Success rooted in grit

Mr. and Mrs. Perez with their signature flavored cassava chips, the very treat that has brought them comfort in life.

By: Jude Jet J. Katigbak, Multimedia Assistant

Tagaytay City-To most people, cassava is just a basic staple crop. But for Randel J. Perez and his family from Dapdap West, Tagaytay City, the root crop in their backyard became their primary source of income.

Randel worked as a store merchandiser, while his wife served as a cashier. They were earning just enough to meet their family’s daily needs. But when the pandemic hit, everything changed.

When nationwide lockdowns kept everyone indoors, Randel and his family found themselves stuck at home. Looking around their backyard, they noticed their flourishing cassava plants. Randel harvested the root crops, carefully peeled and thinly sliced them, and fried them until crisp.

It just started as a simple kitchen experiment, then quickly turned into their signature flavored cassava chips. At first, their market was small. They packed the chips into simple bags and sold them to former workmates and friends.

To stand out from typical snacks, they experimented with various savory seasonings. They gained positive feedback, and people started to love their flavored cassava chips.

Motivated by the early support, Randel and his wife decided to go all-in. They personally deliver their chips to local pasalubong centers and tourist spots around Tagaytay. They also set up tables during regional bazaars and partnered with school canteens.

Recognizing the growing shift toward digital shopping, they also brought their product online, which boosted orders far beyond their community.

The road ahead, however, was far from easy. The sales went up and down, bulk orders took hours to prepare manually, and daily distribution was a constant battle.

“Para makapaghatid ng mga order, nagkabit ako ng slab or patungan na gawa sa kahoy sa likod ng aking motorsiklo upang maibalanse ko ang mga bag ng cassava chips,” Randel recalls. (To deliver orders, I attached a wooden slab onto the back of my motorcycle to balance stacks of cassava chip bags). Rain or shine, he navigated the winding roads of Tagaytay to reach his customers.

Despite all the challenges, their grit and determination began to pay off. Eventually, they saved enough profit to purchase a jeepney, which made their product distribution safer, faster, and able to handle much larger volumes.

As demand grew, so did their need for capital. Randel became a client of CARD SME Bank, Inc., a thrift bank under CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institution (CARD MRI) that supports micro, small, and medium entrepreneurs, securing loans to finance both family and business needs.

With the bank’s help, the couple was able to invest in production machinery to upgrade their manual tools. This shift allowed them to increase their daily production, helping meet customers’ demand without sacrificing product quality and flavor.

Today, Randel and his wife continue to manage their business. Their flavored cassava chips have now become one of the local favorite chips across Tagaytay City’s markets and pasalubong centers.

With their faith, resourcefulness, and relentless hard work, even a backyard crop can yield a life-changing success.