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Micronomore Universe 2010 Conference

Micro– to Small Success Story

KWENTONG PENOY

Micro– to Small Success Story Tobias SolisEntrepreneur’s Name : Tobias Solis
Location : Santa Maria, Bulacan, Luzon
MFI Membership : United Bocaue Vendors Association Development Coop
Writer : Wilma B. Guinto (wilma@micronomore.com)

Ka Tobias Solis, a native of Trapiche, Oton, Iloilo was only 16 years old when he first set foot in Manila to find his fortune. He was able to work as an extra helper in a poultry farm in Last Pinas, the Crescent Corporation owned by Robert Philips. His earning was a meager Php3.00 a day that he spends for his daily subsistence and at the same time save whatever money left so he can send some for his parents in Iloilo.

As a poultry helper, he was first assigned to work as a utility helper. Being a utility helper does not stop him from learning the other tasks in the farm. He kept on observing things on what makes their chickens increase its laying productivity. When the company closed its operation he was able to transfer to General Milling Corporation, as a farm supervisor He has broadened his knowledge of the poultry business from brooding chicks to broiler-raising and breeder-raising and poultry to eggs hatchery. Because of his dedication to work (working very late at night and working as early as he can), his co-employees become envious of him that they thought that he was doing something fishy and reported him to their Manager. So when things got complicated, he decided to leave the farm and was able to land another farm work in Plaridel, Bulacan. While working here, was able to go to school at night and has finished his high school education after six long years.

Micro– to Small Success Story - Kwentong Pinoy - Tobias SolisHe met his wife, Cristina, while they were still studying in high school. At the time that they were starting their poultry business, his wife was selling penoy in Bocaue and was a member of a market association where they borrow capital from. That association grew and became progressive that it was converted into a cooperative, which is now known as United Bocaue Vendors Assistance (UBVAS) Development Cooperative. He became interested in the cooperative because he knows that the organization can help him and other small trader securing loans with little interest than the “bombays” in the area.

His first loan in the cooperative was P5,000 which he used as additional capital (how does this helped him in his business). The business slowly grew that he got a loan of P30,000 to expand his business from merely selling penoy to others such as selling infertile and un-hatched eggs which is locally known as “balot”.

Micro– to Small Success Story - Kwentong Pinoy - Tobias SolisWith his continuous learning and working experience, in 1995 he further expanded the business to integrate broilers and hatching quail eggs with a capital taken as loan from the cooperative. He purchased a 568 square meter lot and constructed a warehouse building and bought hatching machineries. Today, they have a total of 60 door hatching machines with a capacity of hatching one million quail eggs. An average of 30,000 eggs are hatched every week. These hatching machineries are also capable of hatching chicken eggs and fighting cocks’ eggs, too. His market of quail eggs covers not only Bulacan but goes to as far as Baguio, Isabela, Palawan and even in the Visayas like Cebu, Tacloban and the Panay Island. Ka Tobias believes that he is able to serve 20% of the market share in quail eggs’ needs and another 40% for quail chicks.

In any business there are always challenges that come to test your perseverance. After the floods created by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 wherein he was not able to deliver eggs, another challenge come his way— the bird flu dilemma happens in some countries near us in 2003. Ka Tobias lost millions of pesos but because of his faith in the Divine Providence he was able to survive those hard years. In every crisis, he never asked any of his workers to leave; he continually paid their salaries for he knew that they too have families to feed. In return, these people have been very diligent doing anything they can do to lessen the effects of bird flu in their workplace. And with God’s grace and people’s hard work, the business survives the crisis.

Speaking of crisis… UBVAS cooperative underwent difficulties brought about by the fire that raged their market area in December of 2001. Ka Tobias was one of the few who helped the cooperative rebuild from adversities. The following year, he was elected to become one of its board of directors during the general assembly and later became the coop’s vice-chairman. It was a difficult term because it was then that the coop was really beset with financial problems – liquidity brought about by high delinquency and massive savings withdrawal. Ka Tobias shelled out money to provide the cooperative with its revolving fund. It was payback period for Ka Tobias; he has never forgotten the good things that the cooperative has helped him during his hard-up years. Until now, from being a mere regular member of the cooperative, he continues to serve them as their Credit Committee Chairman.

Business Impact

Ka Tobias hatchery business employs about 40 people. These people are directly involved in the maintenance of the hatching process, packing and sorting of quail eggs, and delivery to his clients. Since the business consumes a lot of quail chick feeds, Ka Tobias is now also engaged in the feeds trading business. He also hopes to engage in the fabrication of boxes that he is using for packing the eggs. In preparation for this, he bought two cardboard cutters machines for future use.

To create more livelihood and employment, Ka Tobias is practicing two business options: 1) the commercial type and the, 2) the grower type. In the commercial type, the client can either directly buy or take quail chick and feeds as loan from Ka Tobias, grow these chicks until it lays eggs, (The life span of a normal quail chick is 2 years, with 10 months normal time for laying eggs at an average of 325-345 eggs per year.); then the client has the option of selling back the produced eggs to Ka Tobias or he can sell to other buyers at a price most profitable for them.

In the grower type options, Ka Tobias gives out the quail chicks and feeds to an interested individual who is willing to provide the proper housing case for the quails to live on and care for them. The condition for this grower type is that all the eggs produced shall be sold back to Ka Tobias at a price that will generate an income of at least Php500 per day for the grower. A minimum number of 5,000 chicks are provided to the grower to a maximum of 20,000 chicks per laying season. Presently, there are 15 households that are enjoying this privilege. His is targeting 40 households as grower to give them additional livelihood aside from their current work or perhaps make them a small entrepreneur themselves.

As for the benefits of this business, Ka Tobias, a very prudent man still lives on a rented apartment, but was able to send his three children to school (one is a veterinary graduate who helps him in the business, the daughter is a commerce graduate and the youngest is still in high school); built a house that is being used by the people working for him; acquired land and building for the hatchery farm and some vehicles used for deliveries.

As for his secrets of success, Ka Tobias shares that it is his honest dealings with the people that he works with, his clients, suppliers, growers; being hardworking and the family treatment that he gives back to them made him thick and perhaps rich in this business.

Posted on April 16, 2009
Investments, Micronomore | 2 Comments

Comments

2 Responses to “Micro– to Small Success Story”

  1. mandy de leon on November 11th, 2010 11:44 pm

    gud day po puede po bang makabili sa inyo ng quail chicks maski n po 500 heads lang for learning process pa lang po

  2. normita angeles on June 13th, 2011 11:24 pm

    gud day po madam may i know the exact address of mr. tobias solis i want to know have a small wholesaler install here in quezon city , i want to direct contact to them so i can have a cheaper quail eggs to get, thank u i hope u can response for my e-mail, asap, pls.

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