NAGA CITY -- Two young female entrepreneurs from this city qualified for the national search of Senate President Manny Villar’s “Pondo sa Sipag. Puhunan sa Tiyaga Awards 2008”.

        Of the two qualifiers, one will eventually be chosen with automatic P100,000 cash prize to represent Bicol in the national awarding ceremony to be held in Manila on April 28, 2008.

        The qualifying nominees are Maria Gabrielle Bordado, daughter of Naga City Vice Mayor Gabriel ‘Gabby’ Bordado, and Marianne Olano, a member of the City Hall-based Women Entrepreneurship Development and Advancement Center.

        Bordado, having graduated as a young competitive student entrepreneur of the Ateneo de Naga University, owns and manages ChocoNAGA Enterprises which pioneered the roasting of choice pili nuts and blending them with chocolate.

        Olano is a trader-manufacturer of indigenous handicraft products found in Bicol. She owns and manages Baycrafts Accessories with its workshop at Abella Street, this city.

        Both lady manufacturers have been joining trade fairs here and in Manila and other places in the country. Their quality manufactured and attractively packaged products have been attracting clients and dealers from here and abroad.

        Launched at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila last Nov. 28, 2007 during the centennial celebration of the Nacionalista Party of which Senate Pres.Villar is the president, the “Pondo sa Sipag. Puhunan sa Tiyaga” Awards is aimed at raising public awareness to success stories of ordinary people, specifically micro and small enterprise traders, who were driven by the virtues of perseverance and hard work and went into small business in order to free themselves from poverty.

        The awardees will act as role models for others to follow and the cash award will in a way provide support for the development of their enterprise.

        A team from Manila will be coming to this city on Thursday, March 28, to complete validation of the two nominees, interview field respondents, and for the final judging that will choose the Bicol awardee.

        The two qualifiers will be judged on employment generation, sales turnover, growth in profits, re-investment of profits, savings generated, sipag at tiyaga record, and impact to community such as enhancement of the quality of life of the citizens and promotion of sustainable development.

ChocoNAGA
        Bordado’s ChocoNAGA is now being closely associated with the city of its birth as it highlights the vast potentials of locally-grown pili nut, given the proper quality control, packaging and promotion. The enterprise has linked up with local shops selling and exporting mostly pili products such as J. Emmanuel Pastries (of Canaman, CSur and Naga City), the latter having also earned an award from Malacañang and the Department of Agriculture for high quality commercial crop food processing that specializes on pili nut products.

        While she suffered some setbacks at the outset, Marian Bordado did not give up. She drew lessons from her pitfalls and used them to propel her enterprise to where it is now. With hard work, patience and determination, her product -- dubbed as the original chocolate pili bar -- is now carving a niche in the local and international market.

        Her products come in four distinct variants: Classic Premium, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, and Semi-Sweet.

Baycrafts
        Olano’s Baycrafts started as a brick and mortar business at the Naga City Public Market. Recently, it has ventured into online trading by putting up Baycrafts.net. Even before that, Olano has been selling through eBay under its owner’s alias,”Jessicaz28”.

        From Nepa goods, Olano’s Baycrafts evolved into trader-manufacturer of handicraft products and continues to strengthen the local handicraft industry by sharing its knowledge through a series of Craft lessons which explore varied materials and medium and include other crafts such as jewelry-making and basketry.

        Her best sellers are anklets, bag charms, belts, bracelets/bangles, earrings, For Him jewelry, footwear, rings, brooches, and other novelty items. These product items may be viewed on its website: baycrafts.net.