Food processing has long piqued the curiosity of Jomarie Mangeg, 24, from Buguias, Benguet. She got the idea when she noticed that their farm had a lot of surpluses that were not being sold.
But it wasn’t until she completed her degree in organic agriculture in 2019 and had done several volunteer works, corporate jobs, and attended various business training that she dove headfirst into the food processing industry. And in 2022, her enterprise called “Frugies” was born.
“Lumaki ako na nasa farming [business] na ang family ko. May mga times na marami kaming naha-harvest na tamarillo, pero sayang lang kasi hindi lahat nadi-dispose kasi bagsak presyo. Kaya para hindi masayang ang pinaghirapan namin, naisip ko na i-process na lang, kasi kaunti lang din ang nagve-venture sa food processing,” Jomarie narrated.
The trademark name “Frugies” is a combination of the words “fruits” and “veggies,” which are her main raw ingredients. Frugies’ flagship product is the “Tamarillo Preserves,” bite-sized, dried tamarillo infused with a concoction of sweet and sour flavors. Mangeg also makes powder and jam out of this fruit.
Tamarillo, popularly known as “Spanish tomato,” originated in Latin America and is now thriving in warm, sunny climates in Asia and the Pacific. It grows in clusters, similar to tomato, but is more oblong-shaped, similar to eggplant. But unlike the tomato or eggplant, its skin has a bitter taste, so it’s typically peeled before eating. With its sharp tang, sour bite, and bitter undertone, it also makes a delicious addition to sauces, salads, smoothies, and pies.
Mangeg’s family farm has fully-grown tamarillo trees that could produce a minimum of 20 kilograms of fruits per harvest season between May and August. Her other relatives help in the production, including tree planting, pruning, and harvesting, while Jomarie handles the processing.
To sustain their sales during the lean season, they process other products available on their farm, such as strawberries and rhubarbs. To expand her product line, Mangeg plans to explore more fruits and vegetables for processing and other methods of food preservation. In fact, she’s currently experimenting with powdered potatoes and carrots.
“Open akong mag-process ng iba pang fruits and vegetables, basta hindi nakakalason,” Jomarie jested.
Her passion for food processing led her to the Young Farmers’ Challenge (YFC) competition of the Department of Agriculture (DA). Mangeg took the courage to pitch her business model climbing her way up from provincial, to regional, until the national-level competition, where Frugies was hailed as one of the Top 12 Best Youth Agribusiness Models in the Philippines.
“Being a winner, lalo na national winner ka, mas mataas ‘yung expectations nila sa’yo. Pero sinasabi rin naman nila sa akin na ‘huwag mong i-pressure ang sarili mo.’ Masaya, pero at the same time, pressured dahil sa responsibility. Pero kakayanin,” she said.
Jomarie immediately spent her P50,000 cash prize from the YFC provincial-level competition with a mid-range dehydrator since the demand for her products has grown phenomenally.
“Dati ‘yung pang-household lang na dehydrating machine ang ginagamit ko, pero ‘nung tumaas ang demand ng product, bumili na ako ng mas malaking dehydrating machine,” Jomarie said.
When she won anew at the regionals, she allotted the P150,000 additional cash prize to improve the production aspect of her business. This includes tamarillo tree seedling production, and maintenance, among others.
Now, with her P300,000 grand prize from the nationals, she plans to buy more dehydrators, mechanize her production, and improve her packaging.
In total, her business received a whopping P500,000 cash grant.
Jomarie gets the majority of her sales from social media. To increase the brand recognition of Frugies, she attempted to participate in trade fairs. She also displays her products at Porta Vaga Mall in Baguio City, Buguias Municipal Hall, and in the booth of La Trinidad Arabica Coffee Growers Association in La Trinidad.
Tamarillo preserves sell at P100 per pack, while strawberry and rhubarb preserves cost P200 per pack.
One of her dreams is to establish a physical store in La Trinidad. She also envisions having a Buguias-based manufacturing company.
“Mostly ng mga manufacturing company kasi ay nasa Manila. Ang gusto ko Buguias-based kasi napapaligiran ako ng mga raw materials,” Jomarie explained.
She is aware of the difficulties and stress she faces in running her business, but she views these as “good stress” because she loves what she is doing despite the struggles.
“Along the way, marami namang challenges, pero part ‘yun ng growing. Kung gusto mo naman ng isang bagay, ipu-push mo talaga. Ito ang gusto ko. Passion ko ito. Sinimulan ko na, papanindigan ko na. Merong mga hindi naniniwala, pero marami ring sumusuporta,” she expressed.
More than the cash prize, Mengeg recognized that the most valuable reward she has, and continues to receive, is the support all-out from her family.
“Nakikita [ng family ko] ‘yung effort ko tapos tutulong sila sa akin. ‘Yung father ko ang number one supporter ko. ‘Yun ‘yung pinakamalaking reward sa akin, ‘yung supported ako ng family ko,” Jomarie expressed.
“Na-realize ko na ‘pag nagwo-work ako sa sarili kong business, involved lahat. May involvement ang farmer sa processing, kung magpapa-layout ako ng mga labels merong mga artists, involved din ang DA. Ang saya na hindi lang ikaw ang magwo-work. Sama-sama tayong aangat lahat,” She ended, carrying with her that optimism and perseverance to the growth of her business.
More than this, Frugies would undoubtedly help address some enduring problems that persist in the agricultural sector, like oversupply of produce, and add value to farm surplus. By JBPeralta and LDMendoza
