LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA ? For a couple in their late 60s, old age does not mean taking an indefinite break from work. For them it only means engaging in a different arena, one that may spell success.

Ruben and Luz San Mateo found their calling in food products made entirely of chicken meat.

Ruben San Mateo, 69, of Calamba, Laguna, worked overseas in the field of higher education for 16 years with his wife, Luz, before returning to the Philippines to work as a consultant and, later, as a teacher at a nearby college. By the time Ruben turned 56, all six of his children had graduated.

?We didn?t need to do anything more, but we weren?t used to doing nothing. So we thought about going into business,? he said.

With money they saved up for retirement, the couple started a poultry business in 1998, Vitalife Agri Ventures Inc. They bought a 500-square-meter lot in Liliw and put up a poultry farm.

Vitalife started with a contract growing agreement with Purefoods.

In 2003, the couple shifted to meat processing, but still using chicken meat. They realized that they would stand to lose when they continued with their poultry farm.

San Mateo hired two new graduates of food technology from the University of the Philippines-Los Baños to create deli formulations using chicken meat.

From an initial eight products, they now serve up 15 products ranging from Filipino favorites boneless chicken tocino, boneless chicken tapa, smoked chicken longganisa; low value food for daily menu such as chicken patties and chicken luncheon meat; healthy snacks for children such as chicken nuggets and chicken sausages; and premium products?smoked chicken ham and cooked chicken ham.

Their products, usually in 250-gram packs, range from P25 to P40 a pack for the nonpremium products.

Ruben stresses that their products are different from all the rest in that they use pure chicken meat.

?Other chicken products in the market usually add some other meat because chicken meat is tender. But we were able to formulate products that overcame this. We also do not use pig intestines in our longganisa but use collagen casing.?

?We stayed with chicken meat because we wanted a healthy food alternative. It has good cholesterol level and protein content,? Ruben claims.

Asked how they were able to develop their business successfully, Ruben replied: ?We cannot compromise quality.?

Also, he offers this tip to would-be entrepreneurs: ?Ensure your market first before you expand.?