Mamang Sorbetero
Names: Susan & Felipe Mahinay
Branch: Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Project Group: Project Kasanag (January 22, 2003)
Business: Sorbetero Dirty Ice Cream
In the Philippines, ice cream is an all time favorite for just about any occasion: birthday parties, outings, get-togethers, and all sorts of social gatherings. In fact, Filipinos think of all kinds of reasons just to eat ice cream. The love for this desert may be attributed to the natural sweet tooth among Filipinos and the tropical weather that entices everybody to swig on some ice cream that helps in cooling down the body especially during summer time.
Sorbete is the Filipino version of ice cream from ambulatory street carts. Commonly called as dirty ice cream because it is made by hand as opposed to factory-made large scale commercial brands sold in groceries, and because it is sold in the streets by sorbeteros using colorfully painted wooden carts, which usually holds three flavors each in a large stainless canister.
The general public knows that it is not literally a “dirty” ice cream. In fact it is even healthier than the commercial products because they are made from real fruit and the freshest milk with little or no artificial preservatives added. Flavors vary from the usual natural fruits such as Mango, Avocado, Coconut, Ube, to the usual favorites like Chocolate, Cookies and Cream, Cheese, Mocha, etc. Aside from the natural flavors, “dirty” ice cream is more affordable than the commercial ice cream. With only P5, one is able to savor the taste that satisfies the palate and the stomach even just for a short period of time.
Peddlers get their carts from the ice cream makers in the morning and walk the whole day, even under the heat of the sun, calling consumers from their houses by ringing a small hand-held bell. For private gatherings and parties, the ice-cream makers loan the sorbetes cart if you agree to buy the contents of the whole cart, which is usually cheaper than buying gallons of ice cream to be served to guests, and adds an interesting note to the party.
In Bacolod City, one of the more successful sorbetes is Mahinay Ice Cream, a small-based enterprise that has earned its reputation for producing high quality super delicious homemade ice cream. Their story started some 18 years ago in May of 1990 when the Mahinays thought of starting an ice cream business. With a capital of P20,000.00, they had enough to build one ambulatory ice cream cart which cost P13,000 and about P7,000 for the ingredients and other expenses.
“Mahinay” means slow in Hiligaynon, and the Mahinays of Bacolod were very careful and conservative in their business decisions, but they were also very thorough in knowing which direction they wanted to take their business - slowly but surely towards success. Every cart meant one direction towards the goal - to become the best dirty ice cream known in town.
However, even with their conservative business practices, the Mahinays knew that to sustain themselves and be able to expand their production in a larger scale, one has to take risks. So without thinking twice, the Mahinays knew that to sustain themselves and be able to expand their production in a larger scale, one has to take risks. So without thinking twice, the Mahinays went ahead by inquiring about organizations that charge small interest rates.
In 2003, Mr. and Mrs. Mahinay acquired a loan from Project Kasanag, the individual lending program of Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation that offers credit assistance to urban micro-entrepreneurs. With the first General Loan of P10,000.00 and the subsequent loans they availed from Project Kasanag, they were able to expand their business more rapidly. Aside from additional carts, they also invested in order boxes for customers who only want to buy one tube of ice cream.
Five years of subsequent loans with good repayment, in a minimum span of time, made it possible to increase one’s financial portfolio. So in 2008, Mr. and Mrs. Mahinay upgraded to the Small-Medium Enterprise (SME) Loan so that they could avail of up to P60,000.00 in loans. They used the proceeds of their new loans to buy a new delivery van and for the repair of their old delivery van.
Today, the ice cream business is booming, flourishing and successful. Mahinay Ice Cream carts are becoming ever-present in most parties and events in and around Bacolod, even among the chicest ones. Bacoleños just can’t resist the delicious flavors even when they are dolled up to the nines in the most formal of attires.
From the streets to sophisticated parties and events, from one cart to the tweny (20) carts roaming Bacolod City bringing ten (10) order boxes with fourteen (14) regular peddlers today, Mahinay Ice Cream has made a mark in the industry in terms of quality and service. Mrs. Mahinay unequivocally acknowledges that NWTF-Project Kasanag played a major role in their success and is part of the success that they now enjoy.
But ultimately, Mahinay Ice Cream became a success because of hard work, patience, dedication and honesty as well as discipline and good intention there is good money that can be earned in their ice cream business even if the regular people do call it “dirty.”