Doing business for others

MANILA, Philippines - In many cases, when women engage in business, they do so with compassion.

When Antuza Refalda discovered that coffee processed from the droppings of civet cats – creatures that inhabit her province, Kalinga – was sold at a steep price, she thought, why not develop the business to create a livelihood for local farmers?

With hardly any knowledge about processing coffee and with modest capital to begin her venture, she gathered a group of local farmers to produce civet coffee blends while she dealt with coffee traders. She took educational trips organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and other organizations to learn about coffee milling and master the ropes of the business.

Antuza decided to be an entrepreneur, not only so she could help develop the province’s coffee industry, but also to protect farmers from unfair trade.

To realize her vision, she needed the help of the DTI, which granted her a P300,000 loan from its Small Business Guarantee Fund. Antuza used the grant to purchase the technology needed to process civet coffee.

Though she struggled in the first few years, Antuza never wavered in perfecting the coffee roasting process. As her product, which would be called Kalinga Brew, showed more promise, the Department of Science and Technology offered her a P900,000 grant from its small enterprise technology upgrading program to help her obtain new coffee processing equipment.

Antuza’s booming business today is a result of her efforts in promoting the welfare and helping develop the skills of local coffee farmers.

Antuza helped farmers train in coffee processing as well as develop entrepreneurial skills with the setting up of Gawidan Farmers Association, which taught them how to profit from their own coffee produce.

In first quarter of last year, she was sold 1.5 tons of civet coffee for P1.5 million.

Antuza’s generosity gave her more blessings. She is now known for building the local civet coffee industry of Kalinga.

Kalinga Brew products are also marketed in several countries and patrons from abroad call it the “best brewed coffee in the world.”

Antuza not only improved the lives of farmers while boosting the local coffee industry, she has also made the Philippines one of the premiere sources of this expensive coffee blend.

Filipina ingenuity

When Elma Arboleras graduated from college with a degree in Customs Administration, little did she know that 22 years later, she would make Filipinos proud. The young Elma applied for a job just like most fresh graduates and found herself working for companies engaged in customs brokerage and trading.

But in the last eight years, she was also involved in a research project that would earn her and co-inventor Rodel de Guzman a gold medal at the British Invention Show: the iBus.

Elma grew up in Iloilo, but she knows and understands the hassle caused by traffic jams in Metro Manila and other major cities. Many blame it on a disorganized public transport system, with buses and jeepneys picking up and dropping off passengers practically anywhere, ignoring the designated pick up and drop off points.

The iBus, or Intelligent Bus Utility System, programs groups of buses to enforce a more organized public transport system.

The machine-readable tags allow for centralized control where all appointed vehicles are managed digitally or through computers. Thus, buses can be programmed to stop at designated points only. It can also limit bus stop usage. 

iBus can likewise distribute groups of buses evenly to prevent congestion at bus stops. Its Real Time Location System makes it convenient for passengers and enforcers to predict when the next bus is arriving.

The iBus impressed many inventors and other innovators at the British Invention show, and some have already offered to buy the patent so it may be used in other countries.

Elma says that it was her desire to help the country in some way that motivated her to complete the iBus. And for others who also wish to come up with their own breakthrough, she shares that it’s not about being a genius but about passion and a lot of hard work.

Proving that Filipinos can

Women start a majority of new businesses. As Lourdes Ragas would prove, women are capable of growing a small business into a world-class company.

Lourdes started her venture with a vision and a purpose: to prove that Filipinos can compete in the international market.

Starting with only three machines and a few seamstresses, Lourdes ventured into the export of corded lace and trimmings in 1988. This made her company, Asia Embroidery Inc., one of the pioneers in the export of the craft.

Through her leadership and with the help of her highly skilled staff, the company’s products caught the attention of the international market, and soon demand for their creations spiked. It also helped that renowned local designer Patis Tesoro became Lourdes’ design partner.

Today, Asia Embroidery is one of the main suppliers to some of the biggest names in fashion around the world. What makes her proud, Lourdes says, is that these products are sourced from indigenous raw products and fabricated locally.

The company grew because of Lourdes’ faith in the artistic talent of Filipinos. She says she hopes that Asia Embroidery has carved a niche in the international fashion industry, and that it would continue to garner interest in Philippine embroidery.

Antuza, Elma, and Lourdes all went into business with a higher purpose, more than just for their own benefit. They are three of Go Negosyo’s 10 Women Starpreneurs who will be awarded at the Women Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center on March 2.

The Woman Starpreneur Award, a recognition given in partnership with The Philippine STAR, identifies outstanding women entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs who are exemplars to all women.

In an effort to help small and medium enterprises, many of which are run by women, Go Negosyo sheds light on the challenges and issues still faced by women entrepreneurs today through this annual summit.