HOPE IN A BOTTLE

THE pandemic has brought numerous struggles in the maintenance of businesses within the province due to a drastic de-crease in supply and demand. Despite these challenges, entrepreneurs have not given up in providing quality products and services to individuals all around the province.

The patronage of the provincial government of local products was a welcome shot in the arm for a DTI-trained entrepreneur Jo-se Morante, owner of JBM Food Products. Aside from being a graduate of the DTI’s Kapatid Mentor ME (KMME) program, which aims to help micro and small entrepreneurs scale up their businesses through mentoring on different functional areas of entre-preneurship and produce confident entrepreneurs with the right mindset and business know-how, Morante has also been assisted by the Department in terms of product development and marketing through the program One Town One Product (OTOP).

Based in Cabatuan, Isabela, Mr. Morante is one of those Isabelinos who remain strong despite the economic uncertainty brought about by the pandemic. His company’s flagship calamansi juice product has been consistently patronized by the provincial and mu-nicipal governments. His market reaches most parts of Cagayan Valley.

With the peak in demand, JBM Food Products has hired additional 14 workers consisting of students and laborers that have been affected by the pandemic. With the curfew limiting the operations of the company, Morantes family has also worked overtime to meet the increasing demands.

The company provides 350 to 500 boxes of calamansi juice daily. JBM Food Products has garnered positive feedbacks from the LGU and the frontliners, sparking interest from other individuals all around the province. Despite the pandemic, JBM Food Prod-ucts has consistently maintained the satisfaction of its customers through its quality products.

It is noteworthy to cite that the company has long-running CSR project where a fraction of the sales of the company is donated to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center and other individuals in need of medical assistance.