Filipino Capiz Shell Products, World Class Indeed
| Posted by Excel Dyquiangco in Business Articles,Featured SMEs on 7th February 2007 |
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By Excel V. Dyquiangco
For one thing, using Japanese paper, sticks and ordinary paper is old news. For another, using new and glazed materials is the in thing – much like capiz shells. And thrive on Philippine capiz shell products, as it is.
From lanterns to candle holders to Christmas ornaments to pencil holders, much has been said and done with a profitable business like theirs. And for Rolando Hernandez and his wife Vilma, they have taken the liberty of letting the Filipino peoplesee a different kind of decor ideas, in and outside the mall.
It wasn’t always like this. Rolando and Vilma both have stable jobs back then – Rolando, as a purchasing officer and Vilma, as a Human Resources Manager. During that time, computers were the trend. So, Rolando left his job to put up their own business back in 1992 and used his separation pay of P250,000 to put up Roviland Merchandising, a retailer and distributor of office equipment and supplies in Valenzuela and Bulacan.
They employed a total of four people to man their operations – all of them dealt with office accounts while Rolando and Vilma were the ones overseeing the business.
The first year started out breezy. It wasn’t really that difficult for them to get hold of clients. Aside from mothers who want their children to acquire computers for their schoolwork, their clients include a variety of corporations – including Pascual Laboratory, Silarelle Trading and AS Employment Inc.
It wasn’t until a couple of years later when Vilma’s relatives in Pampanga also went into a business – this time, the parol-making business, which makes use of capiz shells. Since Vilma wanted to venture into the same business, she had to ask that crucial question to her husband on their trip in the mall: “Bakit di na lang natin dalhin ang mga parol na ito sa mall?”
With this couple at the helm, they decided to scout the whole area of Metro Manila for possible clients, even asking the existing stores back then how much a lantern would cost now. They also went out of their way to analyze the market of each mall. According to Rolando, not all SM malls have their products.
“We actually cater to all classes,” says Rolando. “We see to it that every mall, which showcases our products, has their own specific clientele. There are malls which only have classes A and B as their target shoppers.”
After scouting and analyzing the market, it was high time for the couple to stand alone. And truly, they did, and still do.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
And since they dealt with using capiz shells as their medium, lanterns weren’t their only products. They also create lampshades, candle holders and jewelry boxes using capiz shells.
Their employees also grew. From about four workers years ago, they now have a total of seventy-two employees, thirty five are handling the lantern business, thirty are the home-based suppliers and seven works in the office. One of the most unforgettable moments in their lives was actually dealing with their employees. Vilma claims that one of the hardest things to do is handling people.
“You should be most observant,” she says. This, in fact, supported what she thought of one of her employees before when she had to deal with thievery. One of her salesladies almost got away with PhP 23,000 if not for this trait of hers.
It was approximately more than six years ago when they hit the jackpot. Erlinda Tupas of Manila Gifts, a Filipino gift shop located in West Covena, California, contacted them after she also scouted for shops that sell Filipino products using a different kind of medium. By the end of the day, Rolando and Vilma were able to sell almost a million worth of their products. This was for them their biggest sales contract yet, and they were lucky to be able to acquire this first major contract.
But how did they deal with this first international buyer?
“Marami ang factors na tinitignan namin when it comes to dealing with these clients,” Vilma says.
Among them, she says, is the presentation and quality of products, their prices should be favorable as compared to others, and they should be able to meet their deadlines, at least a month before their scheduled date of delivery. And of course, this just doesn’t ring true for their international clients. In this country, this is important as well.
Up until now, Manila Gifts is still one of their clients in the United States. They also had to deal with foreign clients as far as Hongkong and China. In fact, it is hoped that by next year, they could be putting the Filipino capiz lantern stands into one mall in Hongkong.
It is all worth the wait.
About Excel Dyquiangco: Excel V. Dyquiangco works as a writer for an advocacy and consultancy firm in Makati City. During his spare time, he writes stories for children, writes for various magazines catering to different topics, writes textbooks for elementary and highschool students and formulates scripts for television and movies. He also teaches English to Korean, Burmese and Indonesian students. He was recently featured in Reader's Digest Asia, with the headline CASH NOW: SECRETS OF SUCCESS, which discusses his work as a writer.
18 Responses to “Filipino Capiz Shell Products, World Class Indeed”
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I read your story, and I was so encourage, actually my friend and I were planning to put a business like capiz, and we are here in abroad working as a designer,I just wanna ask if you can give as an Idea where can we start, were planning to bring the capiz products here in abroad and we saw that there are a lot of possibilities ro market the product here. Were looking a capiz production in the Philippines, that we can finance them, we will make a design and they will produce the product and possible that we can join in some exhibition to promote the product,
please email me and give us an idea.
If possible we can get your contact information?
Thanks!
paul
Hi, thank you for taking time to read Magnegosyo.com.
Many capiz crafters hail from the Visayan part of the county. Here are a couple of organizations you can contact regarding your inquiry:
Capiz Business Club (CBC)
Lawaan Petron, Roxas City
Officer: Mr. Matthew Viterbo, President
Phone: (036) 621-3631 / 5792
Fax: (036) 621-5792
Cebu Business Club (CBC)
Rm. 305, Cento Maximo Bldg., Jakosalem St., Cebu City
Officer: Mr. Oscar H. Chua, President
Phone: (032) 253-4411, 255-8528
Mobile: (0917) 620-0088
Fax: (032) 253-4427
Also check out this site: http://www.capizshells.com/
hi, im very interested regarding capiz products. but dont know where to buy the raw materials, i mean the capiz. is it available in mla. aside from cebu? pls give me contact number. thanks
I read your story about your capiz business, I am also interested but we are here in Batangas. Do you have any branch near our place? To have an easy access of your products.
Please email me.
thanks,
ydette
do you have branches here in manila? if you have can you pls.send the address to me so thati can visit your place thank for your consideration my email address is rhene_barrera@yahoo.com.ph
I would like to purchase some capiz round lanterns for a wedding held in Kuala Lumpur. What are the sizes of the lanterns and how can you be able to ship to KL? Please let me know. Thanks
your article is encouraging.my younger brother and i also wanted to explore the capiz business more. could you help us to find capiz makers within metro manila?we cld be reach at eruthbb@yahoo.com.thanks!
hi gudafternoon..our company, a design and construction firm is in need of capiz products particularly the shell. we have some projects that we want capiz shell to be one of our decorative element on walls,finishings,etc. where can we get the materials here in metro manila? we are very much thankfull for informations you can give us. Thanks…
i can be reached via email thru chunfong7@yahoo.com. Thanks.. n More Power!!
hi! i know suppliers and capiz makers in metro manila. if interested please contact me. zerimla08@yahoo.com
Hello,
I am very interested in impoting capiz lanterns in Winnipeg, Canada as well as other Capiz products. I was wondering if you’ll be able to get me in touch with a distributor asap.
hi, Im Gian, 26 yrs old i live in Hinigaran Negros Occidental.
Im looking for a partner/financer to put up a business in exporting RAW CAPIZ SHELL from other countries and also to sell it here in the philippines. Hinigaran is very very rich in raw capiz shell, the only problem i got is budget..if anyone willing to be my partner pls send me an email so that we can talk about the infos…thnx
gian192002@yahoo.com
im looking for a raw capiz supplier for export… pls send me your contact info. & quotations. thanks
we are capiz lantern makers and we are loooking for interested buyers. thanks. email me at ayensmanicdo@yahoo.com.ph thanks
hello, I am interested to buy capiz shells and some other shells like blacklp etc Please advise which chemicals to use to soften the hells to make different forms like if I would want to use them as vase.
Thanks in advance.
MTG
hi ms aileen manicdo,
Please send me some copies of your products to mtgtrends@gmail.com I would want to know their size and Price. Thanks
MTG
I am looking to import high quality products to UK for retail. If you are interested in doing business, please contact me.
reallyott@yahoo.co.uk