Tadian, Mt. Province— With a dream and passion for food, Edgar Tarvy Alintog, 38, an i-Tadian, took it upon himself to make his small food business thrive. But with the help of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region’s Sustainable Livelihood Program (DSWD FO CAR – SLP) opportunity knocked on his door to improve his business venture.
Hailing from the small town of Lubon, Edgar took the first steps of his entrepreneurial journey in nearby Poblacion after graduating from college. At first, his snack house, which offered muffins, pancakes, cold drinks, and brewed coffee, managed to do well but needed a boost. Came SLP in 2022, Edgar was provided P15,000.00 worth of additional capital for his budding business, which he used to invest in baking pizza. This eventually set his business apart from the existing food places in the area, helping him increase in sales.
His labor of love for pizza paid off, pulling in sizeable earnings to grow his enterprise at the same time cover household expenses. But after some time, as orders piled up, he realized he needed a hand in meeting the demands especially of their loyal customers. He recounted how he would make these orders for pizzas at their house with the equipment at hand but it took a toll on him. To help address this challenge, he employed assistants and put them up for trainings. Edgar assigned one to handle sales at the snack house while he focused on pizza production at home. It was around this time that a staff member from the Social Welfare and Development (SWAD) Office – Mt. Province approched him regarding the possibiliy of him doing catering services as well.
Since he already had the necessary business documents to enter into procurement biddings in government agencies, he tried his hand in it—and found success. Notably, the first few catering orders were from the DSWD FO CAR’s Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDDS) program, under the SWAD-Mt. Province. With his satisfactory performance in successive catering services to other agencies in the locality, individuals and groups from the private sector started to show interest and avail of his services as well.
In 2024, as he established his foothold on catering services among locals, government entities and corporate offices, capturing referrals and repeat customers, his income grew and he was able to purchase additional equipment such as freezer, refrigerator, and display racks, further improving the efficiency of his business.
But he did not stop there. Edgar wanted to get better at his trade and craft. So, he attended seminars and workshops, such as those in food handling and bookkeeping, and the like. He also decided to share his skills, knoweldege and insights in pizza-making by teaching at the Tadian School of Arts and Trades (TSAT) and being involved in a work immersion program for senior high school students.
With his dine-in snack house currently being renovated, he says he looks forward to making a better food experience for his customers. Likewise, he is also aiming to hire and train more employees in order to serve more people.
Reflecting on his journey—from a pizza maker with a small snack house to a successful food caterer—Edgar expressed his deep gratitude for the SLP and the support from the DSWD, which helped him create a meaningful source of income and sustainable livelihood.//### Christian Robert M. Sandoval (AOIV, SMU); with reports and photos from Christine Mae Q. Dapuyen, PDO II, SWAD-Mt. Province SLP.
