WHEN entrepreneur Rey Calooy, founder and president of RNC Marketing, served as vice mayor of Libagon, Southern Leyte, his thrust was centered on helping poor communities become agri-entrepreneurs to save them from vices and help them build thriving communities.
During his term, Calooy said, his Hapitay, Hapinay project was well accepted. He trained jobless husbands and stay-at-home wives to raise organic turkeys and chickens to jump-start their agribusiness and link their products to the growing organic market.
Calooy was successful in saving fathers and mothers from vice through livelihood. However, he had difficulty linking them to long-term buyers.
“I had difficulty linking them to the market because there was no ready market. Although we were given support, it wasn’t enough and it wasn’t sustainable,” he said.
Unfinished business
When he ended his career in politics in 2016, Calooy was determined to continue what he started. This time, wearing the “big brother hat” by mentoring micro and small entrepreneurs of his hometown.
With the help of the Southern Leyte business chamber, Calooy opened the first branch of MyFarm Cafe and Restaurant in Southern Leyte, a farm to table restaurant that advocates wealth bridging between farmers and buyers.
“Our farmers needed buyers that would constantly buy their products. MyFarm does that. Not only that, we made the cafe a learning venue for everyone, especially for micro and small entrepreneurs who want to learn more about business,” he said.
MyFarm’s tagline is Eat, Make A Difference (MAD) and Learn.
Last Saturday, Calooy formally opened the second branch of MyFarm Cafe and Restaurant in Lagtang, Talisay City.
He converted a portion of his office into a restaurant and cafe that can accommodate up to 30 guests.
Organic turkey is the restaurant’s specialty, along with his wife Nessa’s other dishes and pastries. Calooy’s wife manages the business.
“The good thing about this new venture is that we are helping farmers gain market access,” said Calooy, adding that he consolidates the buying of vegetables, fruits and other crops sourced from the different farming communities in Cebu. Some were bought from his hometown in Southern Leyte.
Calooy spent roughly P500,000 to turn MyFarm into a restaurant that exudes the vibe of a thriving farming community.
It displays grown herbs used by his wife in cooking dishes for guests. It also features farmers’ hats, in case guests want to take a photo of themselves for social media.
“I highlighted the farmer’s hat as feature to pay tribute to the farming community. This is a job that is difficult to replace. It’s about paying respect to the hard work of our farmers because we can’t live without them,” said Calooy, who once worked as a farmer.
“I understand their struggles and this is just my way of helping them thrive,” he added.
On the other hand, MyFarm also acts as a conducive place for learning business.
Every Friday, members of the Filipino-Cebuano Business Club Inc. gather for fellowship and learn from each other’s business struggles and victories.
“We call it MSME Kapihan where we discuss about each other’s business, learn from each other so we could grow together,” said Calooy, stressing that in today’s business age, entrepreneurs need each other to combat challenges, competition and disruption.
Calooy’s new venture has earned him the BPI Sinag Foundation Award for Best in Social Enterprise in 2016.
He plans to open MyFarm for franchise as soon as they have professionalized the business system.