The G&B Buko Products owned by Orlando E. Dulay was hailed as the Best SETUP Adoptor of the Year in Region 2 during the 2018 Regional SETUP Forum (RSTW) held at Isabela.
“Hindi kailangan ng malaking puhunaan..ang kailangan ay pagsisikap upang lumago ang negosyo…”said by Mr. Dulay during the recognition.
G & B Buko Pie started in 1993. It was Dulay’s cousin who started the buko pie production . It was just passed on to Mr. Orlando Dulay when his cousin moved abroad. It took years for the business to be known to travelers and visitors in Cagayan Valley.
It was in 2010 that G&B buko pie was assisted by DOST R02 through PSTC Nueva Vizcaya. Through the Small Enterprise Upgrading Program Innovation System Support (SETUP ISS), the firm upgraded their equipment to meet the increasing market demand.
G & B Buko Pie also received other S&T interventions from DOST like technology training, productivity seminars, and packaging and labeling. DOST helped the firm enrolled at the Manufacturing Productivity Extension Program (MPEX). Through MPEX, the firm learned many business improvements such as supply chain management, marketing strategies, technology improvements, book keeping, and production center lay-out.
The Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) also gave their recommendations to help the firm improve their products and equipment to be purchased. Technology Plus Product and Services Consultancy Company (TPPSC) assisted the firm for its GMP certification under the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (DOST-TAPI). Renovation of the production center was done to comply with the requirement of GMP.
Mr. Dulay added that aside from hardwork, other ingredients of successful business are adherence to innovation, provision of benefits to workers & prioritizing customer satisfaction.
At present, G&B Buko Products produces other product lines such as buko tart, buko macaroons, cassava, bibingka with buko strips, bottled buko juice and buko halo-halo. According to Dulay, these are the results of the firm’s commitment to R&D activities with the guidance of DOST R02 consultancy services.
The firm is continually growing; now it has a restaurant where its products are displayed and marketed to travelers. It has employed a total of 120 employees. # (RGB)