FOOD EXPO AND HUNGER

What can we learn from expositions as business-minded people? Lots of things which could prod us to go into full-time business, enhance our capability to earn from our business, find out where to source funds that could help us expand, or smoothen the operations of our business and many more. 

The PhilFoodExpo which was held from April 20 to 22, 2018 at the MOA, had lots of seminars to offer. Some of the things I have learned from it were:

1. how to make safe to eat foods;

2. the need to increase the shelf-life of foods;

3. how plant lay-out is very important in insuring the smooth operations of the food company, which was explained by the President of  Sunlight Foods Corporation that provides food ingredients for the halo-halo business of restaurants and bread factories. . Sunlight Foods Corporation. Their products are Ube puree, Banana Puree and Macapuno Preserve. 

4. a business need not employ guards, said the SC President - they did not have one because they were able to raise their workers to respect themselves,their jobs and their future. Any infraction of the rules was dealt with by a one-on-one discussion with the workers and reminding him or her of the need to abide by the rules or else face the consequences which could be deleterious to the economic stability of the family;

5. that franchising is an option for business people because it means copying the success of the original owners of the business. In other words, the franchiser will be able to start from scratch and be mentored by the successful original business company;

6. that managing the flow of water could contribute a lot in bringing down the Maynilad bills. At Sunlight, the workers wash their hands through a sensor-driven faucet. So pag-alis ng mga kamay nila sa gripo, sarado na kaagad ito, at walang nasasayang na tubig. 

7. recycling water is also good for saving on water;

8. workers, though under-educated can be taught to produce manuals for their use, as reported by the SC President;

9. the Department of Science and Technology has many support services, according to supervisor Ms.Tresvalles,  for those who are in need of free consultancies on the intricacies of their business; for those who want to patent their inventions for eventual submission to the Intellectual Property Office; and even loans, interest-free for their business to prosper. All one has to do is go into their website or visit their offices for more details. However the requirements could be quite stringent like the need for a 5-year financial plan; three years of financial statements, and business permits which many a- small scale business may not have due to expensive fees. 

10. That abaca is a good source of dollars for our farmers in Bicol, reported by Mr. Wellington Flores, of Philippine Fiber (DA)  However, as I mentioned in the open forum, abaca which is very very strong and is used to make ropes for ships at sea, must also be processed to make it smooth on the skin. I like wearing abaca bags but they scratch the skin and so our scientists must find a way to make it more attractive, other than for the colors of the products;

All these lessons are immense for someone like me who wants to go into business more seriously now. However, food business is only one sector of the business world in our country. Other areas need tapping like the creative businesses of basket weaving, loomweaving, new inventions to ease operations of every aspect of our life. 

This is why I was so happy to have joined the Philfoodexpo under the business of essential oils inventor, Mr Jose F. Ingles who is selling BrainBooster, an aromatic substance that contains herbals like peppermint, lemon grass, among other which could address a lot of the aches and pains we suffer from like headache, stress, muscle pains, and many more. His business made a good return of his investments despite the presence of so many other food businesses selling their stuff. The invention is a good healer for those who are experiencing problems in conducting their businesses. 

Our country has many fruits and vegetables which could be marketed here and abroad. However, primarily all food associations must address the problem of hunger in our country. I see lots of families on the sidewalks of MetroManila and they are a depressing sight. They have gallons of water, plastic bags and cariton as their make-shift home. How do we feed them if they are always in the streets? Shouldn't they be given jobs and temporary houses at empty lots? So the next Food Expo must tackle the problem of hunger in our country. 

Folks, the seminars were held in English and if I think of our people from Tondo and other depressed areas, they could have a hard time understanding the terminologies. Government people should be able to talk in Pilipino and relay their knowledge to those who could be curious and interested in starting their businesses. 

San Pascuals Table by Victoria de Almeida https://fineartamerica.com/featured/san-pascuals-table-victoria-de-almeida.html