Pinoy Turns Hobby into a Million-Peso Business

Who would have thought that a man without background in entrepreneurship would find success from a simple hobby?

Luke Macababbad, the man behind Dielle’s Honey Wine, never expected he would become a millionaire from raising honeybees in his own backyard.

Initially, Macababbad just wanted to produce honey for his household which prompted him to raise four colonies of honeybees in his backyard in Muntinlupa City in 2001. Each colony was worth P3,000.

PHOTO CREDIT: ABS-CBN News
PHOTO CREDIT: ABS-CBN News

Surprisingly, the bees produced more honey than what Macababbad expected. Seeing the potential in this, his father-in-law, who is also a wine maker, encouraged Macababbad to turn his hobby into a business venture.

In the ABS-CBN TV program “My Puhunan”, Macababbad recounted leaving his life as a medical representative to become an entrepreneur in order to give his family a comfortable life.

“Nakatapos ako ng biology pero hindi ako nakapasok sa medisina, kasi wala naman kaming kakayanan. Ang ginawa ko na lamang ay nagtrabaho ako at inisip ko kung paano ang makaangat,” Macababbad said.

( I finished a degree in biology but I was not able to get into medicine since we don’t have the capacity. What I did was work and focus on how I can become successful.)

While it took Macababbad years to perfect the honey wine, it was a sure hit among Filipinos since he infused it with indigenous fruits suitable to the Pinoy taste. Moreover, his wine has the edge over other brands since it is good for the health.

Currently, Dielle’s Honey wine sells P300 per bottle and comes in 24 flavors. Armed with 5 million bees and 10 employees, the company is now making P1 million in sales.

According to Macababbad, perseverance and having a good product are the keys to a successful business.

“Sa negosyo naman, magsipag ka lamang at magandang produkto, sa tamang panahon ay kikita ka ng malaki,” he said.

(In business, just persevere and have a good product, you will have big earnings at the right time.)

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