Maricris Arangel Alipio, a 47-year-old entrepreneur from Tenejero, Balanga, Bataan, is a strong advocate for dairy products.
She launched her business named “Roming’s Food Products and Trading” in 2018.
At her café located near Bataan Peninsula State University, she offers a variety of beverages, including milk tea, frappes, and lemonade. As a staunch supporter of dairying, she also promotes dairy products in this establishment, featuring chocolate milk and ice cream produced from carabao’s milk. She even personally supervises the processing and marketing of these products. The chocolate milk she offers is priced at just PHP15 for a 100 ml sachet.
Maricris was able to hone her skills through a series of learning events conducted by the DA-Philippine Carabao Center (DA-PCC). In 2019, she received two buffaloes from DA-PCC at Central Luzon State University (DA-PCC at CLSU), which eventually produced milk. This has become a primary source for her chocolate milk production, which she distributes to school campuses and various sari-sari stores.
“Iyong anak noong natanggap kong kalabaw ay nakapagbibigay na rin ngayon ng gatas. Nakatutulong ito sa paggawa ko ng produkto na choco milk at ice cream,” Maricris narrated.
In 2019, she ventured into product development by creating her ice cream using carabao’s milk. She dedicated her time to extensive testing to guarantee the quality of her products. Currently, the ice cream is available in chocolate and vanilla flavors. Additionally, she plans to expand her flavor offerings to include cookies and cream and ube macapuno, with the macapuno being sourced directly from her farm to ensure a steady supply for this flavor. The ice cream is also available in six different sizes: 3.5 ounces, 8 ounces, 16 ounces, 1 liter, half a gallon, and 1 gallon.
Maricris described the process of developing her ice cream as challenging, particularly in achieving the desired thickness, creaminess, and flavor perfection. She also shared how difficult and tiring it is to achieve the desired thick consistency of the ice cream. Despite the obstacles, her unwavering dedication and perseverance have led to significant improvements. Maintaining a positive mindset drives her to continually refine the product for superior outcomes.
“Sa paggawa ng ice cream, dapat i-consider ang tamang sukat at tamang lasa pati ‘yong thickness at ‘yong creaminess. Mayroon lang akong isang ice cream machine na ginagamit sa ngayon,” she said.
However, in terms of financial viability, the income she generates sufficiently sustains her family and supplements her daily expenses. Additionally, she intends to broaden her market in the future to help her neighbors and women in her community generate income. She firmly believes that effective promotion and marketing will fuel further growth for her business.
Maricris said that they were open to many possibilities, expressing her interest in exploring the creation of pastillas delicacies to ensure that the knowledge acquired during training would be applied.
Maricris expressed openness to various opportunities, particularly mentioning her interest in exploring the development of pastillas delicacies as a way to apply the knowledge gained from training.
She mentioned contemplating the possibility of making pastillas in the future, but currently, she prefers to concentrate on her present endeavors. She also conveyed heartfelt gratitude to the DA-PCC National Headquarters and DA-PCC at CLSU for allowing her to learn and grow. The training has equipped her with valuable skills to support unemployed individuals and others in need.
