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An Exploratory Market Study on UPLB-IFST Ready-To-Drink Calamansi- Dragon Fruit- Acai Juice Blend in the Selected Areas in Laguna
No full textFruit juice blends or mixed fruit juice products are gaining traction around the world due to its potential health benefits and economic benefits. It is the process of combining two or more concentrates from different kinds of fruits to produce an innovative and new flavor in the market (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations, 2022). In an experiment conducted by Shamsudin et al. (2020), it was discovered that that fresh pineapple-mango juice blend exhibited a longer shelf storage and contained better quality of physicochemical and nutritional properties. However, the fruit juice market in the Philippines is still dominated by single flavor juice drinks and mixed fruit juice is yet to be popular in the local market. Imported mixed fruit juice are often inaccessible and expensive for many consumers.
This study intends to address the current pain-points of fruit juice drinkers who want to explore new innovative flavors of fruit juice by offering a ready-to-drink fruit juice blend that contains calamansi, dragon fruit, and acai berry. There may be limited exploration on mixed fruit juice drinks but the Philippines has a big local market for food and beverage processed products due to the increasing demand for quality product variety and growing consumption for on-the-go food and drinks. Hence, the study aims to determine the market acceptability of the UPLB-IFST RTD Calamansi-Dragon Fruit-Acai Berry Juice Blend to propose marketing strategies that can best introduce the product in the market.
The study involved 60 respondents from Calauan, Los Baños, and Calamba City in Laguna. Convenience sampling was employed due to lack of list of fruit juice consumers population in the study areas. Additionally, the researcher used statistical tools under exploratory and descriptive research design to analyze the data obtained from the market and consumer survey, product test, and price test. The study analyzed patterns using cross- tabulations but the results were only applicable to the respondents and cannot be generalized to the rest of the population.
Based on the examined data from the market and consumer survey, there was an equal proportion between female and male respondents who were mostly around 31 to 40 years old.
The majority of the respondents were working professionals with a college degree. In terms of the consumption behavior, the results showed that most of the respondents who claimed to be consumers of ready-to-drink fruit juice products are health-conscious and their most cited reasons are for drinking were from refreshment and good taste. Analyzed patterns have revealed that respondents drink 1 to 2 glasses of fruit juice when they feel like it during snack time. They usually consume fruit juice drinks when they are outdoors. Furthermore, evidences from the purchasing behavior exhibited that majority of the respondents usually buy 1 to 2 bottle of fruit juice products in grocery stores once a week. The most popular size was 250 ml which is approximately equivalent to 1 glass and they prefer plastic materials for the packaging. Lastly, the respondents consume more single flavor fruit juice drinks than other types of fruit juice and the main attributes considered when purchasing were health benefits and price.
A 5-point Likert Scale was used to determine which attributes of fruit juice were important for the respondents. aroma, color, taste, aftertaste, temperature, price, and packaging are perceived as satisfiers by the respondents. Hence, the respondents are more motivated to buy fruit juice when there is better quality of each attribute. On the other hand, the respondents’ basic requirement is for a fruit juice to have a good taste and consistency as they were regarded as satisfiers. The results of the attribute importance rating showed that attributes were rated between “4.73 to 4.88” which is interpreted as “very important”. Furthermore, the actual product test results presented an average rating of “4,28” which was interpreted as “good”. When it comes to the price, the acceptable price range is between Php 35.00 and Php 55.00.
The product was found to be acceptable among the respondents. Recommendations and marketing strategies were formulated to introduce the product to the market. Based on the sensory evaluation, product development is necessary to enhance the intrinsic properties of the juice. The color needs to be lighter, the aroma should be improved, there should be a balanced between sourness and sweetness of the taste, the consistency should be sediment-free, and the product should be refrigerated or better served with ice to keep its refreshing quality. According to the marketing mix strategies proposed, the potential target market for this product is working professionals belong to the age group 21 to 30 years old and 31 to 40 years old. It was also observed that female respondents from these age groups consume more frequently. It is recommended to set the price between Php 45 and Php 55 and to implement penetration pricing strategy. In terms of promotion UPLB-IFST may introduce the fruit crops and their health benefits through establishing partnership s with health organizations and social media campaigns. Lastly, distributing to small local grocery stores and online stores may be a more feasible option for UPLB-IFST since it still improving the fruit juice. Continuous improvement and innovations should be done to satisfy and retain loyal customers
Factors Associated with the Acceptability of Rabbit Meat Among Households in Batangas Province, Philippines
No full textWith the increasing concern of African Swine Fever (ASF) and bird flu domestically and globally, and alternative source of protein became imperative; hence, a growing interest in rabbit meat in the Philippines. At present, rabbit meat contributes merely 0.02% to the overall livestock production of livestock in the country. Batangas had been selected as the area of study since a number of rabbit farms are present in the province. Additionally, Batangas has been known as the livestock and poultry and poultry capital of the CaLaBaRZon region.
The general objective of the study has been to analyze the factors associated with the acceptability of rabbit meat among households in Batangas province. The specific objectives have been to: (1) describe to socio-demographic characteristics of households in Batangas who participated in the rabbit meat study; (2) identify the factors associated to rabbit meat acceptability among households in Batangas province; (3) determine the level of awareness among households in Batangas towards rabbit meat; (4) evaluate the level of awareness of Batangas households on rabbit meat, and; (5) recommend strategies related to rabbit meat among households in Batangas province.
The study has employed a mix of descriptive and correlational designs, incorporating both qualitative and quantitative methods. Surveys, in-depth interviews, and a focus group discussion had been conducted with 103 respondents from various municipalities in Batangas to ensure diverse representations.
Survey findings have shown that only 8 out of 103 respondents had tried rabbit meat, indicating its limited popularity. Of those surveyed, 59.2% had been willing to try rabbit meat, while 40.8% had not, citing ethical and cultural concerns. Key information sources had been social media (52%), word of mouth (36.89%), and family (31.07%). Economic concerns had been noted by 36.89% regarding affordability, though 18.96% had found the prices acceptable. Respondents had neutral opinions on taste, appeal, and versatility, highlighting the need for promotional efforts. Accessibility had been a concern for 53.4% and 59.4% had been skeptical about understanding and cooking rabbit meat, impacting its adoption. Rabbit meat had limited visibility in grocery stores, advertisement, and restaurants, with social media having been the primary awareness platform.
Interviews had revealed that 63.9% of respondents had been willing to try rabbit meat in the future, driven by curiosity, health benefits, and a readiness for alternatives. However, 55% had noted a lack of awareness, emphasizing the need for more information and educational initiatives, primarily via social media.
The focus group discussion (FGD), involving 22 individuals who had tasted rabbit meat, had revealed mixed reactions regarding taste, texture, and appeal, along with concerns about affordability, availability, and healthiness. While rabbit caldereta had been a favored dish, rabbit meat had still been considered exotic.
In conclusion, improving the acceptability of rabbit meat in Batangas would require education, promotions, affordability measures, and culinary innovations. Addressing these areas could make rabbit farming a sustainable and accepted alternative, contributing to economic growth and diverse dietary options in the region
Neighbrewhood Coffee: An Enterprise Study
No full textNeighbrewhood Coffee is a pop-up coffee cart in Angeles City, Pampanga, near Angeles University Foundation and other schools. Owned by Ervin Joseph C. Martin, it began with Php 66,454.04 from his parents, Theresa C. Martin and Lamberto T. Martin. Originally online during the pandemic, it relaunched in March 2024 as a foldable cart serving cold-brew coffee. Martin aimed to provide quality coffee at fair prices, addressing local coffee shop issues of high prices and low quality. The cart\u27s mobility allows it to serve where it fits, adapting from glass bottles to plastic cups for cost reduction.
Inspired by pandemic coffee exploration, Martin developed recipes with feedback from family and friends. He designed the cart and managed branding, with parental financing and support. Challenges included acquiring permits and finding a location, eventually leasing a space for six months.
The author used his connections in the schools around the area to do an informal feasibility study and to gain more understanding of the market he is catering to. Market research showed student preference for taste over price, guiding product development. It was determined that the usual qualms of the market is the lack of coffee taste in the drinks that they buy from the surrounding coffee shops. It also did not matter how sweet the drinks are, they just did not want the coffee taste to be overpowered by milk or sugar.
Before operating, the author had a hard time finding a commercial space for the start-up as everything was occupied. He found an unused space in a building that served as a utility area for other establishments in the building, he contacted the owner of the building and asked if he could rent the vacant space for a cart and the owner agreed. There was also a problem encounted with the appearance of the said space, so additional materials like a tent and a huge piece of cloth were bought to make the place more eye pleasing. The contract for the lease, which was initially for 1 year, was also renegotiated to be decreased to only 6 months. A lot more problems were also encountered in acquiring the BIR and Mayor\u27s Permits for the business due to the problems in the contract between the owner of the building and the sub-lessor. This was solved by hiring a separate person to negotiate with the Mayor\u27s Office regarding the situation.
The biggest problem that the business encountered was the continuous suspensions of classes due to the unbearable heat. Classes were slowly moved to online platforms due to this. This resulted in a lower-than-expected sales for the first two months of the business. The business also continued to pay for rent expenses during these two months despite the sales being limited by the suspensions of classes. To solve this, the owner wanted to make the establishment available through food-hailing applications like GrabFood, but due to the delays in the BIR registration, he was not able to do that as soon as possible.
Marketing advice emphasized understanding the market. On the production end, the author made sure that everything has a definite place where they will be put in the cart to minimize errors like spillage of ingredients and optimize the preparation time for the drinks. On the financial aspect of the business, the author had to substitute other ingredients so that the unit prices per drink gets lower, without sacrificing the quality. Instead of using liquid whipping cream, which is more expensive, the author substituted it with powdered whipping cream that can be mixed with water and whipped, the author also opted to make his own sugar syrup instead of buying ready-made high fructose syrups in the market to lower the costs. The author also used all of his connections to gather all the help he would need for the venture to lessen the need to pay for employees. His family and friends helped him in establishing and operating the business.
Some problems encountered during the operation of the business were the following: wastage of perishable ingredients like cold brew and adjusting the recipe of drinks to better fit the general taste of the market
The author gave 7 vital conditions and personalities that are needed for the entrepreneurial event to occur: passion, support of parents and friends, open-mindedness, determination, ability to take failures and rise from them, patience, and mental and emotional strength
Ganataste: An Enterprise Study
No full textGANATASTE is a food business venture founded by King Joshua Nalupa and Krist Ianna Paula Sese. It specializes in producing bottled food products. This business aims to bring homemade side dishes to the market, combining family recipes and unique flavor combinations. Dedicated to crafting products using natural fermentation and pickling techniques, GANATASTE provides delicious and nutritious offerings to support a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The company is registered as a sole proprietorship under the name of Krist Ianna Paula Sese. However, both founders are running and controlling the business activities. The production facility of GANATASTE is based in Marikina but operations extend to Marikina and Los Baños to accommodate the founders\u27 commitments as students at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.
GANATASTE envisions becoming the primary source of bottled food products in the Philippines, offering a broad and delicious product line to delight and nourish customers. The mission is to produce high quality bottled food products sourced and made locally, fostering taste and responsibility while promoting awareness for local food products. GANATASTE\u27s core values of passion, quality, and innovation guide its operations and decision-making process, ensuring alignment with its goals and objectives.
GANATASTE\u27s product lineup includes Sauteed Fermented Fish, Spicy Atsarang Papaya, and Classic Cabbage Kimchi. These offerings showcase classic Filipino side dishes while catering to a broader market with internationally well-known flavors, like kimchi. Behind the scenes, GANATASTE follows a meticulous production process, sourcing fresh and high-quality ingredients from local suppliers, ensuring safety and consistency in its offerings.
Led by founders King Joshua Nalupa and Krist Ianna Paula Sese, GANATASTE\u27s management team is committed to upholding the company\u27s vision, mission, and core values. Nalupa handles the marketing and communications department while Sese handles the production and operations department of GANATASTE. Both founders make the major decisions for the company. With a focus on passion, quality, and innovation, the team drives continuous improvement and growth in operations, production, and market presence.
GANATASTE operates in the food industry, contributing to the improvement of the local agribusiness landscape by adding value to agricultural products. Its strategies include continuous product innovation, local sourcing, and market expansion to establish itself as a leading provider of bottled food products in the Philippines. By embracing passion, quality, and innovation, GANATASTE aims to create a sustainable food system that uplifts its customers and the Filipino community
Coping and Resilience Strategies Amid the Pandemic: The Case of Eatsumo Teri Haus
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on business, including Eatsumo Teri Haus, a Japanese restaurant in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. This study focused on identifying the challenges and coping strategies employed by the restaurant as it faced the pandemic. Qualitative research methods, together with primary and secondary data were used in the analysis.
The four business functions namely finance, marketing, operations, and human resource management were investigated in three periods of time: pre-pandemic (2019), pandemic (2020), and post-pandemic (2021 onwards).
In the year 2019, the restaurant was in good financial standing as shown by its high net sales (Php 13,723,586.00), low cost of goods sold (Php 12,540,762.00) and high gross profit (Php 1,182,823.90). The majority of the revenues came from dine-in orders, takeouts, and catering services. Traditional promotional activities were employed such as in-store visibility of menus, distribution of printed flyers and postings of ads in the streets. Primary customers were students, employed such as in-store visibility of menus, distribution of printed flyers and postings of ads in the streets. Primary customers were students, employees, and households. Modes of payments were predominantly cash transactions. Employees were in the restaurant for over five years of service. competitive compensation and benefits were provided to the employees correspondingly.
In the year 2020, there was a disruption in terms of financial standing, but the business got back from it in the followings. Its net sales was low (Php 10,040,414.00), the cost of goods sold was low (Php 8,582,403.90), but the gross profit was high (Php1,673,010.10).
COVID-19 brought challenges that significantly altered the restaurant operations. In finance, the challenges faced were (1) the temporary closure of the restaurant for four months, from March to July 2020, (2) an increase in costs of raw materials, and (3) an increase in gas prices. As such, the owner paid the rent and utilities during the temporary closure of the restaurant, and implemented a gradual increase in menu prices, and lastly, they shifted from weekly to every supply acquisition. In service operations, there was a lack of dine-in services during General Community Quarantine (GCQ) and Enhance Community Quarantine (ECQ) as the government discouraged people from going out their homes. Consumer preference shifted to cashless transactions, to avoid physical contact when making purchases. Contactless payment options such as GCash and online bank transfers were introduced in the restaurant. In marketing, there was a significant reduction in foot traffic, severely affecting the revenue for the restaurant. Social media such as Facebook were used to introduce the restaurant online. Also, new menus were offered like “Baked Sushi”, “Onigiri”, and “Kaagare” meals which helped boost sales and drew new customers. In human resource management, due to the temporary closure, the employees have no salaries leading the owner to provide loans.
After the pandemic, the restaurant went back to good financial standing as shown by its high net sales (Php 15,685,911.00), low cost of goods sold (Php 12,341,996.73) and high gross profit (Php 3,343,914.00) Revenues came from dine-in and take-out orders, and catering services. New additional promotional activities were employed such as posting on Facebook. Primary customers were still students, employees, and households. A new addition to the payment method which includes GCash and online bank transfers. Employees stayed in the restaurant during the pandemic and are still existing crew. Employees still rate their stay in the restaurant as acceptable. As a result of the pandemic, some sanitary practices were still implemented in the restaurant operations.
The SWOT analysis for the business highlighted several key points. The strengths of the business include its value for money, authentic Japanese ambiance, high quality ingredients, strong customer loyalty, a long-standing presence in the market, and unique menu offerings. On the other hand, the weaknesses identified were the limited accessibility of the store due to steep stairs, poor visibility, vulnerability to unfortunate events, and the potential need to adapt to evolving trends in Japanese cuisine. Opportunities for the business include participating in regular weekend markets potential acquisition of the building. However, the business also faces threats such as emerging competition from new Japanese restaurants, uncertainty related to future health risks, ongoing health and safety concerns, and potential reputation risks from external factors.
Recommendations include the (1) establishments of sanitation protocols for safety and hygiene, (2) continuous use of cashless payment methods for customer convenience, (3) continuous understanding and being connected with the customers for new food offerings and marketing campaigns like paid advertisements, (4) setting aside emergency funds for contingency use, (5) consider offering modest loans to employees as part of employee retention program. To make the restaurant crisis-proof in the future, it us recommended to (6) hire trained professionals for marketing and finance department, (7) have a flexible business model, lastly, it is also recommended that (8) there should be an annual goal setting, using SWOT analysis. This is to review, renew the goals, and directions needed by the restaurant, anticipating future disruptions
The role of microfinance on women\u27s empowerment: learnings from selected countries using systematic review analysis /
No full textThis study investigates the role of microfinance on women’s empowerment relating to the structural, cognitive, and relational dimensions of social capital theory using systematic review analysis. Seventeen out of 203 journal articles have been considered for examination from the Scopus and JSTOR databases. Specifically, this paper aims to identify the types of microfinance providers, analyze the channels and transmission mechanisms between microfinance and women’s empowerment, and synthesize the strengths and weaknesses of different types of microfinance providers in achieving the elements of women’s empowerment. The findings demonstrate the linkages or transmission mechanism of microfinance to women’s empowerment in analyzing the dimensions of social capital. Microfinance improves women\u27s empowerment when social capital dimensions are integrated but falls short whenever disintegrated. Self-Help Groups microfinance enables women to achieve the elements of empowerment with the effective integration of social capital dimensions. As with other economic and developmental policies however, microfinance is not an infallible policy. This study emphasizes the importance of continuous improvement and innovation in microfinance services acknowledging previous mishandling and other challenges in its implementation. Future studies can look into deeper discussions on other economic concepts like market asymmetry, moral hazards, adverse selection, and new institutional economics to facilitate a more critical understanding of microfinance and women’s empowerment
Customer choice of ordering touchpoints and its influence on overall customer satisfaction
Get PDFThis study explores the adoption of self-ordering kiosks (SOKs) in the Philippine fast food industry. It aims to identify the antecedents influencing customer choice of ordering touchpoints between traditional counters and SOKs and its influence on overall satisfaction. By employing PLS-SEM analysis, results revealed that the feeling of being time pressured, the mood to interact with fewer people, and the feeling of using the kiosk drive the customers to use SOK, which can be attributed to the speed and convenience of using SOK. Mediation analysis showed that using SOK has an indirect effect on the influence of affective state factors on overall satisfaction. Perceived queuing, waiting time, and crowding, however, revealed insignificant effects. The findings of the study suggest that affective state factors positively influence the use of SOK. At the same time affective state factors negatively influence the use of traditional counters; emotions and moods experienced by customers lead to the use of self service technologies such as SOK rather than using traditional counters. Results also showed enhanced SOK attributes can significantly improve overall satisfaction. The study emphasizes the importance of considering emotional states and preferences in the choice of ordering touchpoints in fast food restaurants, providing invaluable insights for service providers to enhance customer experience and optimize operations through the implementation of SOK
Assessment of Drought Tolerance in Mung Bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] Through Phenology, Growth, Protein Yield, and Cluster Heatmap Analysis
Get PDFMung bean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] cultivation is challenging under the changing climate as less precipitation during the summer season, which is becoming increasingly common, results in soil moisture deficiency and affects production especially at the early growth stages. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the phenology, growth, and protein yield traits of mung bean related to drought tolerance. Eight mung bean genotypes were grown in pots inside a rain-out shelter under well-watered (WW) and water-deficit (WD) conditions. These genotypes included four water stress-tolerant genotypes: G-1 (BARI Mung-8), G-2 (BMX-010015), G-3 (BMX-08010-2), and G-4 (BMX-08009-7), as well as four sensitive genotypes: G-5 (BARI Mung-1), G-6 (BARI Mung-3), G-7 (BU Mung-4), and G-8 (BMX-05001). Soil moisture content was maintained at 22 ± 0.5% (30% deficit of the available water) under WW condition. Water deficit was maintained at WD condition during the entire life cycle and irrigation was applied after symptoms of wilting were observed. Results showed that WD stress significantly influenced the phenology, growth, and protein yield traits in all genotypes. For days to flowering and days to maturity, G-3 took two and four days less in WD than in WW conditions, while G-5 took eight and 19 days less. Because G-3 was revealed as the most drought-tolerant genotype and G-5 as the most vulnerable, G-3 showed the smallest decrease in shoot dry weight and root dry weight under WD stress, whereas G-5 showed the biggest decrease. Likewise, G-3 experienced the smallest reductions in seed yield (35%) and protein yield (32%) under WD condition compared to WW conditions, while G-5 showed the largest reductions (80% and 76%, respectively). The hierarchical clustering analysis using two-dimension heat map also displayed the G-3 genotype as a potential and stable to water deficit stress. These findings show that the studied parameters can be useful in evaluating mung bean tolerance to drought stress and in screening for drought stress-tolerant mung bean genotypes, especially if there are no facilities to determine biophysiological and molecular traits
