I THINK I LOVE YOU

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

JOIE

"AS WHAT SIR LUCAS requested, sir, I added the contour lines. Each pathways has a distance of one meter per block. Aside from bananas and pineapples we can also plant cacao since the quality of the soil is fit enough for the nutrients needed for the said crop."

"For the record, why did you choose cacao, hija?"

"I choose cacao, because of its marketability, sir. My team conducted  a thorough research about cacao, at ayon sa mga nakalap nilang datos, may iilang maliliit na cacao growers dito sa Pilipinas that are now into export dahil sa sobrang lakas ng demand nito sa international market. At ayon sa mga article na nababasa ko, cacao's that are cultivated in the Philippines gives a different taste of the cacao that the  international market used to have. Kaya naman nare-recognize na rin ng ibang bansa lalo na sa Europe ang quality ng cacao na nanggaling dito sa Pilipinas. Mas maganda ang quality ng cacao natin compared into other exporting countries because we are more on the natural way which is organic. Less toxins and more health benefits. If by chance, the company decides to expand into cacao industry, then, the company will be the largest firm ever to export cacao in southeast Asia. It will no longer hard for us to establish a name since the company is internationally known because of our products. In that way, lalakas ang kita ng kompanya and at the same time the company will also generate more jobs for those who are in the marginalized sector in the rural areas."

Today is the scheduled date for the second opinion. And true to his words ay wala nga ngayon si Jepoy para makinig sa presentation. Ano kaya ang pinagkakaabalahan ng isang iyon ngayon?

Pakialam mo ba, Joie? Saka mo na siya alalahanin kapag natapos mo na ang presentation.

"Pero hija, kapag ginawa natin iyan maaapakan natin ang maliliit na growers. Paano sila kikita kung papasukin natin ang industriya ng cacao?"

I really admire this old man. Bibihira lang ang mga negosyante na inaalala ang kapakanan ng kapwa nila negosyante lalo na iyong mga nagsisimula pa lang. Kaya naman lalong tumaas ang respeto ko rito. Mostly kasi sa mundo ng pagnenegosyo ay uunahin talaga ng mga negosyante ang kapakanan ng negosyo nila more than anything else, kesehodang mapabayaan nila ang pamilya nila lalo na ang mga anak nila. But this old man is different, maybe because minsan sa buhay nito ay naranasan nito kung paano ang maging mahirap kaya ganoon na lamang ang pagdamay nito sa mga taong walang-wala sa buhay.

I took a deep breath bago sagutin ang tanong nito. "Naisip ko na rin po ang bagay na iyan. May masasagasaan talaga ang kompanya if ever na i-pursue ang proyekto. However, I came up with an assumption that might lead us into a win-win situation, provided na maiparating natin ng malinaw at maayos ang punto natin sa mga growers."

"You mean a forum?"

Tumango lang ako. "We need to have a forum first para maiparating natin ang nais nating iparating. For sure may iilang growers na aalma dahil kung titignan natin ang sitwasyon talaga namang sila ang pinakalugi. Wala silang panama sa isang kompanya na  internationally known and well established, however that's not what I am trying to imply here, sir. Instead, what I am trying to say is that we should uplift their situation by giving them aid, sir. We could be their distributor and at the same time their manufacturer as well, through business partnership. Or, we will utilize all the growers and establish a small and medium macro enterprise with the cooperation of the Chamber of Commerce, wherein they can be given a chance to make it big in the market world and establish their respective firms or corporations. We can provide them assistance if need be, while we were pursuing the cacao industry. That way, we will be hitting multiple target with one stone."