ANG PAGBUO NG ISANG PANGARAP

(by Annalyn R. Rocha)

KRISTOFERSON Fabul Rosales was a tricycle driver and a former overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Japan. After his 3-year contract overseas, he returned to the Philippines and bought a tricycle as a source of living for his four children.

In his free time, he fabricated dog cages using scrap materials. He found the activity interesting and started doing other products apart from dog cages.

In 2018, Kristoferson launched a water rack business using fabricated steel and metal sheets. However, his products rust easily after a few months. So, he thought of changing his raw materials. He used scrap tiles as replacement to the plain metal sheets. Because he has no equipment yet, his father who is also a carpenter, offered to lend him his tools such as tile cutter, to improve his product.

Initially, he only had one helper and a painter. They produced 10 pieces of racks a week. They all worked in a small garage with limited equipment on hand. He sold the racks in the neighborhood, to his relatives and close friends through referral.  Eventually, he decided to introduce the racks to a larger market to increase their sales. He started to post it on Facebook Marketplace online.

As time goes by, the water racks became in demand online. People living in condominiums who have limited space as well as restaurant and canteen owners who want to maximize their kitchen space became his market. When the demand for the racks increased, he decided to register his business at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). As someone new in business, he has limited idea on the requirements and other permits he needed to secure. With the assistance of the business counselors from DTI – Negosyo Center in Dasmariñas, he was able to accomplish all necessary permits for Kaori’s Steel Works and Fabrication.

A year later, he has already employed four people and started to purchase new equipment. They are currently producing 60 pieces of water racks a week. They now cater to customers around Cavite and Metro Manila area. They have also started fabricating customized racks that would fit every customer’s needs such as preferred measurements and design. Kaori’s Steel Works and Fabrication, which used to rent vehicles for delivery, now has a partner logistics company that delivers their product to customers.

DTI-Negosyo Center continues to assist Kristoferson. He is scheduled to attend different seminars including Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) requirement reportorial and Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) Law. The DTI-Negosyo Center is also assisting him in registering his water rack as a anew invention to the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.