Humble Beginnings …
“What I am now and how people, especially my customers viewed Virgie’s Homemade Products is a product of the interdependency of all elements in life, but most of all, God’s Divine Providence subsumed them all”, Mrs. Virginia O. Chua, the owner quips.
It all started from a mere hobby 34 years ago. Mrs. Chua loved to cook and enjoyed baking at home for family and friends. Once these “regular customers” tasted her baked products, they kept on asking, if she would accept orders. At first, the owner thought that it could be a better idea to have an extra income at home. With that motivation, she started accepting orders from relatives and friends. Fortunately, friends and acquaintances of her “first customers” also like the concoction she prepared for them. The rest was history but everything commenced there for sure. She never expected that her unfounded vision grew in a sizeable venture that was beyond what her mind can conceive then.
“The only dream I have when I was just starting is to own a small store but I was blessed by a bigger one”, said Virgie. The year was 1974 when Virgie officially opened and registered her business with the support of NACIDA, which later evolved into DTI. With a meager amount of P3,000.00 as initial capital and with only two (2) helpers, one of whom was the yaya of her only son the proprietorship just took off.
Climbing the Ladder of Success
As the demands increased, customers suggested to have a ready supply of her baked products, especially the Pastillas de Manga, which became a hit among customers and friends. This made the owner decide to put a small store in a vacant space, right beside her house. That small store spawned an unexpected vast of opportunities for Virgie’s, which she added a lot of varieties of products the customers’ needs.
Her joining in NACIDA activities in the early 70s, allowed her to appreciate more the real business experience, especially in participating in product display during festivals, like Masskara, in Bacolod City. In the later year, she became a member of the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), an organization of the Negrense manufacturers in gifts, toys, and housewares (GTH), furniture and furnishings, and processed food sectors that aimed to alleviate the poverty in the Province brought about by the sugar crises in the 80s. The ANP has had a leveraging influence in the growth of Virgie’s. As members, they’ve been encouraged to attend to a lot of seminars like Costing and Pricing, Marketing, How to Join Trade Fairs, Negotiation with the Foreign Buyers, Productivity-related seminars, among others.
Reaping the Rewards of Hardwork
Her joining to Bulawan Award, a citation given to ANP members for developing new products — a new line or an improvement of the existing one – to exhibit Negrenses’ ingenuity and creativity, encouraged her more to continually develop her products each year. Not long a time since she participated in the said award body and was recognized in 1997 for her Camias Twirl in the Food sector. The same fate followed in 1998. In 2002, she again received Bulawan Award on its 12th year of competition for a new product, the Treasures, a chocolate filled with Pili and camias prunes. In 2005, Virgie’s Homemade Products was awarded by Market Encounter Goes to Manila Foundation, Inc. (MEGMA) at the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) in recognition of her efforts in the promotion of the quality Negros delicacies as well as her contribution to the socio-economic upliftment in the lives of her workers.
Commitment to Continuous Product Development and Customer Satisfaction
True to its mandate in the development and promotion of MSMEs in the country, the DTI has been extending assistance numerously to Mrs. Chua, where the latter likewise recognized duly for the growth of her business. The DTI’s interventions cover the major aspects of business operations, organization/management, marketing, production, and financial. Particularly important was the interventions of the DTI in her trade fair participation. Aside from joining the annual ANP Fair, Virgie’s also participated in the National Trade Fair (NTF) and in the International Food Exposition (IFEX) where she was able to launch properly her products, met new buyers and negotiated with the country’s consolidators.
Resulting from her commitment in satisfying customers with quality products and the fruition of her joining to trade fairs, Virgie’s products now available in several outlets in Manila, Luzon, Cebu, Iloilo, and of course Bacolod City. The products can be bought in Manila – Michelle’s Homemade Putong Ube, Shopwise & Rustans Supermarket, Pinoy Eats, Pioneer Supermarket, Orientways Marketing, and Rowena’s Pasalubong (Tagaytay). In Cebu, the mouthwatering products are on display and for sale at Gaisano Metro, Abaseria Café, and Sally Young. Iloilo City’s Edemar Store was also carrying the products. And in Bacolod City, aside from Virgie’s showroom, Supermarkets, upscale restaurants and café shops proudly carry the local favorites.
For Mocha Sans Rival, Virgie’s is without an equal. You can also find Virgie’s Mango Tarts, Pastillas de Manga, Mango tartlets/bars/pienettes, Cheese Tarts, Langka Tarts, Caramel Tarts, Pineapple Empanaditas, Whole Wheat Bar, Camias Twirl, Galletas, Buttescotch. Lenguas de Gato, Cookies, PIaya, Mini Barquillos, Barquiron, Sans Rival, Sylvannas, Napoleones, Camias Twirl, Assorted Polvoron, and Chocolate Treasures fully a treat. With enough lead time, the owner is also accepting orders for cakes and pastries in special occasions.
Guiding Philosophy
With her gumption, from a makeshift store with two (2) employees when it started 34 years ago, Virgie’s Homemade Products has come a long way. The inauguration of its own building dedicated to St. Jude Thaddeus along San Sebastian Street of this City last 2002 proved this accomplishment. A 3-storey building houses the showroom for Virgie’s food products, its production and administrative areas and two (2) commercial spaces for lease. The enterprise is currently employing 23 regular workers that fully entitled of the benefits (e.g., bonuses, PHILHEALTH, SSS, etc.) due to them. Her love and concern to the people who have been instrumental to the success of her business has consistently been there. She maintains good relations with her people and to her outside customers. “Customers’ commitment first, before profit (and everything will just follow)” is one of her guiding principles. “Give importance to the people that help you and your business and give back to the company, what your company has given you”, she ambivalently said.
Virgie’s trademark as a quality homemade food producer of Bacolod City was earned through the years of continuous product diversification yet adhering to quality and best practices of business management. The proprietor has been open for new ideas on how her products will further improve. She engages in several product development activities tapping the expertise of both private and government technical providers who are known in their respective fields. Relative to this product development, Virgie has been assisted with her nutritional facts analysis, shelf-life testing, barcoding, packaging and labeling development and the like. All these have been done for meeting the ever changing market requirements of Virgie’s customers, whom she recognized as the reasons for her venture’s existence.
Further, to easily outdo the unnecessary concerns (problems) in the workplace, especially concerning the workforce, she consistently treats each worker fairly and with dignity. For the realization of the vision, she craftily weaved her strategy executions with her guiding principles in life. This is why, she lets her workers understand the value of good work, service commitment and dedication to both internal and external customers and the consequences of these conscientious practices. Virgie believes that by communicating what she intends to become – for the people, for the customers, and for the company – understanding such (message) is redolent of the attainment of the aimed vision.
What is even more adoring about this sexagenarian is her humbleness and submissiveness to the Divine Creator. Despite her stature, Virgie though would not admit that she is already successful. Nevertheless, she is ever been grateful for these provisions in her life and with her loved ones, unceasingly.
Product Outlets:
In Visayas
Virgie’s Homemade Products
#59 San Sebastian Street, Bacolod City
Tel. Nos. (034) 434-1788, 434-1588
Fax No. (034) 434-6188
- Edemar Store- Iloilo City
- Gaisano Metro – Cebu CityAbaseria Café – Cebu City
- Sally Young – Cebu City
- Other Major Supermarkets and Upscale Restaurants & Cafes
In Metro Manila & Luzon
- Michelle’s Homemade Putong Ube
- Shopwise & Rustans Supermarket
- Pinoy Eats Pioneer Supermarket
- Orientways Marketing
- Rowena’s Pasalubong (Tagaytay).
Text by Romel Amihan (Posted with Permission)
Photos courtesy of Virgie’s Homemade Products