I thought getting a grant was the hard part.
I was wrong.
Three years ago, Melvin was one of many young people trying to get support for a business.
He got the opportunity.
Today, he runs a small food business built around cassava.
And now, something has changed.
He’s no longer just the person asking for a chance.
He’s the one trying to give one.
Melvin told me that he sometimes hires young people to help with production on weekends.
So I asked him:
“Are they permanent employees?”
He paused.
“Not as of now.”
That answer surprised me.
Because from the outside, things looked like they were working.
Orders were coming in.
Products were being made.
The business was growing.
So naturally, I asked:
“But you already have a lot of orders, right?”
Melvin explained that it wasn't that simple.
If they produce too much without enough orders, the products could just sit there.
And that was something I hadn't really thought about.
Getting the opportunity to start a business is one thing.
Creating work for other people is another.
But how many people he can actually employ still depends on something pretty basic:
Orders.
Demand.
Whether the business can keep moving.
For almost three years, I’ve been trying to understand Filipino food one story at a time.
But sometimes the story behind the food isn't about the recipe.
Sometimes it's about a 26-year-old guy standing in a small workshop, trying to figure out how far one opportunity can go.
From one person to another.
Maybe that’s how it starts.
Still Learning.
Still Exploring.
One conversation at a time.
Daghang salamat, Melvin🙏
"But I tell them that I have no permanent. I can't offer you permanent that jobs as of now." — Melvin
I came into this visit thinking I already knew the shape of Melvin's story. Grant, hardship, growth — I'd heard versions of it before, from him and from others. So when I asked if the young people he now hires on weekends were permanent employees, I expected something close to a yes.
"Not as of now." Two words, and a pause before them that told me more than the words did.
I pushed a little. Orders were clearly coming in — I could see the products, hear about the growth. But Melvin explained it plainly: too much production without enough orders just means things sit there, unsold. It wasn't an excuse. It was arithmetic.
That's when it shifted for me. Three years ago, Melvin was the one hoping someone would say yes to him. Now he's the one who gets to say yes — or not yet — to someone else.
The real discovery wasn't the grant — it was how quickly a new job can depend on a few more orders.
| Date | August 13, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Location | Corazon, Catmon, Cebu |
| Event Type | Follow-Up Visit · Business Growth & Employment Check-In |
| Access Method | Invited back by a local contact, Melvin |
| Food Featured | Cassava Products (Discussed, Not the Focus) |
| Cost to Attend | Free (by arrangement) |
| Rarity | 🟨🟨⬜⬜⬜ — A personal follow-up conversation, not a public event |
| Bayanihan Index | 🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜ — One young entrepreneur trying to create work for others |
Whether that gap ever closes — or whether it always comes down to orders — is still something I don't know.