Tableya was just a simple childhood favorite of Ms. Liz Butiog until one day they decided it to be their business. Aside from being delish, it also has health benefits. Growing up, her grandmother usually makes tableya for them on a traditional way. She ferments the cacao beans by herself and uses a stone grinder to powder it. Since then, pure tableya became one of her favorite foods.
In 2018, when Liz and her husband decided to do research on how to make quality tableya and established their business Chocobutiog Food Products, they made sure that every step on how to make a quality pure tableya was made with hard work and perseverance. They did not mind starting from scratch because they always believe that, through practice and determination, they will be able to produce quality tableya. Two years later, they secured DTI Business Name Certificate and registered the business under her husband’s name.
Making a tableya requires a certain temperature and for them to produce high quality tableya, they bring the cacao beans to a warmer place. Fermentation of cacao beans happens in her hometown (Bay, Laguna). Meanwhile, the roasting and molding of tableya happens in Nagcarlan, Laguna. Finding suppliers of cacao also became a problem for them but they found a way and joined the Cacao Farmer’s Association in Nagcarlan. In this way, it became easier for them to find raw materials. More so, they can also help local farmers. They also encourage them to continue producing fresh fruits and vegetables.
Liz and her husband dream of having a physical store that showcases products from cacao, including their own tableya and chocolate spread. Through DTI Negosyo Center Nagcarlan, they were able to participate in seminars and training, including the seminar on Proper Food Handling and Food Safety Awareness. They joined in different webinars to gain more knowledge especially on doing e-commerce. Just like any other businesses that were affected by Covid-19, they started doing e-commerce in March 2020 in order to reach a wider audience and make their products delivered nationwide.
Despite the pandemic, Liz and her husband did not give up and instead they continue to pursue their passion. Little they did know that their willpower to succeed will lead them into having expanded connections and expose them into a larger niche. They started to participate in different bazaars and trade fairs organized by DTI Laguna and other partner agencies. As a result, they were able to feature their products and gather attention aside from earning sales. More so, they strengthen their online presence and maintain an active account at Shopee Philippines and Instagram.
Their story is an example of what determination can do in one’s business. At present, they continue to explore how far they can go in marketing their products. They are making their dream of having a physical store into a reality by supplying products in one of the hubs operated under the One Town, One Product Program of DTI Laguna. In this way, Chocobutiog Food Products are displayed and showcased in a physical store. Liz firmly believes that determination indeed is one of their values in finding success in cacao beans. (DTI-Laguna)
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
