Iloilo’s Tablea is top rated seller in oneSTore PH

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Owned by Ilonggo entrepreneur Ms. Catherine V. Taleon, Sunburst Balay Tablea was awarded as oneSTore.ph’s Top Rated Seller in the Philippines during the oneSTore Strategic Planning 2018 last November 28-29 at West Avenue Suites, Quezon City, Metro Manila.

DOST 6 Sr. SRS. May Rose O. Suerte and Lea Rose L. Inocencio receive the award for Sunbursts Balay Tablea as one of the three oneSTore top rated sellers in the Philippines. (Photo credit: DOST II)

oneSTore.ph is an E-commerce Web Application of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). It operates nationwide and caters primarily to Philippine consumers. Moreover, it helps the DOST’s assisted Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) widen the scope of their target market. Furthermore, it provides customers with an effortless shopping experience and retailers with simple and direct access to the largest customer base in the Philippines.

Tablea is a local blend chocolate from cacao beans which are harvested from highlands of Iloilo where native brewers, dubbed as cacao masters, have handed-down their expertise from one generation to the next. Recognizing its vast contribution to the local economy, the Municipality of Cabatuan propelled the passing of Sangguniang Bayan No. 030-2012 which officially declared tablea as the alternative One Town One Product (OTOP) commodity in Cabatuan. The municipal government likewise cherry-picked the brand name “Tan Tono” as a tribute to its first gobernadorcillo.

Nowadays, Sunbursts Balay Tablea is the authorized manufacturer and distributor of Tan Tono Tablea. Ms. Taleon swells with pride of its humble beginnings.

The business is never a walk in the park as the firm placed its trust on the traditional process for tablea production. Such tedious, snail-paced process entailed much time, hence having difficulties in coping with the orders and demands of the market.

Being the determined entrepreneur that she is, Ms. Tanaleon asked help at DOST for technology upgrading in which DOST heeded the call through the project “Product and Process Improvement of a Cocoa Bean Based Processing Facility for Sunbursts Balay Tablea”. Thereafter, innovations in the treasured blend followed.

Among of the equipment that comprised the project include planetary mixer, foot sealer, weighing scale, stainless steel cabinet and stockpot.

Apart from the technology upgrade, the firm likewise stepped up its product packaging with the newly-improved packaging materials. Production facilities such as emulsifier and heavy-duty cocoa roaster will also be given.

DOST and the Department of Agriculture also shared the same passion with Sunbursts Balay Tablea in terms of developing its pool of human resource. Rigid training on roasting, grinding, and packaging was conducted along with the staff.

Sunbursts Balay Tablea has been producing cocoa bean-based products such as pure tablea and tablea with muscovado sugar through the assistance of DOST VI Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) which can be bought online through http://onestore.ph/index.php/home/product_view/11695/Tablea-with-Muscovado-Sugar-Box.

Other products assisted by DOST 6 can be accessed at http://onestore.ph/index.php/home/vendor/114/DOST-VI-Regional-Hub. (DOST6/JRAGabiota)

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