Chocolates as Souvenirs
By: Glaiza Lee / Photos by: Rudy Liwanag (Manila Buletin)

Filipinos believe that every occasion required some personal touches, like... giveaways. Most people opt for souvenirs that can be displayed like trinkets, glass figurines or wood carvings. People rarely consider that edible things can also be good souvenirs... well except Farah Kharen Orosco.

The 28-year-old nutrition and dietetics graduate from University of Santo Tamos (UST) introduces a new trend in the souvenir business - edible giveaway. and she likes chocolates. Farah loves to whip up chocolate bars and bake brownies or anything sweet for her family. After tasting her chocolates, her family encouraged her to try chocolate business.

Because she wanted to try another career apart from teaching, Farah gave "birth" to OA Sweets. OA Sweets is coined after the first letters of her parent's names, Orosco and Angoluan. I wanted to have a business not just for myself, but also for my students. I teach Hotel and Restaurant Management (HRM) at La Consolacion and St. Paul (both in Manila). What will I teach the students if I don't know anything about entrepreneurship, and if I haven't experience for myself how to handle business?" she explains.

In summer of 2004, Farah bought several packs of chocolate blocks, few molds and other ingredients in small quantities. She made mini cups chocolates and delivered them to Philippine General Hospital (PGH), as her first ever client. Then she ventured into chocolate bars in October 2004, but her business only took off December, two months after. She made a bold move by sending e-mails to all wedding coordinators in the web, and everyone and anyone she knew, asking them to try her chocolates.

One of the coordinator replied, asking her if she wanted to join a bridal fair. Farah was hesitant. "I wanted to join but I knew that joining a bridal fair is very expensive. Aside from that, you have to bring your own things because you'll get a bare booth. But the wedding coordinator insisted. She told me that I only had to pay this amount and I'll get a booth." She said. So, Farah joined her first bridal fair last February, at SM Megamall. When I joined the fair, people were just passing by my table, Ignoring my chocolates. It was so disappointing. But before the fair ended, a couple from Bulacan went to my table and asked for my chocolates. They are my first ever client." she relates.

For her business to flourish, she says she has to deal the Filipino’s passion for sentimentality. "I met this client and ask her if she wanted to order chocolates for her wedding but she shook her head and told me, "why should I buy something edible? It can't be kept", You know how Filipinos are. We are known for displaying things that collect dust in our cabinet." Farah laughs.

Filipinos' passion for imported things was also an obstacle. "I can make chocolates using imported ingredients but I have to think about my expenses too. Imported ingredients are very expensive. Although Filipino loves to buy imported goods, they don't want to spend much money." she complains. Despite these obstacles, Farah still has no doubt that her business will bloom sooner of later. Coming from a family who have a "sweet tooth" she believes that Filipinos are chocolate lovers at heart. "In a wedding, if the Bride and Groom give away trinkets, the guys and the kids don't appreciate it. But if you give away chocolates, everybody will love it. Who doesn't like chocolates? Kids love chocolates. Guys eats chocolates. Choco is special. Eating chocolates means being lovable, being sweet.

We think that if we eat chocolates, we will be lovable." Farah says. Farah uses semi-sweets choco blocks. She reveals that semisweet choco blocks are cheaper and they are healthy. She melts these blocks and mixes raw ingredients that are available in the local market to attain the desired flavor.

Her experimentation with ingredients resulted in four choco variants - Cookies and Cream, White chocolate, choco crispies and buco pandan. Among the four flavors, the cookies and cream is the most popular because of its color - not too dark and not too white.

"I don't know but Filipinos don't like want dark chocolates. They think that dark chocolates are bitter. As for white choco, they think it's only for adults. "Farah explains. The personal touch of Farah makes OA Sweets a must-try. "I use customized wrappers. I have a friend who acts as my graphic artist. Customers can tell me what they want to put in the wrappers. They can put their names, their photos, their fave quotes, date of the occasion, etc.," Farah says.

"Unlike commercial chocolates that are made by machines, my chocolates are homemade. Besides, if you eat my chocolates, you'll never wonder who made them because I do everything, from molding to wrapping to even delivery." she adds. Farah's chocolates are available at P25 (ordinary wrapper) and P30 (glossy). She also has bite size (mini cups) at P15 (ordinary) and P20 (glossy). She sells her chocolates by a minimum of 75 pieces (for Metro Manila clients). "For a P1,000 worth of ingredients, you can produce many chocolates and can sell it for P4,000," Farah winks. If you know how to cost control, minimize your expenses and you know how to sell it, you'll have more profit." she adds.

Farah believes that in choco business, or in any business, marketing is important. "Its not about how to make chocolates, It's about how to market them. No matter how good a cook you are, its useless if you can't market it." Farah advises. Because she doesn't have a shop, Farah markets her chocolates, aside from bridal fairs, by flyers and through the Internet. Her own web site is still being constructed, but you can check out her chocolates at wedding at works web site.

Farah doesn't limit herself to weddings, though in fact, she also offers chocolates for birthdays, engagements, school events, marketing events and other occasions.