says Manny, when asked on JMP’s formula of success.

Sarilikha does RP proud with unique high-end bags

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon

Posted date: May 01, 2010

VICTORIA, LAGUNA—CESAR PASCO, 60, still exudes enthusiasm when talk turns to business or training potential entrepreneurs.

A former head of a Laguna-based nongovernment organization (NGO), Pasco has not lost interest in extending help to those in need—particularly those who are unemployed.

In early 2009, Pasco, with partner Renel Batralo, 29, put up a venture called Sarilikha to produce native bags and accessories.

Sarilikha products have already started to penetrate the international market.

It took only P255 to start up the venture. The amount covered the raw materials they needed.

Sarilikha products are made of indigenous materials, such as water hyacinth and pandan leaves. There is a showroom in Barangay Balite, Victoria, Laguna, where products are on display.

But the venture does not only produce native bags and accessories. Since its inception, Sarilikha has also trained budding entrepreneurs, most of whom come from impoverished communities.

Affiliate trainers

It was an exhibit in 2008 that started what turned out to be Sarilikha.

Pasco was still with an NGO that he had established himself, when he decided to join an exhibit in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna.

The exhibit had a theme that called for a cleaner Laguna Lake and the development of economic opportunities in the vicinity of the lake. It was a year before the issue of the overflowing lake was brought to the public’s attention.

Pasco says that even before the onslaught of Tropical Storm “Ondoy,” he was already concerned with the problems not only of Laguna Lake but of other lakes in the province.

He was referring to the seven lakes in San Pablo City, where he used to initiate employment opportunities for residents.

“Several years ago, I observed how certain factors had affected the means of living of those who were dependent on the lakes. One of their problems was the presence of too much water hyacinth,” Pasco says.

He then thought of how he could help the residents get rid of the problem. One solution was to turn the surplus of water hyacinth into a profitable venture by using the material to produce bags.

According to Pasco, the main issue then was massive job loss.

The government at the time was trying to provide jobs for displaced workers, so an emergency employment program was relevant back then, he says.

Pasco and Batralo decided on promoting their water hyacinth idea in an exhibit. Their booth caught the attention of provincial officers of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“DTI saw the potential of our projects and products to help displaced workers,” Pasco says.

This also signaled the start of Sarilikha.

Eventually, the two were tapped as affiliate trainers of the government agency. From then on, they would be frequently invited to train people how to produce native bags and accessories.

They have also been tapped by a number of private institutions and nongovernment organizations such as the Child Fund International (CFI).

After the devastation of Ondoy, Pasco and Batralo were asked to train CFI beneficiaries in Laguna. Most of the trainees were badly affected by the storm, but they were taught how to make native bags, which helped them earn additional income.

“Orders from our clients are outsourced to our current and former trainees so they could apply their acquired skills and earn at the same time,” Batralo says.

The products that were bought by clients were actually the result of a collective effort of Sarilikha and their current and former trainees, he explains.

Sarilikha keeps in constant touch with their trainees, past and present. In this way, Batralo says, the trainees are given the opportunity to apply what they have learned.

He clarifies, however, that students are highly encouraged to start ventures on their own, with the guidance and support of DTI and Sarilikha.

High-end native bags

Pasco claims that he feels both humbled and proud that their products are now starting to penetrate the international market.

Sarilikha has become a partner of Cora Jacobs, a designer based in the United States with an eye for high-end bags made of water hyacinth.

Now, Sarilikha is into producing native bags with a leather look.

Batralo shares that it merely takes trial and error to come up with products that will sell.

Sarilikha blazed the trail in producing native bags with a leather look, Batralo claims. The bags have caught the attention of buyers from other countries like the United States.

Pasco and Batralo continue to share their innovations with their former and current trainees.

“Through motivation and values formation, we were able to create jobs for people,” says Pasco.

They have also asked their trainees to share their ideas and designs with others, he adds.

Sarilikha buys raw materials like water hyacinth and pandan leaves from residents around Laguna Lake, helping them earn extra income, according to Pasco.

“Your talent is useless if you don’t know how to share it with others,” adds Pasco, who cites self-fulfillment as the greatest profit a man can get from his business.

“In a way, this venture can also be considered financially rewarding. But this did not make us filthy rich. Still we are happy how this effort has turned out.”

Retired exec offers escape from the city

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon

Posted date: February 20, 2010

PAGSANJAN, Laguna – Far from the corporate world that he used to rule, Mars Aaron, 59, now enjoys sharing the joy of living a simple rural life through his agri-eco village and farm resort here.

Instead of a formal suit and black leather shoes, he now often wears plain shirts, jeans and boots while enjoying the serenity of the place.

Aaron is a retired chief executive officer of Unilever Philippines’ subsidiary Unilever Best Foods before he developed an 11-hectare land that he bought from his mother-in-law in 1997, which he later named Villa Socorro, after his wife.

“I was just seeking for a place where I would retire, a place where I would age,” he says.

Aaron adds that when he bought the land, he was thinking of some activities that would keep him busy after retirement.

The time he bought the 11-hectare land, he and his friends started planting a number of trees already, even the full-blast development had not started yet.

In 2004, he focused on developing the piece of land since that year signaled his retirement from work. At the age of 54, he became a budding entrepreneur.

Escape from the city

Villa Socorro agro-eco village and farm resort offers a relaxing escape from the busy metropolis.

Located at the foot of Sierra Madre and adjacent to Banalac River, Villa Socorro promises lush vegetation and ranch-style accommodation.

Guests are allowed to pick the fruits and vegetables in season, and have them for their meals, says Aaron.

The couple takes pride in the brand of hospitality they offer to their guests.

“This may not be the business I am familiar with when I was just starting, but rest assured that guests get the treatment they deserve. We consider each guest as a family guest.”

“When there are guests coming here, we personally entertain them as much as we can,” Aaron says, citing the same reason they do not accept walk-in clients.

They also encourage their children to meet the guests staying at Villa Socorro.

He says: “We want to give the best to our clients by preparing for their stay here.”

Villa Socorro has eight cottages and a pavilion, and eyes expansion in the coming years. Each of the cottage is named after local vegetables like “sitaw’’ (string beans) and “kalabasa’’ (squash).

The place is ideal for camping, team-building activities, trekking or any form of bonding.

“Our guests can have a different kind of bonding here. We want them to be closer with nature,” Aaron says.

Instead of the usual team-building activities, he suggests rafting and jungle survival training to their guests.

The agro-eco village and farm resort can accommodate up to 50 people at a time.

Aaron chose not to develop the other parts of the 11-hectare property. “I want nature to grow things on its own.”

Helping the community

When Typhoon “Milenyo” hit Laguna in 2006, the trees Aaron nurtured for almost a decade fell. Instead of wallowing in despair, he decided to turn the fallen trees into pieces of furniture.

He asked some residents in the village to help him transform the fallen trees into pieces of furniture, which he later used for his agri-eco village and farm resort.

In return, the residents living near his place had income.

“It’s interesting how this farm resort managed to help the residents here. From time to time, we provide the community some sources of income so they could do something worthwhile,” Aaron relates.

After the furniture venture, Aaron, with his wife, came up with another activity that engages some more residents living near their place.

“We have planted hundreds of banana trees here, so we thought of producing banana chips while employing some local residents,” he says.

Villa Socorro’s banana chips manufacturing venture is helping an average of 10 people, aside from the other workers that the couple hire from time to time.

“We also hire additional people if there are guests coming here. It’s our own way of helping the community,” Aaron says.

He considers this business venture as a rural immersion and corporate social responsibility program.

Villa Socorro is located in Barangay (village) Dingin, Pagsanjan, Laguna. Call 852-6484 and 0917-6282139 for inquiries.

From an old house to a new restaurant

By Karen Lapitan Inquirer Southern Luzon

Posted date: November 26, 2009

PAGSANJAN, LAGUNA— For love of food, a man and his wife here turned their ancestral house into a restaurant, using heirloom such as sets of silverware and plates to serve customers. “At first, we wanted a small and simple business because we both love food,” says Anna Cabrega, the town’s current council secretary. Her husband Ronald has been in the food industry for 12 years, and has cooked for a number of popular restaurants. In 2006, the couple started serving snacks for residents of Pagsanjan right on their Rizal Street property, which they soon called Calle Arco. The restaurant is located near the famous Pagsanjan Arc at the town’s entrance, hence, the name of the establishment. Soon, demand pushed the couple to turn their small enterprise into a serious restaurant venture. “We never thought Calle Arco would become famous,” she says. Asked on what made their food business a success, Anna cited that it could be their family’s love for entertaining guests. “Love for food is a given factor, but the difference lies in how you treat customers. In our case, we treat them as if they are visitors to our home,” says Anna. “That habit of entertaining guests was actually derived from my grandmother who owned this house. She loved cooking for guests.” When the Cabregas started out, they used the utensils that Anna’s grandmother stored in the house. Even the tables and chairs were not new when Calle Arco opened as a 20-seater restaurant. The couple also improved on the menu over the years. From mere snacks and pasta dishes, the Cabregas now serve breakfast, lunch and dinner fares. Calle Arco is popular for its Sinigang na Baka na may Langka. She says that the dish is the one enticing more people to eat at their place. Later, Calle Arco’s reputation crossed the town’s boundaries. “Our past and returning clients are doing their part. They would recommend our restaurant to [other people],” says Anna, who remains gratified with the feedback they get from tourists.

Laguna café also brews artists

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 18:52:00 11/07/2009

Filed Under: Restaurants & catering, Entrepreneurship

PAETE, LAGUNA, Philippines—Using the remains of demolished homes and buildings from nearby towns, a dentist here has put up a coffee shop, aimed to develop and promote local artistry.

Art aficionado Dr. Noli Valdecantos, 47, opened Kape Kesada on December 26, 2004 after attending a series of art exhibitions in Metro Manila that made him realize that Paete artists also deserve wider opportunities.

Located along J.V. Quesada street in Paete town, Kape Kesada is also known to brew local artists other than aromatic concoctions.

Asked on how he managed to combine his love for science and the arts, he said “when you are born in Paete, you are born an artist.”

He said his interest in art started when he was still a kid, mainly due to the artistic environment where he grew up, realizing that there’s no conflict when combining science and art.

No blueprint

The structure of Kape Kesada is in itself a work of art from accumulated old materials. From the walls to the lavatory, the coffee shop used recycled materials Valdecantos got from nearby towns and provinces.

“[Kape Kesada] is like a puzzle. No plan was formally made on how the structure should look like. I just gathered some useful recycled materials from demolished structures,” said Valdecantos, who spent almost two years in completing the whole structure.

The stone bricks of Kape Kesada were from an old church, the windows’ capiz parts were given by some Paete residents, while the wood he used were from demolished homes in Pila town and the provinces of Rizal and Quezon.

Haven for artists

Kape Kesada paved the way toward many opportunities for many home-grown artists.

The Paete Artists Guild was established along the process that supports local artists who want their talent to be exposed. Visual artists and singers primarily make up this group.

According to Valdecantos, Kape Kesada serves as the official venue for the artists’ exhibits and acoustic nights.

“After being given exposure here, we also help them through our contacts to have a more sustainable career,” he added.

As Kape Kesada serves as an exhibit area for Paete artists, customers can view and decide what to buy while sipping their cups of coffee. Art works of featured artists are also sold here.

“Most exhibitions in Manila are plainly viewing of paintings and other art works, but we offer more by allowing customers to feel more relaxed while drinking coffee,” Valdecantos claimed.

The coffee shop and art gallery offers a rustic and relaxing ambiance that has attracted many coffee and art lovers not only from Laguna but also from the metropolis as well.

Ambassadors of Spain and France are just two of the high profile personalities enticed by this coffee shop-art gallery.

Valdecantos thinks that local artistry must be preserved and promoted as this is what Paete is known for. “Paete artists have this huge potential, but they just don’t know how to get enough exposure,” while encouraging more young artists to develop their artistic sides.

“This is the pathway for artistic thought and its works,” he added, while emphasizing how proud he is to be from Paete.

Diner lures Manila crowd to Liliw

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 22:16:00 09/05/2009

Filed Under: Food, Restaurants & catering, Economy and Business and Finance

LILIW, Laguna – With only word-of-mouth and personal blogs as unsolicited forms of publicity, a coffee shop cum restaurant here has become another reason why tourists keep on coming to this town, aside from the cheap yet quality footwear it offers.

Other than the people residing within the town, Arabela has also enticed those from nearby towns as well as those from far cities like Manila.

Cora Relova, a member of the Pila Historical Society Foundation, who is now based in Manila, drives for at least two hours to visit Arabela. “Each meal is delightfully presented. With its reasonable prices, Arabela makes the long drive to Liliw more enjoyable.”

She adds, “I keep coming back because a good treat has a way of becoming a habit.”

Relova spends most of her weekends in Arabela, about 110 kilometers south of Manila.

Arabela – owned by brothers Victor, 63, and Bobby Camello, 44, with his wife Antonette, 44 – started in 2004 with literally two tables.

The two tables then were not intended for customers’ use. The owners just put the pasta dishes and pastries that they wanted to sell to buyers within the neighborhood.

The space they occupied then was in front of their family’s shoe store along Rizal Street here and was intended to be a plain source of additional income.

The shoe store was later transferred to another spot a few blocks away from its former location.

The restaurant’s name came from those of Bobby and Antonette’s two daughters, Ara and Bela.

Given the demand that the owners observed from their small food business then, they were pushed to put up a formal food business since their customers kept on coming back with their number increasing.

The business, which started with only P3,000 as capital, grew more than what the owners expected.

From pasta and pastries, Arabela added coffee, steaks, and fruit shakes to their menu.

“We are overwhelmed by how the people responded to our business. When we started five years ago, the food items that we put atop the two tables we used would be sold out after just an hour or two,” says Victor.

Soon after the three owners formally opened Arabela as a restaurant and coffee shop, more people started visiting their place.

“At first, we found it surprising how even prominent people are eating in our place,” notes Victor.

From mayors of different towns and cities, Arabela has also become a favorite restaurant for many celebrities and business entrepreneurs.

Affordable

Arabela offers affordable price for each food item that even students can afford.

Contrary to the usual prices of popular coffee shops and restaurants that most people know, one can sip a cup of coffee in Arabela for just P50.

Most of the pasta dishes in Arabela like lasagna and carbonara are pegged at P75.

“If the price is right, and the food is palatable enough, people will really come back,” says Victor, who now understands why their customers keep on recommending their business to their respective networks of friends and contacts.

The owners of Arabela do not have to spend money in advertising their business.

“The customers that we have served are doing the promotion for our business, even if we are not asking for it,” Victor shares.

The restaurant cum coffee shop, which can accommodate around 30 people, is usually seen fully packed.

Despite the outstanding demand of their business, the three owners have no plans of expanding their business by putting up branches in nearby towns.

“There have been a lot of suggestions on how we can expand our business. Some people are telling us that we should put up more branches but we chose to let them down,” Victor claims.

Victor, along with Bobby and Antonette, wants to maintain the character of Arabela.

“Our business may not be that unique anymore once we put up other branches. The best thing about our business, and the most gratifying, is that people are willing to travel two to three hours just to eat in our place,” Victor says.

Goatherds thrive on milk of their stock

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:06:00 08/14/2009

Filed Under: Economy and Business and Finance, Food

ALAMINOS, Laguna— Banking on the novelty of growing goats in the country, Rene Almeda, 54, and sons Art, 27, and Toti, 25, are making a bundle selling goat’s milk to major retailers in Metro Manila.

Rene and his two sons opened Alaminos Goat Farm (AFG) in 2004 initially to breed goats for commercial use.

Later on, the Almedas ventured into the production of goat milk, which they labeled Milk Star Fresh Goat’s Milk.

Farm handling

Rene used to operate a cattle feedlot farm. He and his sons thought of starting a goat farm, driven by the relative high demand for goats and its byproducts.

With P300,000 capital, the Almedas put up their goat farm, starting out with only 50 goats. Now, AFG has 950 milking and breeding goats.

“There was a wrong notion about this business. Some are discouraged by the foul smell often associated with goats. But it mainly depends on how one maintains them,” says Art, who serves as the operations manager of the farm.

He said even the government was skeptical of this kind of business.

But the Almedas proved them all wrong.

Milk production

Art’s younger brother Toti is the brand manager of Milk Star Fresh Goat’s Milk.

It was in 2007 when the Almedas thought of producing milk. They then added 100 more goats to their stock.

At present, Milk Star Goat’s Milk is a supplier to more than 20 supermarkets, mostly in Metro Manila. They also have distributors in Laguna.

Art said that it was not easy at first to introduce goat’s milk to the public.

“We are consistently informing the public about the benefits of goat’s milk. It’s very good for digestion,” says Art.

When milk production started, most of the buyers were from the Chinese community who were already aware of the product’s benefits.

Appreciation

“But the public has learned to appreciate goat’s milk, [which] only takes 20 minutes to digest,” Art claims.

Goat’s milk is perfect for those who are lactose intolerant.

Lacto-vegetarians even recommend goat’s milk because they say it is closer to human milk than cow’s milk.

Now, AFG produces 190 liters of goat’s milk each day.

Still, Art admits that the misconception about goat’s milk remains, so they continue informing people about the benefits of drinking goat’s milk.

AFG imposes strict sanitary measures in producing the goat’s milk before reaching the market. It has its own processing area for milk a few meters from the farm.

The farm is also the first commercial dairy goat farm to receive a license to operate issued by the Bureau of Food and Drugs.

‘Wrap’ artists take gift-giving to new levels

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:50:00 08/13/2009

Filed Under: Entrepreneurship

CALAMBA CITY—Using a borrowed table from her sister and a few gift wrappers, an entrepreneur here started a trade based on Filipinos’ love of giving and receiving gifts.

Chiqui Barretto, 46, began running her gift-wrapping business, Wrap it Up!, in November 2000, heeding the demand of many buyers in a small mall in Calamba City.

It was Christmas, and Barreto’s business was supposed to last just that season. In fact, she secured a contract for only three months.

“I was only trying, there were no plans of expanding [the business] during that time,” said Barretto, who admitted that she had no inclination toward the art of gift wrapping but she felt consumers needed this kind of service.

Wrap it Up! started rendering service mostly to buyers at a nearby appliance center within the mall.

But the demand that came was more than she was expected.

Wrap it Up! now has 11 branches, nine of which are franchised. All of them are located in malls in Laguna and Metro Manila.

Barretto said she started with a capital of P5,000. She couldn’t imagine the business would grow that much when she started out.

Barretto takes pride in training her “wrap artists,” as she calls her employees.

“We allow [wrap artists] to experiment, but training is needed in this field. Gift wrapping is an art,” said Barretto.

She still feels overwhelmed whenever she draws a favorable reaction from a client, she added.

“You need to be observant. Non-verbal cues of clients really matter,” Barreto said.

“You may be frugal in buying the gifts you would give your loved ones, but the presentation is very important,” Barretto said.

The receiver of the gift may feel more special if care is taken in the presentation of a gift, she added.

Even the “wrap artists” of franchised branches need to undergo training so the quality of service will be maintained.

Barretto said she is hands-on in running her business so she occasionally pays visits to each branch, not just to keep an eye on employees, but also to personally see clients patronizing the service.

Wrap it Up! frequently comes out with new designs and materials, offering customers a wider range of options—a far cry from the time it started out when the only option were P10 wrappers bought from Divisoria.

Given the novelty of the business, Wrap it Up! almost has no competitors, and this fact serves as a challenge for Barretto.

People would always come back to Wrap it Up! and look for something new.

“We need to think of more creative ideas each year, as well as introduce new raw materials,” said Barretto.

She added that, although an economic crisis had put a damper on people’s spending habits, the culture of giving still would not stop.

“Giving something is giving off yourself,” she said.

Barretto considers each gift to be important, both to the giver and receiver. And she takes pains in making sure that Wrap it Up! renders the kind of service clients will want to have.

Extracting gold from grass

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 00:31:00 06/21/2009

Filed Under: Economy and Business and Finance, Entrepreneurship, Corporate social responsibility

Most Read

SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA – Four siblings here have struck gold by spinning out a whole line of natural wellness products from “tanglad,” or lemon grass.

Lilia Baligod-Pelayo, 61, with her brothers Romeo, 71; Jose, 68; and Bienvenido, 67 – all surnamed Baligod – put up Gold in Grass Corp. (GIGC), which produces Essencia, natural care products made from lemon grass.

Widely known as a culinary herb, “tanglad” has other significant uses most people are not aware of, according to Pelayo.

“We’ve read so much about lemon grass and we thought it would be a good idea to introduce its healthy benefits through a business,” Pelayo said.

The idea of starting a business out of lemon grass made more sense to the siblings because they were all eager to help farmers in rural areas.

“We were born in Kalinga, and we initially planned to establish a business there to help one of the province’s poorest communities,” said Pelayo.

The siblings also wanted to come up with a worthwhile venture after retirement.

“We didn’t want to be idle after retirement and maintaining a business was a logical option,” said Pelayo.

Planting GIGC

With P10 million, GIGC acquired its first five-hectare plantation in San Francisco, Kalinga, in 2001, hoping to help the farmers in the area, according to Pelayo, a retired accountant.

After preparing the land, they started to look for distilling equipment, which they would need to process the lemon grass extract.

It took some time before GIGC had a proper distilling equipment in place.

Bienvenido, an engineer, came up with an innovative distilling machine, especially designed for their business, in 2003.

The distilling equipment can process a ton of lemon grass in 1.5 hours. It can produce 2.5 liters of oil per ton of lemon grass.

This same distilling equipment was included as a finalist in the 2003 Asian Innovation Awards in Singapore.

This made the siblings more confident in their distilling equipment.

“The land we bought would be useless if there was no efficient distilling equipment to come with it,” said Pelayo.

However, the first few years of the business were not easy for the four.

The research and development phase took almost three years.

They also had to transfer to another area as their aim of helping the community did not turn out well.

“Some community residents thought we were literally digging for gold [at] the plantation,” Pelayo recalled. “It is not something good for the business, so we decided to look for another ... plantation.”

In 2004, they transferred to Lasam, Cagayan Valley, where they still maintain a four-hectare plantation.

But the lemon grass extracts produced in the plantation were not enough to cope with the demand at that time.

Three years after they transferred to Cagayan Valley, they were able to acquire another four-hectare piece of land in Sariaya, Quezon, and proceeded to expand production.

Safe products

The lemon grass extracts gave way to the development of a number of Essencia products produced by GIGC. These natural care products include massage oil, reed diffuser oil, insect repellant, foot scrub, foot lotion, shampoo, conditioner and soap.

They also introduced the lemon grass hydrosol (lemon grass water extract) which, according to Pelayo, helps in lowering one’s cholesterol level.

Lemon grass oil is also said to have antiseptic, antimicrobial and analgesic properties.

“It also helps combat stress and exhaustion,” said Pelayo, who developed most of the products through trial and error. “These are safe since we do not mix harmful chemicals in our products.”

Essencia products have found their way in a number of day spas not only in Laguna and Metro Manila, but also in the Visayas and Mindanao.

GIGC now plans to sell their products in the international market.

Social responsibility

With the success of GIGC, the siblings never fail to give back what is due to the community.

They continue to help landless farmers living near their plantations.

Apart from its 12 regular employees, GIGC has also provided livelihood opportunities to more than 40 farmers.

Pelayo also shared that they are doing their fair share in helping the environment.

“While providing employment in rural communities, planting aromatic herbs like lemon grass helps in maintaining balance in the ecosystem.”

According to Pelayo, they are now in the process of introducing more aromatic herbs like ilang-ilang to be used in their products.

GIGC maintains an office at the family home on Gladiola Street, Sampaguita Village, San Pedro, Laguna. It also has a showroom in Makati City.

Couple finds fortune selling ‘lugaw’

By Karen Lapitan
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 00:29:00 06/21/2009

Filed Under: Food, Economy and Business and Finance, Entrepreneurship

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SAN PABLO CITY – While most local households consider “lugaw” (porridge) an alternative meal in times of financial woe, a couple here has found fortune in selling this affordable food.

Sherwin, 27, and Beverly Aquino, 28, started their porridge business, which they named Lugaw Queen, with only P1,100 as capital. Now, they have nine branches and are in the process of putting up even more.

Lugaw Queen has been a favorite stop of people looking for a combination of affordability, cleanliness and good taste in each meal.

Just for extra income

The couple used to have a computer shop but had to close it down in 2006 since earning from its operation was no longer that much.

Beverly recalled that they wanted to put up a business then to have an extra income since they felt that their combined salaries would not be enough for their needs.

After they decided to close the computer shop, they started looking for other means to earn some extra money.

Sherwin, who was working for a fast-food chain then, was offered by his boss to rent the vacant four-square meter space beside the fast-food branch for P6,000 a month.

“I initially declined the offer. I thought a P6,000 monthly rental was too much. Only three people can be accommodated in the space being offered,” Beverly related.

But they were consistently convinced by the owner, and the couple decided to give in. They chose a food business since Beverly was really into cooking.

Beverly thought of just selling porridge since it does not require a big investment.

She bought 12 pieces of eggs, 1 kilo of rice and the other ingredients needed in cooking porridge. They only had three chairs for the customers.

The couple convinced the owner of the space they rented that they would pay P200 a day instead of P6,000 a month, which they thought was easier to pay.

In November 2007, the first branch of Lugaw Queen was put up in San Pablo City.

“Our initial cost was P1,100,” Beverly said, adding that the first pot they used in cooking was not yet fully paid when the store opened.

“We paid 100 a day for that pot,” according to Beverly, who up to now could not believe how their business succeeded.

Stunning success

“We were surprised how the customers kept on coming in. From three chairs that we had, we had to buy 10 more chairs and tables to accommodate the customers,” Beverly said.

Barely two weeks after the couple opened their business, they had to put up another branch in San Pablo City just to accommodate the hundreds of customers who wanted to try their product.

Sherwin and Beverly were forced to resign from their respective jobs since they wanted to focus on their growing business.

“The number of customers increased, and our capital was literally doubling every day,” Beverly shared.

Lugaw Queen offers a meal for as low as P12.

“Aside from the price and taste, I think customers like our products since we value sanitation in our operation,” Beverly said.

Sherwin’s former boss at the fastfood chain, Eugenio Cheung, 29, also joined the business and helped the couple expand it further.

Months after, four more branches were opened in San Pablo City, Los Baños and Sta. Rosa City in Laguna and in Manila.

Challenges

Despite the success, the couple also faced some problems in running the business.

Beverly said some barangay (village) officials used to complain about their business since it added to the town’s traffic problems.

She added, “There was a time that I wanted to give up the business since I felt too tired, but the people’s patronage of our products is just too overwhelming.”

Sherwin convinced Beverly not to give up the business since aside from helping their family with their finances, they are also giving employment to at least 50 people, whom they value for their hard work and diligence.

“In maintaining a business, you need to value your employees for them to render the service that you want,” Beverly said.

One artist’s labor bears fruit

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:09:00 05/31/2009

Filed Under: Arts (general), Beverages, Economy and Business and Finance

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IMUS, Cavite – Art connoisseur Roberto Castañeda wanted to promote Filipino culture in a different way when he thought of putting up a business in 2000.

While most art and culture advocates make use of theater, visual arts and literary pieces to promote culture, Castañeda uses wine as his own way of helping Filipinos – culturally and economically.

With P250,000, he formally started Don Roberto’s Winery as sole proprietorship in 2001 after a year of planning, research, and experimentation.

From sole proprietorship, the winery became Don Roberto’s Winery Corp. after experiencing a year of growth and success in the field of wine production.

More and more people got interested in the business since it offered unique products.

Don Roberto’s Wine is known worldwide for its products: Ripe mango wine, green mango wine and the soon-to-be-launched brewed coffee wine.

“The main aim of the business is for us to be known as the first producer of mango and coffee wine in the world,” Castañeda told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“We also want to enrich the global wine culture with unique, exotic and exquisite mango and coffee wine.”

Starting the winery

Castañeda is a Business Administration graduate who later pursued a career in culture and arts. At some point, he was part of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, where he served as one of its performing artists.

He was also affiliated with the Centro Cultural de España.

Although he was deep into the promotion of culture and arts, particularly music, his interest in business never wavered. From time to time, he would engage in family business ventures.

In 2000, before he thought of running a winery business, he was planning to put up his own restaurant in Baguio.

For six months, he stayed in the Cordillera where he engaged in the arts, as well as charity work.

He was invited to teach in a seminary, where he also served as hospice volunteer. Later, he mounted a religious musical production there.

The idea of starting a winery came while he was staying in the seminary.

“I really have this passion for cooking, and my interest was caught when I saw a nun in the seminary making wine out of strawberry and pomelo,” Castañeda recalled.

He asked the nun how he could make his own wine.

At first, the nun was hesitant because the concoction was said to be a 100-year-old secret Belgian recipe.

“But out of gratitude, the nun eventually told me how to make fruit wine on condition that I wouldn’t tell anyone how the fruit wines are made,” said Castañeda.

When he returned to his hometown of Imus, he tried to learn all there was to know about fruit wines, hoping to develop his own version which would be different from what the nun had taught him.

“One night, I was watching a news program on TV where the 2001 Cebu Mango Congress was featured,” Castañeda recalled.

He bought some mangoes the day after, having decided to promote local mangoes on his own.

Starting the business was never easy as Castañeda literally had to go places to learn more about fruit wines, specifically, mango wine.

Before he decided to start his winery, he went to Orange County and Europe to study wine-making.

“The preparation process took me a year as I didn’t want to introduce a product below [par],” said Castañeda, who considered research and development to be a crucial phase in the winery business.

After some experimentation, he turned his house in Imus into a winery, where he initially produced 200 vats of wine.

Soon after, Castañeda had to move to a larger winery because of the surprising growth in demand for ripe and green mango wine abroad.

Systematic

Castañeda had set out not only to promote Filipino culture globally but to help other entrepreneurs as well.

He ensured that other people would also benefit from the success of the business, thus, he imposed a systematic way of outsourcing that would benefit not just one mango supplier.

From January to June, Don Roberto’s Winery Corp. would get its mangoes from producers in Luzon. From July to December, mangoes from Visayas and Mindanao producers would be delivered.

In addition, the coffee used in the development of the brewed coffee wine came from Cavite.

The coffee wine will be launched in June.

“Even ordinary coffee peddlers in Cavite benefit from this business,” said Castañeda. “From ordinary peddlers to high-end wine distributors, our winery is doing its part in providing opportunities for many people.”

Globally competitive

Castañeda admitted that one of the challenges of his business was product familiarity among potential buyers.

But Don Roberto’s Ripe Mango and Green Mango wine has been recognized internationally, already reaping a number of awards.

The products have also been featured in a number of business publications in the United States, Japan, Korea and Europe.

But the international publicity that his business has generated made it prone to product imitation.

“Now, there are at least six companies trying to imitate our products, but I am confident they will never succeed,” said Castañeda, adding that his products are all protected by patent.

Castañeda takes pride in using local mangoes in his wine, making Filipino products more popular in the global market.

“The mangoes that we have here remain the best among those I have tasted. And I am happy that I have this opportunity to let other people around the world have a taste of it.”

The brewed coffee wine, meanwhile, is expected to promote the coffee industry in Cavite.

‘Health is wealth’ takes on whole new meaning

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:17:00 05/31/2009

Filed Under: Food, Health, Economy and Business and Finance, Family

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LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA – Health buffs are in for a treat when they swing by a new dining place here.

Herb Republic, which opened on April 22 in time for Earth Day, is a restaurant concerned not only with the food it serves, but also the health and lifestyle of its patrons.

Owned by the Pantua brothers – Herbert, 40, and Rainer, 33 – the restaurant also maintains its own poultry and mini farm to ensure that only organic and natural ingredients are used in the dishes they serve.

From beverages to the main course, Herb Republic offers nothing but all-organic ingredients.

No alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are not offered in the restaurant since the owners believe that there are healthier options available.

“In coming up with this business, we primarily considered the wellness of the customers since both of us [brothers] are interested in eating ‘green’ food items,” Herbert says.

The idea of putting up a restaurant with a twist started in the latter part of 2008. The planning phase continues to this day, even after the restaurant has already opened to the public.

“Planning is still ongoing since we are not yet done in developing the restaurant area, as well as the things that we can offer to potential customers,” Herbert explains. “We also want people to realize that healthy eating does not always have to be expensive.”

He also wants to shatter the notion that “green” food items are only for the well-off since most restaurants offering such dishes serve them at high prices.

“At Herb Republic, that negative notion is debunked,” Herbert says.

For only P50 to P200, he adds, one can have a healthy meal.

The Pantua brothers refuse to disclose the amount of capital they have raised to start the business, claiming that there are more important things than the money they have spent in putting up the restaurant.

“The time and effort we have been devoting to this business are priceless,” Rainer tells the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

According to Herbert, the business, “is actually a collective effort.”

“Other members of the family are contributing their time and ideas [to help the business grow],” Herbert says. “We want to encourage our customers to do the same.”

Green chicken

The Herb Republic owners are still developing the one-hectare property where the restaurant is located.

A few meters from the restaurant, is the brothers’ poultry facility where they tend to their “green chicken.”

“What we serve here are purely organic chicken,” says Herbert. “It means that each serving of chicken dish in our restaurant is guaranteed healthy since there are no artificial or antibiotic supplements given to the chicken.”

Each chicken is also guaranteed fresh since what they serve are only slaughtered that same day.

The main challenge in putting up and maintaining this kind of business is how to introduce the idea of eating healthy to potential customers.

Health buffs are not only their main targets, according to the brothers.

“Everyone can try eating here so they can appreciate the importance of living a healthy lifestyle,” says Herbert.

Apart from serving up healthy food, the owners of Herb Republic also plan to offer their customers modules and informal lectures on organic farming to raise their awareness.

We are aiming for sustainability here, says Rainer. “It would be interesting if the restaurant goers would learn how to do organic farming themselves.”

Herb Republic is located in Barangay Maahas, Los Baños, Laguna, 62 kilometers south of Manila.

Retiree mines health, wealth in herbal trade

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:03:00 05/24/2009

Filed Under: Economy and Business and Finance, Health

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna – When Tito Contado, 73, retired from his job, he had no plans of looking for other sources of income or putting up a business, knowing he had saved enough for his retirement.

As former chief of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Service of Agricultural Education and Extension, his retirement benefits were more than enough to provide for his and his family’s needs.

But through his research, he learned of the herbal supplement business, and decided to pursue it, despite the highly competitive market.

In 2001, Contado formally established the PhilMorinda Citrifolia Inc. here.

PhilMorinda produces PhilNONI, a natural dietary supplement extracted from the medicinal plant Noni.

Sowing the business

The idea of producing PhilNONI occurred to Contado in 1999 when he was on vacation with his family in their hometown in Leyte.

“My sister-in-law kept on telling me stories about Noni, a medicinal plant that is abundant in Leyte, and claimed that her son who had a tumor was helped by this plant,” he recalled.

As someone who was into research work, his curiosity encouraged him to conduct his own study on Noni to prove the claims of his sister-in-law.

Then a skeptic of herbal medicines, Contado did not instantly believe what his sister-in-law told him. “But I observed the changes on my nephew’s health, which somehow convinced me that there was something about that medicinal plant.”

“I immediately recognized it as a common tree in Eastern Samar where I grew up. I had been playing with the smelly rotten fruits and cutting the tree as fencing material,” he recalled.

He gathered as much information as he could from different libraries that he could access. Later, he tried the fruit himself.

Contado was once pricked by a crab shell in Tacloban and his wife couldn’t control the bleeding.

He tried drinking a bottle of Noni fruit juice, hoping to experience relief, the way his nephew had.

“It helped stop the bleeding. The next day, the wound had healed,” Contado says.

This encouraged him to come out with a product that would actually help people.

“As a researcher, it has always been my goal to help people experience the benefits that science brings. This is actually what lacks here [in the Philippines] there are tons of researches but most of them do not give birth to tangible products that the people need,” he says.

His researches led him to the fruit of the plant, unlike other manufacturers of herbal products who focused on the leaves or barks.

Contado has chosen the fruit because of the seeds that contain melatonin, ascorbic acid, potassium and other components needed by the body.

With a million pesos, he formally established his herbal supplement business.

Development

After securing the necessary permits to operate a business, Contado officially sold the products of combined scientific researches – PhilNONI herbal supplement.

PhilNONI’s initial buyers were friends and those referred to him by friends. But the business did not cease growing as more people got interested on the product.

The increase in demand for PhilNONI prompted Contado to export his product in 2006 –particularly in Switzerland, United States, and South Korea.

“I feel elated that this venture has expanded into something I never imagined it could. All I wanted then was to share what I had discovered and proven,” he claimed.

“I do not consider this venture as pure business, but a developmental one in which you combine learning, studying and entrepreneurship.”

Contado admitted that establishing his product in a market already filled with herbal supplements, all claiming to be the best, exposed it to negative notions.

“Some people are cynical about the product, which is understandable, since you see herbal supplements almost everywhere today,” he said. “But our product is different as we have supporting researches to prove it, and we do not deceive our clients and potential clients by claiming that PhilNONI is a cure-all juice.”

Contado clarified that PhilNONI could not replace antibiotics and other medications that a person needs, but it can “help the body help itself.”

“From lowering high blood pressure to improving resistance in fighting cancer, PhilNONI can help,” he said.

For the product to be more accessible to more people, Contado often makes adjustments to his product.

“We now have smaller bottles of the juice and capsules for those who have limited budget but are interested in trying our product,” he said.

After almost eight years in the business, Contado claimed that the profit he got is very minimal.

“The greatest reward that I get is the chance to share how helpful scientific researches can be to the community and the people.”

‘Halo-halo’ business refreshes after 73 yrs

Pagsanjan tour includes stop at Aling Taleng’s

By Karen Lapitan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 04:22:00 04/05/2009

Filed Under: Restaurants & catering, Food, Family

PAGSANJAN, Laguna, Philippines — Selling “halo-halo” during summer may be common for most local households, but not for Rita Zaguirre who inherited a trademark made popular by her grandmother over the past 70 years — Aling Taleng’s Halo-halo.

At 58, Zaguirre hopes to preserve the enterprise, which is 15 years older than she is, that has been handed down to her.

“When tourists arrive in Pagsanjan, they usually ask where Aling Taleng’s is located,” says Rita, who was tasked to manage the business after her mother died in 2004.

Now, Aling Taleng’s not only offers the halo-halo that has made it famous, it is serving up other dishes to customers as well. It has also expanded from its base in Pagsanjan, Laguna, 92 kilometers south of Manila, to nearby towns.

Grandmother

Aling Taleng’s Halo-halo was started in 1933 in this town by Catalina Zaguirre, Rita’s grandmother.

“My grandmother started a ‘halo-halo’ store in front of their house. It was just like [other such stands] that you see among local households,” Rita shares.

There were no tables for customers then. The only table in the store was the one that contained all the ingredients and utensils used to make the iced dish.

“The orders were all for takeout,” she adds.

When she was growing up, Rita observed how her grandmother managed the small business, which started with only P10 as capital.

The customers, mostly neighbors, she says, kept on coming back as they found the recipe of Aling Taleng’s Halo-halo to be different from all the others.

We combine different ingredients, setting our halo-halo apart from the ordinary ones served up in other stores or even fast-food chains,” says Rita.

Traditional “halo-halo” is composed mainly of sweetened banana, sweet potato, “gulaman,” sago and crushed ice.

But Aling Taleng’s Halo-halo takes pride in its seven main ingredients: “kaong,” “leche flan,” mongo beans, “macapuno,” sugarcane bits, “kondol” and “ube.”

“The recipe that Aling Taleng developed is still used up to now,” Rita says. “We have not bothered to change what the customers have learned to love.”

Rita belongs to the third generation of the family handling the business, located in Maulawin village here.

When Catalina died, Rita’s aunt handled the business that was later turned over to her mother.

Rita describes how overwhelming the patronage of local residents and tourists has been through the years.

“My grandmother, Aling Taleng, had indeed left a great legacy, not only to our family but also to the whole town,” Rita says, adding that “the business has also been closely associated with the town of Pagsanjan.”

“Your visit here won’t be complete without trying our halo-halo,” Rita says in Filipino.

No big changes

Asked about the changes that have been made to entice more customers, Rita tells the Inquirer, “Nothing big has changed.”

“I just invested some amount to improve the ambiance of the place. Except for the improvement of the physical location, our business has remained the same.”

Still located a few meters away from the municipal office where it started in 1933, Rita renovated the “halo-halo” store. Part of an old house that could only accommodate 20 persons was given a modern look.

“But the customers can still feel that they are just eating in their own dining areas,” Rita says.

The Zaguirre family did not have to invest much to promote the business. Aside from the municipal office’s efforts to promote local businesses online, the customers themselves are inviting more people to come to the place.

One can have a tall glass of “halo-halo” for just P50 with seven ingredients in it, which Rita considers the secret of the family’s success.

When she started handling the business in 2004, Rita decided to come up with additional food to offer customers, like “sinigang sa miso,” “pancit canton and “pancit miki” that, she says, are “for the convenience of the tourists.”

‘Lutong bahay’

“All of the dishes we offer are ‘lutong-bahay’ [home cooking],” Rita shares.

Municipal Tourism Office head Norbie Turabia says Aling Taleng’s Halo-halo has contributed much in boosting the tourism industry in Pagsanjan.

“Tourists are always looking for the place, and we have always been proud of that,” claims Turabia.

Turabia himself eats frequently at Aling Taleng’s Halo-halo. “People keep on patronizing their halo-halo mainly because of the different ingredients that only Aling Taleng’s can offer.”

Despite the small profit that Rita gets from maintaining the business, she remains unfazed and vows to continue what her grandmother had left her.

“It’s for Aling Taleng, and for those customers who consistently look for her ‘halo-halo.’”

Boredom drives couple into handicrafts

By Karen Lapitan
Southern Luzon Bureau
First Posted 23:46:00 01/24/2009

Filed Under: Economy and Business and Finance

PAETE, Laguna—It was boredom that pushed a couple here to go into a business that they never thought would penetrate the international market.

Roberto Cabrera, 62, and wife Vilma, 60, decided to venture into handicraft in 1988, when they felt they were no longer happy managing their small retail. “It was too monotonous,” Vilma recalls of their life before. “We do the same things every day, so we thought of coming up with a new business.”

And so, Rhema-J Handicrafts was born. The trade name was culled from the names of their children: Rhea, Marry Ann and Jassed.

After a while, the name was changed to Cabrera’s Handicrafts.

Today, the company goes by the name R. Cabrera’s Gifts and Collection (RCGC), giving pride to locally made products by invading the global market.

Terrace

With a starting capital of P3,000, the couple hired three production workers and turned their house’s terrace into a workplace.

“What we had then was only a 10-square meter space for the production,” Vilma said.

Initially, they made wooden pendants for a native necklace business of a client who was into export. This client ordered P20,000 worth of products after the couple showed samples of their designs.

That presented a production problem for them, having only P3,000 with which to deliver on a huge initial order.

But the couple did not want to borrow.

“We wanted to expand our business on our own,” Vilma told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

At the time, they did not have their own equipment. Even the packaging of their initial products was simple.

“My husband would just improvise,” Vilma said. “Boxes of cigarettes served as our main packaging material [for our finished products].”

To resolve their problem, they asked for a down payment to buy the raw materials.

After the initial bulk order, other customers went directly to their small office to inquire about their other products.

“We did not have a defined marketing strategy then,” Vilma said. “The clients were the ones who would ask us about our products.”

Apart from wooden pendants, they also made indigenous home decors, paper-based products, event souvenirs, kitchen wares and wooden signs.

More than the profit, the couple stressed that the quality of the products and the integrity of the owners matter most.

“At first, it may look strange that we had to turn down some business deals,” Vilma explained. “But we knew our capacity and we did not want to put our ... credibility at risk.”

Before making a deal, RCGC management ensures that their employees will have ample time to work on the order. They also try to make sure that each product is of high quality.

Continued growth

Ten years after its establishment, RCGC has a firm foothold in the local market.

At first, they introduced overruns to buyers interested in their products.

The local buyers were impressed with the quality and designs of the products, Vilma said.

This additional demand for their products prompted them to open a store in Paete, Laguna.

The terrace that served as their work place was replaced by a larger work area for the production of handicraft and gift items.

“Production [entailed] up to 50,000 pieces of decorative items and other products,” Vilma explained, adding that she and her husband also derived great satisfaction in providing job opportunities.

They now have 25 regular employees and at least 20 subcontract workers, depending on the orders from clients.

In 2001, they opened another store in Olivarez Plaza in Los Baños. This was followed by another in Market! Market! in Taguig, which they named Kyosh Novelty Shop. The couple’s daughter, Rhea, now manages the shop.

After two years, they opened their third store in Phase 2 of Market! Market!

Now, R. Cabrera Gifts and Collections indirectly exports products to Singapore, Europe and North America through their distributors and buyers.

Vilma said they were also planning to open another branch in Metro Manila.

Sharing

The P3,000 in capital and the 10-sq. m. workplace have taken them far.

Vilma said they were thankful for the success of their business, which they also attributed to their workers.

The first artist that they hired when they started more than 20 years ago is still with them.

“It really feels good to know that we have loyal and efficient workers with us,” Vilma said, recalling how some of their other workers became successful later in life.

She added that they do not really treat their workers as mere employees but as family.

“We even eat the same dishes during meals,” Vilma said.

Aside from seeing to the welfare of their workers, the couple is also into charity work, which they claim is their way of sharing with others the success they now enjoy.