Pure, roasted cacao beans, Tableya de Jimenez, a legacy for generations

Kevin Pacatang proprietor of Nelly Coffee Tableya shares the story of Tableya de Jimenez being one of the oldest but most trusted tableya product in Misamis Occidental. (Shaine Mae Nagtalon/PIA10)

Pure, roasted cacao beans is the trademark of Tableya de Jimenez from Nelly Food Products in Jimenez Town, Misamis Occidental, anyone can attest.

Kevin Pacatang proprietor of Nelly Coffee Tableya shared visitors would drop by their house and buy Tableya saying, “Dili daw ma kumpleto ang pag anhi nila sa Jimenez kung dili sila makadala og Tableya de Jimenez.” (Visiting Jimenez is incomplete if they cannot bring Tableya de Jimenez)

Tableya de Jimenez or simply known as Nelly Tableya has been in full operation since 1978. It was his mother that started it all, Nelly, and since then it has become a family business.

Kevin shared, making tableya was just a side hustle because his mom had an actual store in Jimenez market.

After a one time visit in Davao, his mother saw cacao and got curious. She then brought the staple in Jimenez so that neighbors and residents can have a taste.

She wasted no time and started to process cacao she brought from Davao, she made chocolate tablets that you can mix in water to boil and make a hot chocolate drink. Then she sold it in “tabo-tabo” or meet-ups and also in her store in market.

Unfortunately, one day, the store was burned in fire.

Even then, neighbors and “suki” or loyal customers would still look for tableya of Nelly.

Despite having no physical store, Nelly continued to make tableya, she still continued to go to Davao to buy cacao beans because of her loyal customers.

New generation emerges

Time came that my mom is old, said Kevin. “Si mama medyo edad edaran na, kibali ako ang nisunod [Mama is getting old that is why and when I entered],” he shared.

In the past, “Our products such as tableya and coffee were just sold in Jimenez alone, now we are crossing over boundaries outside Misamis Occidental. We deliver as far as Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian and Dipolog,” he said.

Similarly, the family business is not only making coffee and tableya but also pastillas or yummy candies and salabat or ginger ale, among others. The good news is that Nelly’s coffee and tableya is also already sold in Cebu and Manila.

“Ang pag gama sa tableya is normal raman sa uban. Pero tingala ko kai muingon sila nga lahi ang Nelly Tableya,” he said.

(The making of tableya is just normal for others. But I always wonder because they always say that Nelly Tableya is different)

On quality and price

Kevin shared perhaps it is the quality. “Kuan lang cguro, strikto lang gyud mi sa quality” [Maybe it’s because we are strict of the quality], he said.

The raw materials being used is class A cacao. Further, packaging is constantly being innovated.

In terms of pricing, it should not be super expensive just enough that everyone can afford from the ordinary resident, tourists, and to consumers in coffee shops. “They will choose Nelly because our products and their price always match,” he said.

The difference between now and the past is the support from government, said Kevin.

The major agencies who supported them include the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who is always supportive of the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from seminars, how to sell and how to do packaging.

Meanwhile the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) support through innovation such as in machinery and production and for financial support is the SB Corporation, shared the proprietor.

Recently, the provincial government of Misamis Occidental also showed support by purchasing their tableya for giveaways in their event.

As a youth entrepreneur

Kevin was awarded by Bangko Sentral with Youth Micro Entrepreneur of the Year when he was 20 years old. He was already managing 15 employees that time.

“Nakita nila nga good standing ta sa pagbayad. Kita ang pioneering sailang award sa Youth Micro Entrepreneur of the Year,” he said.

(They saw how I was good standing in paying my loans. I am the pioneering of their award Youth Micro Entrepreneur of the Year)

Currently the business has 55 employees. The goal he said was to expand and employ 150 to 200 workers.

Kevin encouraged those who would want to go into business to not think twice, “Take a risk!” he said.

Don’t be afraid of failure because this will give you a lesson, he added.

There is so much opportunity now because of the digital platform. “You need no longer sell face to face but you can sell online,” he said. (JMOR/PIA10)