“When you feel like there’s no way out, hope is the only way.”
This famous line has become the mantra of an entrepreneur in Sta. Maria, Davao Occidental as she tries to make ends meet amid the challenging economic slowdown.
As the pandemic took its toll and paralyzed the economy, many establishments were forced to stop their operations and close their businesses.
Despite the situation, many Filipinos continued to prove their resilience. In Sta. Maria town, about a three-hour drive from Davao City, a local food hub is making waves on social media. A number of locals and tourists adore this nook because of its gastronomic offerings.
With specialties such as the special halo-halo and best-seller empanada, Ocampo’s Food Haus is a must-visit snack house where people can stop by to satisfy their cravings. It is now considered as the “pasalubong gateway” of the province, especially that it is situated in a prime location along the main road of Poblacion.
The genius behind the success of Ocampo’s Food Haus is a former overseas Filipino worker whose passion is beyond question. Before Arlene Ocampo discovered a jewel in food business, she had to experience some failures first.
She was a trader of “ukay-ukay” or used clothes in the town market. The business started out okay, but she noticed that as time went by, the business slowly dipped until she could no longer bear the losses.
In 2019, Arlene, decided to quit her “ukay-ukay” business, and, together with her husband, opened a small food business instead. She started with a P5,000 capital, a table within a small space and one staff who helped her prepare the orders.
She initially offered the popular dessert halo-halo. She was glad to witness how the customers accepted her products. She would sell 10 to 20 pieces of special buco halo-halo and other Filipino delicacies daily.
While her business was doing well, family problems came into the picture a few months after. She experienced anxiety. This created a negative impact on her to the point of shaking her faith in God. Luckily, she has a supportive husband who encouraged her to deepen her passion in business and discover new things. Thus, she began making pastries and experimented on food recipes.
Eventually, she had overcome her problems and was able to go back to the business which became bigger with the motivation from her husband. Her spiritual life became stronger, too. According to her, God is really the “wind beneath my wings” who guided her all the way.
The words of encouragement from her loving husband ignited the zeal within Arlene, and gave her the confidence to expand the business.
She added delicious refreshments and snacks on her menu. Leche flan, tapioca, mango float and more became part of the regular products. The move made her gain the attention of locals and passers-by. The real “game-changer,” though, which made her sales skyrocket into new heights, was when she introduced her specialty. Her empanada, a pastry filled with delectably prepared meat fillings, won the hearts of many. Customers would describe it as the best empanada they have ever tasted.
With the hard work, time, money she invested on the business, Arlene is proud to say that her empanada has changed her life.
“I am very grateful to the government agencies, especially to the Department of Trade and Industry that really helped and encouraged me to participate in various seminars. These helped me improve my business and even made Ocampo’s Food House popular, particularly with the empanada we offer,” she said.
From daily earnings of P3,000 to P5,000, Arlene started hitting P50,000 to P70,000 a day. This helped her to expand and improve her business space and gave her an opportunity to employ more people in her town.
She invested in machines to ease up the daily operations and improve productivity. She hired 20 additional employees to attend to the growing customers and expanded her area to include a function hall. She maximized the space by building commercial spaces as an additional income stream.
From local tourists, she now caters to big companies in the province, government agencies and local government units.
With her passion and dedication to keep her business growing, Arlene was chosen in 2020 to become the operator of the One Town One Product Hub of Davao Occidental, a program of the DTI that aims to help micro, small and medium enterprises expand and promote local businesses in a one-stop shop.
Arlene also graduated from the Kapatid Mentor Me program, which assisted her in running the business more efficiently and effectively.
“With the seminars I attended through DTI, I was able to learn, and I never regretted that I joined the KMME program, which equipped me as an entrepreneur,” she said.
DTI-Davao Occidental program office manager Ma. Joycelyn Banlasan said the agency is committed to supporting Arlene and other aspiring entrepreneurs in the province continuously. Today, Arlene inspires others to never lose hope until they achieve their dreams.