Growing gold from malunggay — An entrepreneur’s guide

There’s a gold rush in Filipino herbal supplements. Driven by research revealing the health benefits of malunggay (moringa) first and foremost, but also cancer-fighting guyabano (soursop), lagundi (five-leaved chaste tree), and others, the world’s eyes have turned to the Philippines. It was in this environment when Teresa Santiano began her malunggay business 12 years ago. From malunggay powder to capsules to tea and coffee, Teresa’s Tropical Palm Herb Manufacturing makes it all. It is virtually an industry in itself.

For the Philippines, her entrepreneurship is a model of growth, springing from grassroots levels, supporting local farmers and championing women entrepreneurs. And for her breakthrough work, Teresa Santiano was awarded the MSME Presidential Award in 2024.

As for myself, I’ve known Tita Teresa personally since back when I was a young talent in the media industry, and she was an associate producer for RPN-9. We reconnected during the awarding ceremony of the MSME Presidential Award, and I invited her as a guest to the RJ Ledesma Podcast where we talked about the great passion of her life — entrepreneurship.

Perhaps what’s most remarkable about her entrepreneurial journey is how Tita Teresa is an every-woman. Her success could be yours or mine. And there’s so much to learn from my conversation with her. Make sure to check out the whole podcast. Meanwhile, here are some highlights:

ALWAYS SAY ‘YES’
One of my entrepreneurial mentors, Jose “Jomag” Magsaysay of Potato Corner famously said, “When people approach you with an opportunity, you say yes.”

This includes saying yes even when the true answer is, “I don’t know.”

Tita Teresa Santiano embodies this philosophy. She echoes Mr. Magsaysay’s statement and builds upon it, saying, “Don’t say no to an opportunity, kasi lagi na lang may kasagutan ’yan (because there’s always an answer to that).”

For Tita Teresa, the opportunity to begin her malunggay empire came knocking when she was tending to one of her side businesses, a pasalubong (souvenir) center. A Japanese man came up to her and asked, “Hey lady, do you have these black seeds?”

Without even knowing what the seeds were, she said yes, and the man promised to return in five days and buy 50 kilos of seeds.

Returning to the province, she learned that the black seeds were, in fact, malunggay seeds — of little value to locals and often mixed with the pig food. She secured 100 kilos, and when the Japanese man eventually returned, he bought it all for the price Tita Teresa had seen on Alibaba, P1,250 per kilo — for a cool P125,000 sale.

Moving forward with her newfound malunggay business on Alibaba, she continued to adopt this “yes” mentality.

“I don’t have a farm. I don’t have a factory,” she said of her early days. But none of that stopped her from securing her next big sale — a ton of malunggay from a German client — and eventually building her own factory to process the malunggay leaves into powder. And from there, the growth of the business knew few limits.

KEEP THE ENTREPRENEURIAL FIRE BURNING
Even when her malunggay business took off, Tita Teresa Santiano was no stranger to entrepreneurship. She recalls selling kamote (sweet potato) tops during her elementary school days. It was then that she promised herself, “This is my goal: I have to be rich by the age of 50.”

Later on in life, at the age of just 34, Tita Teresa suffered the tragic loss of her husband from lung cancer. To provide for her seven children, entrepreneurship became an even more important part of her life. It became a necessity.

“I have children to feed,” Tita Teresa explained. “Ako lang talaga ang nagtatrabaho nun eh. Hindi ko talaga ’yan makakayanan kung wala akong sideline (I was the only one working then. I really couldn’t have managed it if I didn’t have a sideline.).”

This led her to seek revenue streams wherever she could. During her time as regional director for RPN-9, she found herself traveling to the provinces regularly, so she put up four pasalubong stations.

Using her connections in the industry, she would also produce concerts in the provinces for the likes of Jolina Magdangal, Rivermaya, and the Eraserheads.

Seeing Tita Teresa’s entrepreneurial journey brings home a long-held belief of mine: that your network is your net worth.

“I have to use my connection,” Tita Teresa said. “Kasi pag lumabas ako ng (because if I left) channel 9, wala akong (I would have no) connection. So, you really have to be resourceful. ’Yung database mo, tago mo ’yan (keep your database secure). Kasi (because) that would bring you to higher ground afterwards.”

For Tita Teresa, entrepreneurship is everything — even before she had her big break with that Japanese customer looking for malunggay seeds.

“Mahirap talaga magnegosyo (being in business is hard),” she says. “Mahirap at first, but if you have the passion,… ito lang talaga ’yung meron (this is what I had) burning in my heart, the passion to do what you wanted. To do, to be out of your comfort zone, you can do everything.”

GENEROUS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Tita Teresa’s Tropical Palm Herb Manufacturing and its marketing arm, Tropical Blend International Marketing Corp., have a broad footprint in the industry. From farms to manufacturing to marketing, Teresa Santiano is there. But instead of dominating the industry with her products and brands, she employs a generous kind of entrepreneurship.

She says, “I will teach you how to have your own factory, where to go, where to do that. Ako kasi, gusto ko lahat maging negosyante. Mas maganda ’yung negosyante, hindi lang ako (because I want everyone to be a businessman. It is better if I am not the only businessman). I don’t have the crab mentality.”

With the gold rush in malunggay, Teresa Santiano has undoubtedly achieved her goal of becoming rich by the age of 50. But as she achieved that milestone, her perspectives have changed.

She says, “I am wealthy now because so many love me, my people love me, my manpower loves me. Maraming nagmamahal sa akin, alam ko (I know many people love me). And of course, marami akong nagawa para sa kanila, ’yung mga farmers ko, na kubo-kubo lang ang bahay (I have done a lot for them, for my farmers, those whose houses are just grass shacks)… When I was starting, sabi ko, yayaman tayo dito, pag magmalunggay tayo. Ngayon, ang mga bahay nila, bato na ’yan (I said, we will all get rich if we grow malunggay. Now, their houses are made of cement).”

RJ Ledesma (www.rjledesma.com) is a Hall of Fame Awardee for Best Male Host at the Aliw Awards, a multi-awarded serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and business mentor, podcaster, an Honorary Consul, and editor-in-chief of The Business Manual. Mr. Ledesma can be found on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. The RJ Ledesma Podcast is available on Facebook, Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Are there entrepreneurs you want Mr. Ledesma to interview? Let him know at ledesma.rj@gmail.com.