PANABO CITY, Davao del Norte – With herself as a testament to an entrepreneur’s bittersweet journey, Fructosa “Frux” Llana surely knows the value of hardwork and determination in someone’s success.
The owner and founder of Frux Food Products from Brgy. San Francisco, Panabo City, believes that the demand for products or services in the current market does not guarantee sustainability over time unless one is flexible and adaptive. Speaking about her own experience, she narrated how much effort she put into various business activities before finding her niche.
Fructosa has tried selling repacked sugar and spices, operating a sari-sari store, doing buy-and-sell, and getting into sand and gravel, mining, and illegal logging businesses. Sadly, all of these ventures failed. Nonetheless, one thing remains—her passion for entrepreneurship.
The journey
Fructosa struggled throughout high school and college, balancing work and studies since her parents could not afford her education. She recalled using her first salary as capital to buy raw materials for repacking sugars and spices, driven by her intense passion for business, even in its simplest form.
“I vividly remember that my very first salary was used as my initial capital to buy raw materials to repack sugars and spices. It is really my desire to have a business, even in the simplest form of selling stuff,” she said while reminiscing about how entrepreneurship found her.
From gaining nothing from her previous businesses until building her own family with five children, Fructosa has proven that embracing resilience will definitely go a long way.
In the absence of technology to develop and refine her product, Fructosa had to spend hours manually mixing the crushed peanuts, leaving her arms numb from discomfort. With this, she thought of giving up at some point, but she did not because she saw the potential of her latest endeavor.
“Roasting and crushing the peanuts were so hard, too. Luckily, my husband is skilled in fabricating machinery, so he made me a customized machine for peanut processing,” she quipped.
To upscale her business, Fructosa consulted her neighbors and customers through taste testing. She also looked for sturdy containers and a reliable firm for label printing. Following these initiatives, she approached the Department of Trade and Industry-Davao del Norte for her business name registration.
“While walking home, I had an idea why not my first name would be an inspiration for my business name, and so I named it Frux,” she happily recalled.
As the word ‘Frux’ comes from the Latin word which means fruit, produce, or crops, the moment she planted the seed of a new name also grew and expanded the potential of her peanut butter ventures.
Fructosa continues to see bread and butter in her peanut butter business to this day while she constantly improves the quality and the packaging and label of her product to make it more appealing to the market.
Frux’s continued success
Fructosa noted that as an entrepreneur, visiting the DTI office would be a critical step for the agency to extend the necessary support for business growth. In her case, it provided valuable training and guidance, which played a significant role in improving her business.
“As an entrepreneur, once you are showing interest in DTI, the agency is also interested to help and improve your business. Like me, they have provided training, such as packaging and labeling, marketing, good manufacturing practices, value-adding, and many more,” she said while encouraging other entrepreneurs to seek help.
Of expansion, diversification, and innovation
Fructosa already established her mark as one of the most marketable peanut butter brands in the city, but this did not stop her from reaching new heights and capturing additional markets. She was immensely determined to display and sell her product at supermarkets, grocery stores, and malls. Thus, she complied with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) License to Operate (LTO) and Certificate of Product Registration (CPR) to meet the requirements and standards for food products. Also, she got a Halal certification to join local and international trade fairs, a gateway for market expansion.
Moreover, Fructosa, adopted technological innovations being a beneficiary of the Department of Science and Technology’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (DOST-SETUP), which provided her with labeling and packaging machines.
Later on, she realized that relying on a single product might not be enough to sustain her business in the long run. While she remained hopeful about its future marketability, she understood the importance of diversification.
“As I have displayed my peanut butter at the malls, bakeries, and trade fairs, I have come to realize that I have only a single product and maybe, as anticipated with the future marketability of my peanut butter, is not an assurance to sustain my business,” she said, while emphasizing that product diversification is crucial in sustaining a business.
Frux added to its product offering banana and cassava chips as well as ginger tea, turmeric, and moringa powder. This is not yet the end, though, since she is looking forward to other innovative products that have not yet reached the market.
Meanwhile, DTI-Davao del Norte provincial director lawyer Zerline T. Balleque highlighted the importance of innovation for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) like Frux Food Products. She exclaimed that it helps them set their products and services apart from competitors, adapt to evolving market trends and consumer needs, improve operational efficiency, cut costs, and enhance productivity.
“Innovation is crucial among MSMEs because it enables them to differentiate their products and services from competitors, respond to changing market trends and consumer preferences, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and increase productivity,” she emphasized.
Of reaping the sweetest fruit
Fructosa’s effort did not only gain grounds in the market it also caught the attention of award-giving bodies.
Frux Food Products was honored with the Most Innovative Product award at the Great Mindanao Food Fair held in August 2014. The award-winning product, recognized for its creativity and health benefits, is made from a unique blend of fresh vegetables, including cassava, carrots, squash, saluyot, moringa leaves, water spinach, and camote tops—all known for their nutritional value.
Frux Food Products has also proven its excellence in innovation, as Fructosa was awarded the 2019 Packaging Innovation Award – Regional Level. The prestigious recognition was given during the National Science and Technology Week celebration at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
Not only that, Frux Food Products has been honored as one of the Top 10 awardees in the 2022 Search for Women of the Year in Panabo City. She received the prestigious Entrepreneur Award last 2022, in celebration of the National Women’s Month and the 21st Araw ng Panabo. This recognition highlights her remarkable contributions to the local business community and her dedication to empowering women through entrepreneurship.
Moving forward
As she continues to expand Frux Food Products and explore new opportunities, Fructosa’s journey remains a source of motivation for others. Her achievements reinforce the importance of resilience, creativity, and hard work in the entrepreneurial world, proving that with determination and vision, success is within reach.
“I hope to inspire others to keep pushing forward, embrace challenges, and turn their visions into reality,” she said almost in tears when she remembered all of her struggles before. “I’ve failed many times, lost, and almost surrendered my passion in entrepreneurship, but those also fueled me to innovate and excel in the market.”
Fructosa’s journey is more than a business success story. It is a testament to the power of vision, perseverance, and the unyielding spirit of a woman determined to carve her path. From humble beginnings to award-winning innovation, she has transformed challenges into stepping stones, proving that no dream is too big when fueled by passion and resilience. DTI XI
