Though devastated by the two events that led to the closure of his internet shops, Varias did not

let the
crises dampen his entrepreneurial spirit. He reinvented his main computer shop in Alfonso into a food
delivery business, realizing that people were not going out to eat while restaurants were trying to stay
connected to clients.

His Kaminari delivery service’s slogan is “Abot Hanggang Sulok”

(roughly, will reach all corners). It now services 14 restaurants and
covers not just Alfonso but also nearby towns and cities like Mendez
and Tagaytay.

"Everything is done online,” he says. As he had his own vehicle to

deliver his products, Manimtim helps other online sellers bring their
products to their clients.

Rosario Amoroto, 2018 CMA regional winner for Visayas, had to suspend the production of their Islands’
Best Foods bottled kalamansi concentrate at the height of the pandemic last year.

Metro Manila is their main market and they could not ship their products
because of the quarantines and lockdowns.

The pandemic, she says, provided valuable lessons. “We are now better
prepared for emergencies.” Being in the food business, she plans to continue
enforcing the strict health and safety protocols prompted by COVID-19. She
says they have installed permanent facilities for handwashing, footbaths and
showers.
Luilyn Abapo, Owner of Lulu Blue Cakes

From Passion Project to Thriving Business

Baking has always been a passion for Luilyn Abapo, the woman behind Lulu Blue Cakes.[1] She loves her
job as an HR practitioner but sees the kitchen as her refuge. She started her small business as a passion
project and a therapeutic activity of sorts on weekends.

“With the opportunity to work from home during the pandemic, my sisters urged me to make it an
official business and offer our goodies to the general public. Baking on weekends became our bonding,”
Luilyn shared.

With families who enjoy sweet treats as her target customers, Luilyn began with the Blueberry
Cheesecake Cups. They became an instant hit with her family and friends. Buoyed by her love for baking
and the support of her loved ones, she began experimenting with new recipes and eventually started
selling the Tres Leches series, Banana Loaf, and Triple Chocolate Brownies.

When the pandemic hit, one of the biggest

challenges Luilyn faced was transporting her
products to customers. “The cakes, especially the
cheesecakes, are delicate. Sometimes, when they
get to the customer, they’re no longer in their best
state.”

To address this problem, she tried different

packaging options and thought of smart ways to
ensure the cheesecakes survive the transit. She also
reminded delivery riders to handle the packages
with care.
Leslie Rabinovich, Owner of Esencia Day Spa

Before she became a successful entrepreneur, Les Rabinovich worked as a flight attendant in a major
airline company for many years. She always looked forward to a full pampering treatment after every
long-haul flight because she found massage therapies relaxing and beneficial.

When Les decided to put up Esencia Day Spa,[2] she

had busy working parents and young professionals in
mind. “I want them to feel that they're our special
guests when they come to Esencia Day Spa,” she
said.

“We Filipinos are naturally nurturing and empathetic.

We're very genuine and congenial in the way we
provide service. I want to highlight this in the service
that we provide in our spas. When I opened Esencia,
I wanted it to be an extension of that enactment of
service,” she added.

Mariel Bitanga, Founder of Simply Finance

Mariel works with startups and as a financial planner and coach on the side. She’s the founder of Simply
Finance,[3] a boutique financial planning firm that provides financial solutions to Filipinas. But more
people have approached Mariel for financial advice, mostly young professionals and newly married
couples.

When not speaking with clients regarding financial planning, Mariel runs things at Kumu where she's
Vice President for Partnerships and Acquisitions.

For several years now, she has been helping clients

with their money and finances. “I learn their money
stories, their current situation, their money beliefs,
and what they want to achieve. From this
information, I help create a plan for them, complete
with actionable steps,” Mariel said.

Like how a fitness coach or nutritionist creates a

meal plan, Mariel creates a budgeting or investing
plan for her clients that will help them achieve their
financial goals.

Karren Seña, Kihyan Chua Yap, and Koleen Chua Yap, Co-Owners of Aegyo Cakes
Business truly runs in their blood. Before siblings Karren, Kihyan, and Koleen started the widely
successful Aegyo Cakes,[4] they were all helping their mom run the family's office uniform
manufacturing business. But then the pandemic happened, so they had to pause their business
operations and pivot to producing face masks and PPEs for medical frontliners.

But as an artistic bunch, staying at home for several months and sewing face masks by hand was tough
on them.

One night, while sewing masks, Koleen asked Kihyan what kind of business she wanted to do. Kihyan
thought of food. They both loved watching baking and cooking shows on Netflix, so they thought it was
something they could venture into.

When they found themselves unable to celebrate a

relative's birthday due to restrictions, they sent them a
cake instead. They thought they could offer the service
to other families as well.

“Hindi kami makapag-celebrate as a family, what more

'yung ibang mga tao? We wanted to give other people
a way to celebrate with their loved ones even if they
can’t be there. Dun nabuo 'yung concept ng Aegyo
Cakes: 'Send love with Aegyo Cakes,'” Karren said.