OFWs bet on Halal Cacao for a more secured future

ONE of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that heeded this call is Niel "Abdul Kareem" Q. Santillan, who after retiring as a multi-media producer in Qatar, Middle East now actively acts as CEO and managing director of Davao City-based MS3 Agri-Ventures.

"You cannot be an OFW forever, time will come that you will retire and go back to your home country. Unlike here in the Philippines where retired employees will get their monthly pension, in the Middle East, you will only receive [separation] payment based on your length of service," he said.

"It would be wise that before retirement, you already have [a sustainable] investment. For me, investing in agriculture particularly food processing is the most viable option as you will not only create a market for farmers' produce but will also generate local employment," he added.

Backed by his own research and training from the Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao, Inc. (CIDAMI), he discovered the multitude health benefits as well as various products that can be processed from cacao beans.

"We can develop a lot of products from cacao beans and create a market for farmers. However, venturing into cacao processing needs huge investment as you need to have adequate equipment and better facilities," he said.

He then formed the MS3 Ventures, derived from the initial of his wife: Miranda Santillan and the number "3" which takes inspiration from the core values they believe in: commitment, passion, and determination. Cacao processing Leveraging on the friendship and network he has built while working abroad, he then enticed fellow-OFWs in Qatar and the Middle East to pour in investments for his growing cacao processing enterprise.

"My wife still works in Qatar and my children are also studying there. During one of my visits, I brought with me samples of cacao products such as dark chocolate and tablea [choco tablet] for my friends to try. They were impressed with the taste and it was then that I was able to seal the deal for investment," he said.

The crowdfunding came-up with an initial fund of P5-million from 25 OFWs most of them coming from Luzon and Visayas. MS3 Ventures then expanded its operations and ensured that good farming and manufacturing practices are observed from bean-to-bar production. "We invested on high-end processing equipment to ensure that we produce quality and competitive chocolate and cacao tablets," he says.