The Philippines, a tropical country, is undeniably blessed with a vast supply of natural resources. One of the perennial grasses that can be widely seen in its islands is sugarcane, an edible type of plant which has brought valuable contributions to the field of food manufacturing for many years.
In 2014, a couple from Dasmariñas, Cavite namely Mr. Ferdinand and Mrs. Maythus Martinez, saw the potential of the sugarcane business as sugarcane has natural antioxidants and impressive health benefits that can outshine other famous juice drinks in the market.
Both retired Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the couple sought inspiration from business establishments in Singapore and started growing their own sugarcane business called Tubo Ko Beverages. They initially looked for suppliers and started producing fresh sugarcane juice at the garage of their house.
At first, it has been difficult on their part to convince sugarcane farmers from other provinces to become suppliers since they were just starting to introduce their product. They expanded their network when they joined Kalakal CALABARZON in 2015 and bagged the title for having the Most Innovative Product. Their athirst for joining trade fairs opened an opportunity to establish connections with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), particularly Mr. Ruy B. Manaog from DTI-Cavite.
Mr. Manaog, a believer of their product, persistently convinced the couple to participate in the programs of DTI-Cavite. In July 2019, Mr. Martinez joined the fourth run of DTI-Cavite’s Kapatid Mentor Me program. He has been very vocal about the learnings he acquired from attending KMME weekly sessions. During KMME Graduation day, he was even awarded for having the Best Business Improvement Plan from their group. In November 2019, Tubo ko also participated in the Diskwento Caravan organized by the Consumer Protection Division of DTI-Cavite where they became one of the top sellers for the small and medium enterprises (SME) group. Their participation in Homegrown Brands’ Acceleration Franchise Formation Inception (HAFFI) Program conducted by DTI-CALABARZON in July 2019, also enlightened and motivated them to fulfill the franchising scheme now that they are gaining prominence. The couple is also planning to invest in vinegar production using also sugarcane juices.
Being in the industry for seven years now, the business has already established eleven (11) branches and generated jobs from some areas in Cavite and Metro Manila. Attached with a growing business is the increasing amount of tax being paid to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIT). For this reason, the business applied for the Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE) Certificate of Authority and is now enjoying the benefits.
Innovation led Mr. and Mrs. Martinez to develop a sugarcane juice business. Now that their business is continuously growing and has become an avenue for helping farmers, their definition of success changed – that is to enjoy the fulfillment of their dreams as they continue to uplift the lives of Filipino sugarcane farmers. ♦
Date of Release: 3 June 2021