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Sampaguita (Jasminum sambac), a Spanish term, was coined from the
Filipino words sumpa kita, meaning “I promise you,”—a pledge
of mutual love. Like a lasting promise, sampaguita blooms
year-round, its pure white, small, dainty and star-shaped blooms
infuse a distinctly sweet and heady fragrance that attracts
Filipinos and foreigners alike.
Today, the scent of sampaguita is widely used in
aromatherapy to treat depression, nervousness, tension and even
addiction. While its oil used for massage is also believed to help
ease cramps and feeling of tiredness.
Filipino entrepreneur, Jose de Villa together
with his wife, Joy, saw the aroma-therapy properties of sampaguita
that they use it for their complete line of personal care and
aromatherapy products—such as soap bar, liquid soap, lotion, body
oils, linen spray for its home care line and essential oils for
therapy and spa products.
Another Philippine flower that is used by GIGA
Ventures for its natural personal care products is the ylang ylang
(Cananga odorata). This greenish yellow, curly, and highly scented
flower grows on a small tree or compact shrub known as an effective
remedy for infectious skin diseases and insect bites. Its floral
essence also has a sedative and antidepressant properties.
“Our personal care line with sampaguita and
ylang ylang essence are making waves in countries like Japan and
Korea,” said Jose de Villa. GIGA Ventures’ recent participation
in the Asean Health and Wellness Exposition (Ahwex) resulted in a
possible distribution deal in Japan. He emphasized that
international buyers are looking for add-on value from each product,
since GIGA Ventures products are virgin coconut oil-based, and
likewise carry these essences that is unique from the
Philippines—his product made a good impression at the fair. “One
of our potential buyers visited our plant recently to survey our
capabilities,” added De Villa. He also said that even the
Department of Tourism Japan office orders from him regularly for
their giveaways. “Japanese buyers are ardently fond of essence
from Philippine flowers, especially from sampaguita,” De Villa
emphasized.
Before establishing GIGA Ventures, Jose de Villa
was engaged in garments manufacturing for twelve years. The
liberalization of garment importation, eventually compelled de Villa
to close down shop because of his inability to compete with the very
low prices offered by China. With the persistence to establish
another business, de Villa began another venture by buying from a
natural soap manufacturer he met at the Manila F.A.M.E.
International in 1999. “The response for natural soap as corporate
giveaways was very good, so we decided to establish our own cosmetic
company in order to offer our products at lower prices,” said de
Villa.
A year after, de Villa then named his new
company God is Good Always, or GIGA Ventures for short. “Our
company name is a constant reminder for us to exert our best in
every product that we make and for every service that we deliver,”
he said. The company’s first line was aromatherapy soaps in
peppermint, lavender, chamomile, jasmine, and citrus scents. Their
personal care line expanded to include aromatherapy products (room
and linen spray, repellant sprays, aroma diffuser), therapy products
(such as balms), spa products (slimming oil, scrubs, body oil,
massage oil) and even pet care products (shampoo bar and cologne).
With the establishment of the Association of
South East Asian Nation (Asean) Harmonized Cosmetic Regulatory
Scheme that includes soap as a cosmetic product—the cosmetic
manufacturers in the Philippines have to comply with the stringent
licensing and registration rules, especially those who want to
market their products within the region. To help the new players in
the cosmetic sector, De Villa offered them toll manufacturing of
natural soaps where they would formulate and manufacture natural
soaps based on the requirements of the clients and labeled with the
client’s brand name.
Companies like GIGA Ventures likewise made the
effort to improve their manufacturing facilities to meet the
standards of the Bureau of Food and Drugs Administration.
For details, visit www.biosearch.com.ph.
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