It takes two to tango perhaps is the right ‘expression’ that best describes the tandem that made the Sacki GAP Farm (SHAVCERS) a thriving farming enterprise. They are Ms. Virginia Sacki, 50, and her husband Henrico. Their great partnership which is full of sacrifice, hard work, and faith endured life’s trials on them and brought them to where they are now. Let us be inspired by their story.
Their Humble Beginning
A mother of three and a teacher by profession, Virgie first worked as a field interviewer under the RP-German Fruit Project before becoming a substitute teacher in their community while her husband is a hardworking farmer. Realizing that the teaching profession is not her passion, Virgie resigned and decided to put up a business instead.
The Start of their Business
Since Tabuk City is a major producer of Robusta coffee in the Region and at that time, they have a ready market with Nestle (which is actively operating in their community in Bantay, Tabuk City), the couple decided to buy and sell coffee beans and put up a sari- sari store.
The couple started with a measly four thousand pesos (PhP4,000). Part of it was used to build a locally called as ‘kalkalapaw’. They bought fresh coffee beans by the “takal” using a large rectangular tin can of biscuit or oil that is filled over the brim. Initially, their business was promising because the kids would barter fresh harvested coffee beans for candies and cookies from the sari-sari store. After some time, their initial capital doubled.
Delighted with the outcome, the spouse increased the volume they bought, but this time on a per-kilo basis. They were able to avail a PhP100, 000 starting capital to buy more coffee beans and then sell to Nestle Company.
Although their business is booming, it was not enough to provide for the family’s growing needs. Determined to help her husband, Virgie decided to work as an OFW in Hongkong, assembling boxes for airplane toys from 2003-2009.
The turning point
While in Hongkong, her mother called saying, “agawid kan anak, birbiruken daka ti customer mo” (Come home, your customers are looking for you).
Her tears started to flow as she realized that “uray gayam adayu ka nu mayat ti inkaskastam, biruken daka ti customer mo (even if you are far away from home if you did good things/left good works, your customer will still look for you). This made her decide to go home despite opposition from her co- OFWs in Hongkong. It was a hard decision for her then. She had second thoughts because according to her, in Hongkong, she can afford to eat expensive food. This feeling was aggravated by the question of whether she can really support the education of her children if she chooses to go home. To overcome what she feels then, she said with conviction that she will work harder with her husband.
Caught in a life-turning decision, Virgie turned to God for affirmation. She shared, “nagsangit ak keni Apo, nag fasting ken kararag ak Kanyana, (I cried, fasted and prayed to God). The following morning, God gave an answer through a verse from the Bible that was revealed to her, ‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future, Jeremiah 29:11.
Holding on to the promise of the verse, she came home to her family – for good. She continued her coffee buy-and-sell to Nestle Company. As promised, she worked harder. She included cooking and selling bibingka (rice cake) in her business.
However, despite their hard work, she felt no improvement in their business. It was still the same (in terms of performance) when she left for Hongkong. There came a point when she asked God, “Where is Your promise?”
The coffee box opened: an answered prayer
Sometime in 2010, a visitor asked about her coffee business. She honestly told the man that the net income is low, because of labor, transportation, and other costs incurred.
After a month, the man returned with a team. Again, she was interviewed and unknowingly she is being assessed on her coffee business. The team asked her if she want to try coffee processing on her own. She immediately said, “Yes, if you will help me”.
Before leaving, one woman from the team said to her, “Read Jeremiah 29:11”. She read the verse and was reminded of the same verse that was revealed to her – “ for I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Again, that night she cried and thanked God.
In 2012, she started her own coffee processing enterprise. A year after, she was able to avail of the upgrading program of DOST CAR through a soft loan for their coffee equipment and facilities. Aside from this, the couple constructed a coffee processing center to house the needed equipment.
Her confidence to run the business was strengthened through trainings provided by the Nestle Company on selective picking, proper sorting, grading, and proper post handling and management of coffee. Basically, Virgie loves learning, innovating, and sharing. That is why she takes time to attend seminars, symposia, conventions, trade fairs, and the like for her to expand her knowledge and linkages.
Despite having a budding business, she maintains a good working relationship with Nestle where she sells a certain percentage of her coffee beans to the company. The company as well regularly conducts monitoring of her. She also links other farmers to the company.
Presently, her coffee business named Kape de Kalinga is a multi-agency assisted- enterprise. Aside from Nestle, she sustains her partnership with agencies like DOST and DTI. She is now promoting her coffee to Singapore and Malacañang as prospective markets.
The firm foundation: Making the box stand
Aside from the coffee and other food processing enterprises, the Sacki family also maintains an integrated farm showcasing various fruit trees.
Mr. Henrico inherited the farm, which was once a rice area from his grandparents. Instead of selling, Virginia and Henrico decided to keep the land for themselves. Sometime in 1999, with the diligence and enthusiasm of Henrico to plant fruit trees, he converted some parts of the area into a fruit farm. Presently, the farm is producing fruit trees such as rambutan, lanzones, durian, mangosteen, lychee, longgan, coconut, jackfruit, organs, and papaya. From these, Virgie also integrates the processing of fruit vinegar, rambutan wine, and chili paste.
In 2016, seeing the potential of the farm and with the prodding and help of the Tabuk City and Provincial Agricultural Services offices, it was accredited as a learning site (LS) on Integrated Fruit production under the ATI- CAR program. As a Learning Site, the farm serves as a school and showroom for farmers and a rural-based organization who are interested to learn about fruit production. Recently in 2017, with the help of the same offices, they underwent an assessment of Good Agricultural Practices certification.
Sharing the aroma of the box: community
Time
With her own family concerns and own business to attend to, sharing her life with the community also matters to her.
Currently, she is the president of two associations namely, Commercial Crop Producers and the Rural Improvement Club (RIC) of Bantay. During club meetings, Virgie passionately shares updates and new technologies learned from attending trainings and seminars to fellow RIC members. With her leadership, the Bantay RIC was recognized as the 2017 Outstanding RIC under the Regional Gawad Saka Award program.
Likewise, as a service to the community, her processing center serves as a training ground for students and other stakeholders on the proper sorting and grading of coffee beans.
Expanding the coffee box: A wider horizon
Like any businessman, Virgie wants to expand and explore more possibilities. Her next goal is to become one of the accredited Agri-tourism sites in Kalinga.
Instead of assembling boxes for others, Virgie is now assembling her own boxes for her own products. With gratitude, she sincerely says “Thank you for the support of all the agencies helping us in our endeavors”. It really pays to hold on to a promise, especially if it is from God.
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