Agriculture Business Week

DS Pinoy Malunggay Products’ dynamic duo lets us in on how to stand out in the market of niche services and products.

Called “sajina” across the Indian subcontinent and “moringa” in English, malunggay is one of the country’s most useful plants-its purpose as varied and expansive as it’s one of the world’s most nutritional food sources and one of its most effective flocculants and coagulants that ever existed.

For years, Indians, Filipinos, Malaysians and Thais have been including malunggay leaves on their daily diets. Most Asians use them like spinach and the malunggay s fruit as a vegetable, much like asparagus. Both leaves and fruits are very nutritious, which contain many vitamins and minerals. One hundred grams of cooked malunggay leaves contain 3.1 g. protein, 0.6 g. fiber, 1.7 mg iron, 2,820 mg B-carotene, 0.07 mg thiamin, 0.14 mg riboflavin, 96 mg calcium, 29 mg phosphorus, 1.1 mg niacin and 53 mg vitamin C.

Malunggay leaves are also an excellent source of vitamin A and B, and minerals such as iron and calcium. Its protein content is higher than the amino acid pattern reference of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and yet it’s low in fat and carbohydrates. Malunggay leaves are a major source of the sulfur containing amino acids methionine and cystine, which are natural minerals that humans often lack.

It also contains a phytochemical called niaziminin, which is found to have molecular components that can prevent the development of cancer cells. In fact, the first naturally occuring thiocarbamates, novel hypotensive agents niazinin A, niazinin B, niazimicin and niaziminin A and B were isolated from malunggay.

These and more were just some of the things that lured Desiree Segovia, now business development partner of DS Pinoy Malunggay Products; a one year-old agribusiness company which is dedicated to the incorporation and development of malunggay-based personal care products.

“We entered the business August last year thru an organic market along Legazpi Street in Makati. We launched our first batch of products there and. we were amazed to realize that there already was a market for such products. We sold all our stocks that day in less than three hours!” said Segovia.

And so, Segovia, along with partner and owner of DS Pinoy Joy Ann Dimabuyu, researched more about the benefits of malunggay that were unknown to many. With the help of their pal and biochemist Eds Omoyon, they both found that malunggay had zeatin-a plant hormone effective against wrinkles and early signs of aging. Due to its very potent antioxidants, malunggay is a good tool against aging. Antioxidants reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and also prevent the inception of various chronic diseases like arthritis, cancer and heart and kidney diseases.

“Malunggay is a wonderful herb known all over the world. But it’s just recently that the public is taking notice. What most people know, most especially Filipinos, is that it’s good for lactating mothers. What we didn’t know is that it also provides the boost in energy, nutrition and health,” continued Segovia.

While it was a surprise to them that malunggay had such beneficial properties, they were also caught off guard that more entrepreneurs like them have joined the malunggay bandwagon. So, they had to strategize, and focus their business on personal care products. Not food, or health care. To stand out, they had to build a niche market from scratch.

“What we did first was get to know our product by heart. We researched on malunggay oil and learned that it could withstand extreme weather conditions. And so, we launched our lotion line, and the first of its kind, the hygienic wash, which can be used by men and women alike,” said Segovia.

At present, DS Pinoy are the manufacturers of their own line of: healing bath soap, sold at Php60 per 90 grams; hygienic wash, sold at Php250 per 150 ml; shampoo, Php150 per too ml; hair wax, Php150 per 50 grams; body butter. Php350 per 100 grams; foot soak, Php150 per 150 grams and massage oil, sold at Php400 per 250 ml and Php250 per 130 ml.

Among these, the massage oil- and the hygienic wash are their bestsellers. “I remember, there was once an agriculturist from UPLB who tried our product. After a few days, she came back to us and said she was amazed by how the oil helped her with her pasma. It was such a flattering experience. And during the Malwiygay Congress a few months ago, it was the best buy among our products, because that agriculturist gave testimonials among her peers,” said Segovia.

However, the success that Segovia and Dimabuyu are now savoring was actually a few years in the making.

“We met each other some years ago while we were both working for the non-government organization Center for Small Entrepreneurs. We both came from high-profile jobs before that and we just sat down and talked one day about doing business together,” she continued.

Desiree and Joy started with an organic and herbal store three years ago, where they distributed products from known herbal companies like Carica and Herbosido. After a year of selling somebody else’s products, they both hungered for their own lines. And this was where they had their first encounter with the miracle tree.

“People were telling us good things about malunggay at it just became a unanimous decision. We learned that it was the only foodstuff that’s good for any and all blood types, and that it was nature’s own medicine cabinet,” she said.

She admitted it was a cliche to say she found her fulfillment in malunggay, but as she described, it was really the case. From the highstrung corporate responsibilities she used to have, she has now embraced the agribusiness scene. In fact, she is now handling some of the events of the Agri Aqua Network Int’l.

From the mere Php2,500 initial capital for their first launch of all natural lotion and hygienic wash a few years ago, their production capacity a month is presently at 1500. Segovia is also proud to reveal that DS Pinoy has partnered with a networking group which has agreed to massively carry their products which also means they have work to do to be able to double their capacity by the next few weeks.

DS Pinoy malunggay products are ‘presently sold at Eco Store in Serendra, Taguig City, Back to the Gardens in Cebu and at the FTI weekend market in Taguig.

And although they still consider themselves backyard manufacturers-with them still in charge of their own packaging, logo and other internal operations they’re looking forward to having their own malunggay store. And as of press time, DS Pinoy and SM Makati are in talks for such.

Company Name : DS Pinoy Malunggay Products
Main Product : Personal Care Line
INitial Capital : Php2,500
Bulk of the expenses : Raw Ingredients. Their malunggay oil is imported from India
Production Capacity : 1500 a month
Biggest Challenge  Cashflow during first year
Immediate Plans : Have their own malunggay stall in SM
Lessons Learned : Get to know your product well. That is the best PR tool. If you know your product by hear, you’ll know how to sell it properly and who to sell it to.

DS Pinoy Products

Contact Numbers :

Globe (+63905) 342-2265

Smart (+63918) 800-1728
E-mail: dsorganics@yahoo.com

By Hans Audric B. Estialbo