HANDMADE MAKES ENTREP WELL-MADE Not everyone is given the chance to turn his or her passion into profit. Lolita “Luchi” Cabanlet is one of those who have successfully turned something she loves into something profitable. Luchi has always been interested in handicrafts. She started from scratch—quite literally. Scratch papers were the main raw materials that continue reading : Cagayan De Oro Handmade Paper Craft
BOTTLING BOUNTY OF THE SEA In Butuan City, small-scale fisherfolks are no stranger to days when they would go home with almost empty nets. On slow days, they would typically often bring home bangus or milkfish fingerlings which are sold on a low price in the market. Despite their hard work, there are times when continue reading : Agusan del Norte: JIDA Aqua Resources
Concocting the alternatives “It is not about the capital. It’s about what your heart desires.” This is what Ms. Lucrecia Magno Neri, or Luz as her friends call her, from Midsayap, North Cotabato keeps on saying as she recalls how her entrepreneurial journey began. A former development worker in a non-government organization (NGO), Luz ventured continue reading : North Cotabato: Manna’s Alternative Herbal Products
COFFEE ROAST TO BOAST In the southern reach of Mindanao lies the hinterland Purok Pluto, where coffee farms are found essential to the livelihood of over 150 farmers who reside in Sitio Balutakay, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. Located at the peak of the mountains in Davao Del Sur, Purok Pluto serves as a haven to continue reading : Davao Del Sur: Balutakay Coffee Farmers’ Association (BACOFA)
Leveling up the spice of life Rexaniel Saburnido, the man behind the bottled palapa in Iligan City, always wanted to set up a business, despite having limited capital and resources on hand. He took this as a challenge and decided to test the waters by putting up his own restaurant, which he called Pater Al-Kuwait. continue reading : Lanao del Norte: Pater Al-Kuwait Foods Manufacturing
Baking a Hit Recipe Instead of taking a rest upon retirement, Ester Perez ventured into a business to sustain herself and remain productive. Upon her retirement, she put up a small bakery in her hometown Guisao, Zamboanga City in 2009. The bakery, initially employing just one baker, only offered pandesal. As the bakery grew, it continue reading : Zamboanga City: Baking a Hit Recipe
UPROOTING POVERTY THROUGH COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT Long regarded as a poor man’s crop, cassava now brings pride and stable livelihood in Dapitan City, a third class city on the northeastern coast of Zamboanga del Norte. These starchy tubers growing in tropical climates are made into crunchy, mouth-watering snacks that are sold in parts of Luzon, Visayas, continue reading : Zamboanga del Norte: Cassava Growers and Processors Association
NAT’S ABOUT BUSINESS It took a number of hurdles and hiccups before Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Sansan and his wife Jacinta, owners of Nat’s Delicacies and Bakery Products, found their way to success. Nat was working in an abaca processing plant in Maasin City, Southern Leyte when he decided to give his family a better life. He continue reading : Southern Leyte: Nat’s Bukorillo and Bakery Products
Tea perks up a community A tea production enterprise is empowering the women of Llorente, Eastern Samar by giving them a decent source of income. Dubbed as Mother Ignacia Women’s Association (MIWA), the group has been instrumental in improving the lives of its members since the initial set of teas were produced in 2006. Planting continue reading : Eastern Samar: Mother Ignacia’s Women Association (MIWA)
LOOMING STRANDS OF SUCCESS Aside from sweet dips and swells of the postcard-perfect Chocolate Hills, the irresistible charm of pocket-sized tarsiers, and white sand beaches, the island province of Bohol carries something else that Filipinos can undoubtedly be proud of—raffia, a natural fiber from the buri palms, and how the steadfast hands of Tubigon womenfolk continue reading : Bohol: Weaving Strands of Pride