“Hard-work and patience, not just luck!”

Lilia Gil Oraiz or Mana Lilith summed up the wisdom she learned in nearly three decades since her family first put up the “bocarillo” business in the early 80’s.

Located in Barangay Ibarra, Maasin City, the new and well-designed Lilith’s Bocarillo store now stands as a concrete example how small-medium enterprises (SME’s) in the countryside can also be rewarding and profitable through sheer determination and endless improvement of the product.

With only two workers during its first operation and with an “unbelievable” capital of less than One hundred pesos (P100.00), Lilith’s Bocarillo now thrives and earns the reputation as “one of the fast-growing SME’s” in the city.

A pack of bocarillo is sold at P45.00 (big) and P25.00 (small).

To date, Lilith’s Bocarillo has established its market in some key places in the region, Cebu, Davao and Metro Manila.

The delicious “langka” and “buko”

Bocarillo is a home-made sweet delicacy that can be flavored with “langka” (jackfruit) and buko (coconut) and is guaranteed to have no preservatives.

Its procedure is so simple and can be done manually. First, the refined sugar is placed in a sauce pan and is heated until it becomes glutinous. Next, the grated meat of young coconut or ripe jackfruit is mixed in the pan and is added with milk until it is cooked. Thereafter, the cooked “bocarillo” is formed into “tiny squares” using a fork.

The bocarillo can also be flavored with durian, pineapple, lemon, and peanuts, if you’ll request.

The successful story

Once considered as inferior business in their village (also due to stiff competition with other home-made products sold in the neighborhood), Lilith’s Bocarillo now becomes the big source of income for the Oraiz family.

Mana Lilith is a plain house wife and bocarillo business has always been her dream so she could also augment the family income to support the studies of their children.

And out of this aspiration and constant innovation to the product’s taste and packaging (also with the constant “challenge” of her husband Mano Gonding to finally come up with the tastiest bocarillo in Maasin), now comes the original bocarillo in Barangay Ibarra whose taste can never be matched.

Mana Lilith revealed that her business started to thrive during the “Kalakalan 2000” highlighted in 1994-1999.

During those years her business got exemption from taxes and other liabilities. Also, her product was constantly supported and monitored by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

However, they also faced some problems on the product’s shelf-life.

The product can only last for around 2 weeks or less than a month—giving them some difficulties in accommodating orders for overseas.

In the end, though others said that her husband got the financial backings to their business being a government worker, Mana Lilith humbly maintains that it is always about their hard-work and patience that brought “luck” to their business.

By Bong Pedalino

Maasin City (13 January) — It is hard to imagine the image of the average Filipino as engaging in business, a legal, legitimate, profit-oriented enterprise be it in the services sector or in commercial trading, buy-and-sell concern, merchandising or any other gainful activity.

This is not to say that the ordinary Filipino does not engage in business. On the contrary, many self-made, unheard Filipinos rose from humble beginnings and landed in the top of the lists, mainly by sheer guts and hard work.

It is just that it takes enough courage and real hard convincing to stimulate the energy of Filipino citizens to go into busin

ess.

Given a choice between going into one’s own profitable venture and seeking employment, the general reaction of fresh college graduates is to choose the latter over the former.

***

Now please don’t get me wrong. It’s all fine and okay to scout for jobs, be gainfully employed, and thus become a productive member of society.

The reality, however, is that work is hard to find, and when there is one opening in the private sector, about a hundred will be lining up to apply.

This has led to our version of Filipino diaspora, where millions are now scattered all over the world working for foreign employers, sacrificing family closeness and personal care of children especially those still in their growing up years.

Employment in the public sector is not easy in coming either, and consider yourself lucky when you land in one (and have a sideline business, too) without necessarily resorting to having political clearances or back-ups.

***

Perhaps the reason why a Filipino would not readily embrace the idea of going into business lies in our upbringing as a people. I remember my parents saying “daghan nang nag-negosyo niana” (many were already into such kind of business) when an offer to be in business props up.

Another is the persistent notion that a businessman is limbongan, tikasan (dishonest, theft).

Somehow the subliminal message instilled in our consciousness is that being in business is bad, or hard, or risky, or whatever negative connotation there is.

***

Not anymore. We now know that upright, ethical, and morally-oriented businessmen have been there all around us to serve as our role models and inspiration.

In addition, many glossy magazines — aside from varied internet web sites — are now available in the market, encouraging and extolling the virtues of being one’s own boss, managing a small, medium, or a micro enterprise based on one’s skill, hobby, talent, or pastimes. (Granting, of course, that one likes to read, and appreciate these inspirational, rags-to-riches articles in hard copies and the net).

So the text generation of young Filipinos or young professionals, including the young once, have all the tools at their disposal to guide them in the rough road to commerce, and to keep their interests in business high.

Add initiative into the picture, and the Filipino Everyman — Juan de la Cruz, Juan Masipag, or its latest incarnation in Mang Pandoy — will be ready for the challenging world of business anytime, anywhere.

***

LOCAL FRONT: This column/commentary has been inspired by the statement of Mike Nunez, the provincial Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). During the DYSL Kapihan sa PIA forum last week Nunez urged the listeners to be in business and not seek jobs. Easier said than done, but such words carried a lot of wisdom. Here’s hoping that Mike’s words, and the thoughts in this column/commentary, would never fall on deaf ears.

ODDLY YOURS: The famous Manila Galleons, according to our history, sailed for 250 years between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico, from the years 1565 up to 1815, exchanging flourishing goods and cultures of east and west. From Manila, the Galleons, which were built by master Filipino craftsmen from Cavite, sailed the inter-island route of Mindoro, Masbate, and off to San Bernardino Strait between Samar and Leyte (yes, the seas behind our PIA Regional office is the highway of these Galleons) before setting off to the Pacific Ocean for the long, long journey to Acapulco. A one-way trip would take ten months to a year, depending on favorable winds, vice-versa. What was not detailed in history books was that out of an average of 400 passengers in one trip, less than one-half survived to reach the destination. Weather is number one enemy, and scarcity or dwindling food supply another, especially when the boring trip will be on its fifth month onwards. About 40 Galleons did not make it, many of them sunk along the way. One Galleon even floated aimlessly just before reaching Mexico: all its passengers died of starvation and diseases. So much for the vaunted glory of those Galleons. (PIA-Southern Leyte)

Maasin City — The key to prosperity and wealth is to become an entrepreneur, not an office worker.

Mike Nunez, Provincial Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), floated this challenging call this morning during the DYSL Kapihan sa PIA, the first kapihan forum of the new year held at the PIA office and aired live over DYSL-Sogod, where Nunez was the maiden guest.

“Instead of giving fare money for their sons and daughters to go to urban centers to look for work, how much would it be better if Parents encourage their children to be entrepreneurs,” Nunez said.

He issued the same advice to students, urging them to be their own boss in a business venture that they are passionate enough to pursue, rather than join the long line of job hunters looking for office work.

Worse, the intense desire to have office-oriented postings has led many to ask for recommendations from political leaders, Nunez added.

The local DTI chief, however, admitted it is not easy to go into one’s own business, since many factors have to be seriously considered, such as the aspiration or willingness of the individual, financial capital, kind or type of business, and target market, among others.

Asked what kind of business he could recommend in the province for potential investors or business-minded local people, Nunez readily recited several options in the tourism industry and in the field of environment.

For tourism-related undertaking, Nunez said there is still a high demand for accommodation facilities like a ten-room lodging inn, sea or land transportation for whistlestop tour along sight-seeing routes, and souvenir shops that sell T-shirts, delicacies, or novelty items.

He cited the natural forest in Silago, in which some 5,000 hectares of natural grown trees — whose trunks have to be encircled by five persons on outstretched arms — as a sure hit among nature lovers, or any visitors to wonder in awe and shock.

In agriculture, there are plenty of economic possibilities, although he was not able to elaborate for lack of time.

Southern Leyte (January — The trade and investment possibilities in the sprawling Sogod bay area of this province, particularly on aquamarine development among others, were already presented to top businessmen of Taiwan, according to Mike Nunez, Provincial Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

The presentation was made during the Visayas Trade and Investment Mission to Taiwan conducted in the first week of November last year, Nunez said at the DYSL Kapihan sa PIA forum yesterday.

“Our focus in the presentation was the potential of Sogod bay, on aquamarine industry and information communication technology (ICT). We zeroed on Sogod for tourism and vast prospects for agriculture,” said Nunez.

He cited a Taiwanese businessman they met who was successful in his Lapu-lapu culture and breeding which was sold to China, a ready market.

This guy had come to the Philippines to gather his initial Lapu-lapu stock and since then he was breeding on his own using appropriate technology, a disclosure that shocked the Filipino visitors.

The business trip to Taiwan was footed by the provincial government. Participants came from the three regions in the Visayas, Regions 6, 7, and 8.

For Region 8, Nunez said five came from Southern Leyte and two from Eastern Samar, the Mayor and the Manager of the Water District there.

Delegates from Southern Leyte included Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Member Albert Esclamado representing the province, two businessmen from the private sector — Dr. Glenn Gerona and Arthur Marte — Dominador Clavejo, the provincial head of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and Nunez.

The Taiwanese businessmen were very receptive to the presentation and were even eager and keenly interested to come to Southern Leyte in person anytime this year in order to consider the specific area where they can invest, Nunez revealed. (PIA-Southern Leyte)

BORONGAN, Eastern Samar — Not one but several farmers and sectoral groups in Eastern Samar province have now availed of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Comprehensive Livelihood Emergency Employment Program (CLEEP).

Some 21 fisher folks of barangay Pepilitian, this town, embraced recently, this government’s assistance in a form of fishing boats which was estimated to cost P130,000.00.

This was learned from Engineer Alexi Abellar, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Provincial Chief in an interview.

Aimed to combat extreme hunger and poverty, the program had been running in the province since it was launched last year.

Abellar stressed that the financial aid do not usually go direct to the beneficiaries, as in other CLEEP projects, rather, the fund for boat-making for instance for the Borongan folks was coursed through the local government unit which was identified as the accredited co-partner.

The fishermen received also paddles (bugsay) and other fishing paraphernalia from the project which complied with the bidding procedures and other Commission on Audit (COA) rules and regulations, Abellar added.

On the same note, the 25-member Cabadlongan Fisher Folks Association (CAFA) of barangay Cabadlongan, Guiuan, claim that life had been bettered with their increased earnings from Bahalina and Vinegar making.

CAFA received P500,000.00 assistance from DOLE, still under PGMA’s CLEEP program.

CAFA President, Mr. Teofilo Adesna, a.k.a. Man Tioping, mentioned that many of their members’ children are now in school because their parents’ incomes have become sufficient for their school needs.

Asked through a long distance call to Cebu, where his association joined the recent ‘One Town, One Town Product’ (OTOP) display, the 52-year old Man Tioping disclosed that the Bahalina process includes the sealing of several barrels of freshly gathered Tuba, [pronounced /chuba/ in English] in eight to 12 months.

“With the containers awarded of us by the CLEEP program, through the Guiuan town LGU, we no longer worry where to stock our raw Tuba as we await the lengthy procedure of Bahalina making”, he explained. “The P150.00 per gallon of fresh Tuba, is sold as a processed Bahalina at P350.00 per container which is good enough to them”, Man Tioping added.

He also said that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) with Provincial Caretaker, Mrs. Eleanor Alido and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) have been their constant mentors in determining the quality of their product as well as in the packaging.

The CAFA President also quipped that they are no longer stagnant citizens because in times of Bahalina processing, where the Tuba stands in months, they go fishing where another humble earning is expected.

There is quite a long list of CLEEP implemented projects in Eastern Samar province as revealed by Engr. Abellar; among them are: The capability building on livelihood formation and enhancement for the Employees’ Union of ESAMElCO, (P400K for the rank and file Union and P240K for the Supervisory Union); P162K aid for Persons with Disabilities ; the emergency employment assistance for labor for the rehabilitation of Balangiga river control, P200th; the rehabilitation of the drainage canal at barangay Tigib in Guiuan, P300K and Kampakerit, Maydolong water system rehabilitation for their Day Care Center.

Asked how these groups were able to receive the aforesaid financial aid, Abellar replied that a Technical Working Group under the Project Management Team went on ocular inspection where they determined which of the submitted cases needed government intervention. (PIA-Eastern Samar)

ORMOC CITY, Leyte – The country has imported cassava starch worth US$15.60 million in 2008, says a top official of Philippine Starch Corporation.

Cris Diaz, Vice President for Agri-operations of the Philippine Starch Corporation disclosed that a data from the Philippine Cassava Starch Millers Association indicated that in 2008 alone, the Philippines imported a total of 40,068 MT of cassava starch, valued at US$15.60 million from Thailand and Vietnam.

He said, “This was an opportunity lost for the Philippines because this volume can in fact be produced locally by having more farmers engaged in cassava production, especially in Mindanao and Visayas where most of the underutilized mills are located.”

During the three days meeting of the Tapioca Producers and Processors Association of the Philippines last Nov. 11-13, Diaz added cassava crop has long been introduced to the Philippines and there has never been a surge in production due to inadequate support by the national government to the industry.

“We have no ample financing support from private and/or government banks. While we have a number of starch mills in the country, these mills have to extend direct credits to farmers for cassava production to survive,” Diaz said.

He said that if these mills do not finance the farmers, it will not have enough raw materials for their operation.

Like starch derived from potatoes, corn, wheat, sorghum and rice, cassava starch has a wide variety of uses for food industry. It can be prepared into cooked starched foods as in noodles, custard sago and snacks foods. Thickener for gravies, cream sauces and puddings, processed into monosodium glutamate, filler for contributing to the solid content of soups, pills and tablets, stabilizers in ice cream and binder to consolidate processed food mass to prevent it from drying-out, and as raw material for glucose production.

Diaz continued that while Thailand and Vietnam farmers are reaping the fruits of their continued research and development to improve its cassava varieties and increase its yield, the Philippines, inspite of its aggressive R & D our Department of Agriculture could not translate it to farmer’s benefit due to lack of budgetary funds needed in the extension works.

He said that in Bohol, where Philstarch is located, they have 4,250 farmers, involved in cassava farming, covering an area of 3,600 has. and by 2010, we can have almost 6,000 farmers involved when we reached 5,000 has. projected areas to be cultivated. The company will buy cassava products for P1.70-P2.40.

Red Galura of Ginebra San Miguel, the largest manufacturer of Alcohol in the Philippines said, it has 6 Bottling Plants all over Philippines and 1 Distillery Plant in Bago City, Negros Occ.

GSMI produces Beverage Alcohol from Molasses and Cassava (New Plant) and their flagship brand is GSM Red “Bilog.”

Galura said that GSMI started operating cassava starch mill plant in the 3rd Quarter this year, and GSMI needs 4,000 MT Dried Cassava Chips per month or equivalent to 4,000 has. of cassava plantation to support this plant.

He added, GSMI has a P250 million fresh tuber cassava processing plant on standby. This can be activated as soon as sufficient fresh roots supply in the Negros Island is available and sustainable since this cassava plant will need a monthly supply of 10,000 MT of fresh tubers. In the meantime, Galura said only the dried cassava chip is operational.

Galura disclosed that GSMI guarantees to buy all the cassava produce at an agreed “floor price” and specifications. Floor Price, is the lowest guaranteed buying price and currently it is set at P6.00 (pick-up, dried, bagged) per kilo.

Eastern Petroleum Vice President Fernando Martinez said that their company would like to contribute to the reduction of fossil fuel dependence of our country by producing its own ‘renewable oil well.’

They also want to help fight against global warming by producing clean renewable energy and making it available to the transportation sector; which accounts for 43% of the country’s energy consumption and contribute to rural development by gathering and planting of cassava for at least 11,000 hectares in Luzon and Mindanao.

Martinez disclosed that their company has taken major steps to achieve their plans by planting in Isabela Province (2009: 260 hectares, 2010:3,000 hectares)

100 hectares in 2009 in Zambales Province and in General Santos City totaling 700 hectares (2008: 500 hectares, 2009: 200 hectares).

“And last month their company received some 20 metric tons of planting material from Agapito Pongos Jr., the Tapioca Producer and Processors Association of this city.”

Martinez continued that they are looking for finding the right farmer and partners in getting the right variety. He said that he is hoping that LGU’s would solve inadequate rural infrastructures such as roads (case of Isabela: 9kms in 1 hour) and conflicting land titles. He is hoping to manage the losses in harvesting and processing and quality control. Alsons Consolidated Resources Incorporated is putting up a biofuel plant to be located between Barangays Mambuaya and Bayanga in Cagayan de Oro City with a production capacity of 33 Million liters of bioethanol per year. The company will use 85,000 MT of cassava chips per year and the total Project cost of P2.3 billion, equipped with the latest production and pollution control technology, and including P277.8 million for agricultural activities.

Bioethanol production according to the company will serve the biofuels requirement of Mindanao and Visayas and target commercial operation by the first semester of 2012.

Now, the people of Tanauan no longer have to go to Tacloban City in order to conduct withdraw or deposit transactions. They only have to go to the lobby of the Municipal Hall of Tanauan and do their business there. This means big savings in time and effort, plus lesser exposure to risks.

The ATM was inaugurated last October 30, 2009 by no less than Gov. Jericho L. Petilla who was represented by Hon. Remedios L. Petilla and the Vice President of the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB), Mr. Miguel Angelo Villa-Real, according to Tanauan Town Mayor Roque Tiu.

Mayor Tiu said that he proposed to the PVB through Ms. Ma. Daisy Sibya, the Bank’s Assistant Vice President / Area Head for the Visayas, the installation of the ATM at the town hall in order to service the needs of the town’s people and those from the neighboring towns. Ms. Sibya, after visiting the town hall and observing the viability of the proposal, immediately recommended favorably to their Head Office in Makati for the facility.

Opening the ATM on October 30 was very timely because of the long weekend due to the observance of the All Saints and All Souls days.

The Tanauan building guard observed that many clients availed of ATM services during the weekend. The many who took advantage of the presence of the ATM were not only the town’s residents but also residents of the neighboring towns.

During the ATM inauguration in Tanauan, the Philippine Veterans Bank also announced that the bank will also provide a computerized payroll system to the LGU of Tanauan and will facilitate the installation of a customized computer for the biometrics. The salaries and wages of the officials and employees will soon be through the ATM.

PVB also promised to install the electronic Business Permit and Licensing System Mayor Tiu further disclosed.

Gov. Petilla, in his Message read by his mother, Hon. Remedios Petilla, among others, commended the LGU of Tanauan for the new facility which enhanced the LGU’s being known as a trendsetter of good governance.

He made mention that the LGU now boasts of many services aside from the ATM like the free Wifi connectivity, Job Kiosks, eCenter, eSkuwela, TV at the spacious taxpayer’s lounge with elegant chairs, Techno Gabay Center and soon, a spacious training center for TESDA-related vocational courses.

Governor Petilla also commended the PVB for the installation of the ATM in Tanauan which according to Gov. Petilla, will definitely not only assist the clients with their banking needs but also spur the economic activity of the town specially that Tanauan was adjudged as the Most Business Friendly Municipality in the Philippines in 2006 and 2008. (PIA

ORMOC CITY – The city government of Ormoc has earmarked P50 million for the establishment of a state-of-the- art diagnostic laboratory service to serve its residents and nearby towns.

Ormoc City mayor, Eric Codilla

Mayor Eric Codilla said that the amount would be used for the construction of a three or four storey building, which is expected to start early next year.

He said that a state of this state of the art and advance diagnostic laboratory center will be the first in the region that would serve patients not only from the city but to all residents in the neighboring towns and provinces.

Codilla said “There is a need for a modern diagnostic center because the nearest state of the art laboratory is in Cebu City.”

He added though, there are diagnostic center with modern equipments in Tacloban City, Maasin City and a private hospital here “but the prices of their services is quite high and is a burden to poor residents of the city.”

The city mayor pointed out the center is not mainly built to compete with the private hospitals and other diagnostic centers but its main purpose is to serve the poor people of the city who cannot afford to go to Cebu City, Tacloban City, and Maasin City for laboratory testing.

He disclosed that the proposed center will be equipped with computer topography scanner, x-ray, all laboratory tests, ultrasound, 2D-Echo, and all other kinds of diagnostic services.

He also pointed out that because the city has already completed all its major projects like the new city hall and the advanced water system, he believes that venturing into the diagnostic center is another major project that would be beneficial to his constituents.

But he clarified that it would only serve outpatients and no admission will be allowed.

Codilla clarified that the city could not afford to build a hospital so that the diagnostic center would be a good alternative.

ORMOC CITY – A pioneering farmer in this city has started harvesting what he sows in cassava.

And he sees a good fortune in cassava (Manihot dulcis).

Agapito Pongos, Jr inspects cassava chips being dried. Photo by Obet Dejon

Agapito Pongos, Jr, a scion of a prominent name in Ormoc, started venturing into cassava when the sugar industry has a downturn. He converted his 45 hectares sugar cane plantation in Sumangga village and planted it with cassava.

“Since the sugar industry was slumping, it’s was really a big challenge for me when I ventured into cassava,” said Pongos, who pioneered in this endeavor and other agricultural products.

“And it paid handsomely,” beamed the former assistant secretary during Pres. Erap’s time.

He said that the cassava he is set to deliver to San Miguel feed mill in Tacloban City is just from 2.5 hectares of the total 45 has of Early Seven Marketing company which he owned, had planted to the source of tapioca.

The plant is made into chips before it is delivered to the buyers.

Pongos, who is also the president of Philippine Tapioca Producers and Processors Association, said he already has buyers of yet to be harvested cassava. San Miguel has a ready demand of 10-15 tons of the chips.

“Not only that, the plant has so many by products that it is really in demand in the market,” he said.

Pongos at his milling plant

He said he is also set to deliver planting materials for 400 hectares to Eastern Petroleum Corporation in Roxas, Isabela, where it has 400,000 has to be planted with cassava for their bio-fuel production using the plant as raw material.

The other products when harvested will be delivered to other SMC affiliated companies like Genebra, San Mig Light beer in Bacolod City for their alcohol production and other purposes.

Pongos disclosed that cassava has a very high Return of Investment (ROI) compared to sugar. “Cassava has bigger and wider needs because it can substitute a lot of by products that even Coca Cola one of the most thirst-quencher beverages in the country uses cassava as substitute for their sweeteners.”

He said he urged land owners all over the country to invest into cassava because “The market is much bigger and its usage is far more greater than other agricultural products.”

By Jani Arnaiz

First posted 11:00 10/27/09

MAASIN CITY – Brace for waterless faucets because rains are not coming as expected, causing low inflows of water into the reservoirs, says a Maasin Water District (MWD) top official.

MWD general manager, Nestor Geraldo, said in the next few days residents here would experience low flow of water in their taps because of the below-than-normal rainfall over the past months.

Geraldo said business establishments and households should conserve water.

“Aside from low rainfall, concessionaires have increased with our only source of water, the reason why we are experiencing low water in our taps,” said the new manager of the Water District.

In fact, he said, “we have to hold applications for new connections to prevent the problem.

Geraldo, however, assured there will be no water rationing.

He was confident though, that this problem would be temporary because the water district will be tapping another source of water.

“Once our P20 million loan from Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) be released, we will implement the tapping of the Lunas, and Canlogok water sources, which would be enough to address the water shortage,” said Geraldo.

He added that within the year, the new water source shall been operational.

In June this year, Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado had said that the P200 million new water system tapping a vast waterfall in Cagnituan village as source is in the works.

Mercado, who is the chairman of Public Works committee in the House, said the new water system would probably be implemented next year.