A yummy bestseller from a kilo of rice

Merl’s Suman sa Lihiya with Coco Jam is a best seller not only among locals in Mindoro but also in national trade fairs and as “pasalubong” (gifts) among “balikbayans.” Photo by Madonna Virola, Inquirer Southern Luzon

CITY OF CALAPAN – She may not be good in academics (she recounts flunking a college entrance exam), but Merlita Bolus made a name of her own in business – from a kilo of glutinous rice in 1998.

Bolus, 51, says she experimented with “suman sa lihiya” (sticky rice in lye) until she “perfected” it to produce “Merl’s Suman sa Lihiya with Coco Jam,” a bestseller among food items in Mindoro and in national trade fairs elsewhere as “pasalubong” (gifts) among “balikbayans.”

She credits her success to dreaming big, coupled with determination, courage, patience and hard work. “My dream was to go nationwide and have a product for export so I could leave a legacy for the next generation,” she says.

Bolus used to stroll around Manila, looking at products and big stores, and wishing to have her own.

In 1982, she put up a ready-to-wear (RTW) outlet at the Calapan public market in Oriental Mindoro when it was still a novelty then.

In 2000, however, Calapan became a city and competitors crowded the RTW trade.

“I accumulated half a million pesos of debt. It was very difficult. No amount of hard work seemed to compensate for the daily expenses of sending my four children to school,” Bolus says.

MERLITA Bolus, owner of Merl’s Suman sa Lihiya with Coco Jam. Photo by Madonna Virola, Inquirer Southern Luzon

In 2005, she was cooking daily 12 kilos of “suman sa lihiya,” but unfortunately, a flash flood in the capital destroyed the banana leaves she usually used for wrapping the rice delicacy. “I tried using foil and thank God it still was patronized,” she says.

The first kilo she made was sold out even if her price was P10 apiece, which was double that of her competitors.

‘Best pasalubong’

“I realized it became much sought-after as a pasalubong so we dubbed it ‘best pasalubong,’” Bolus says. She started supplying stores in the city, such as Mart, People’s Arcade and the terminal near the Supercat ferry.

In 2009, Bolus’ product caught the attention of Christine Pine, provincial director of the Department of Science and Technology, who told her about her agency’s assistance to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Bolus submitted a proposal for packaging and labeling, and was given a P65,000 grant. The DOST also gave her a loan of P780,000, payable in three years and without interest, which she used to purchase stainless work tables, steamers and other food equipment.

FIRST kilo she made was sold out even if her price was P10 apiece—double that of her competitors. Photo by Madonna Virola, Inquirer Southern Luzon

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) helped her join training sessions on marketing and food safety. She met other successful entrepreneurs in the Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) region.

Her married children – Ferlie Ann, Chrisa, Quim and Kirk – help her take care of production and control, marketing and package design, and sales supervision of a Manila branch. Her husband, Ferdinand, delivers their products weekly to Tagaytay City and Manila.

Bolus currently employs 40 workers. Daily production ranges from 2,500 to 3,000 packages.

The suman sa lihiya, which has a 30-day shelf life, comes in bite sizes with sachets of coco jam. Each pack contains 12 pieces and sells for P95 while the small bottle of coco jam costs P65.

Bolus says she plans to come up with other delicacies, such as cassava cake, “biko,” “leche flan,” “maja mais” and “ube halaya.”