MANILA, Philippines - Many overseas Filipino workers send their hard-earned money back home to help their families and the local economy. A young entrepreneurial couple believes that a more sustainable way of mitigating poverty is by using hard-earned foreign earnings to create local jobs and opportunities for their fellow Filipinos. They envision OFWs and Filipino emigrants rediscovering their motherland and investing in start-up ventures.
Mark Habana and Therese Crisostomo, both cum laude graduates from the University of the Philippines and graduate degree holders from Stanford University (USA) and the University of Hong Kong, respectively, took a bold step by investing their savings into the food business in Cebu. They established Kusina Habana Catering and Party Services (kusinahabana.blogspot.com) early last year.
“We are here for the long haul and we aspire to be a part of your family’s traditions,” Therese exclaims when asked about her vision for Kusina Habana. She takes pride in Kusina Habana’s couture cakes and pastries, party platters, and full service banquets.
They are hoping to encourage others who work and live abroad to share their blessings by establishing businesses in the Philippines and work opportunities for their kababayans.
The couple also invested in transportation and real estate and hopes to find more business prospects in the future. They are currently residing in Colorado, USA with their three year old son, Akio, and visits Cebu frequently.