A Profile of Success: Vic and Dina Langit

“Nagsimula kami sa utang.” Vic Langit

“Take good care of your credit, and it will take care of you.” Gregory Tyler

It started with a P25,000 loan that Vic got from the Provident Fund when he was still connected with LandBank as driver to senior executives. The loan was used as start-up capital for a modest bakery that Vic’s wife, Dina, set up to put to good use her baking skills that she acquired after graduating from college. Vic helped out by selling their bakery products to fellow Landbankers housed at the Landbank Plaza. On the side, Vic is also taking orders for lunch food and delivers them “balot” style, from floor to floor. The lunch food is sourced from the kitchen of Estrellado’s Catering Services, which Dina’s mother owns and Dina co-manages.

And when Vic was retired from Landbank in 2005, Vic and Dina have already started a modest but thriving bakery business to tide the family over. Plus, a modest income from the family’s catering business.

The list of clientele of Estrellado’s Catering continuously grows, catering to various clients in Pag-ibig Fund and DepEd offices in Caloocan, Valenzuela, San Juan, San Juan, and NCR. It has also started to venture into the canteen concessionaire business with much success as it has become a canteen concessioner in various establishments such as DepEd Caloocan , Caloocan High School and Flexco Manufacturing Corporation in their Caloocan Office and Valenzuela plant.

As the business grows big, Vic and Dina became fully immersed in the business, especially when Dina’s mother died in 2008. They had to take the bull by its horns, so to speak.

And they had to confront all problems head-on and take charge all by themselves. Dina took short courses in bakery technology and canteen management. Vic helped his wife do the marketing of ingredients and fresh produce in the markets of Malabon, Novaliches, and Farmers’ Market in Cubao; and in planning out the menu for their clients. In 2009, Vic and Dina, still carrying the name of Estrellado’s Catering took on the challenge to become one of the three concessioners of the LBP Canteen until August 2019.

Their day starts as early as 4 a.m. to do their marketing of ingredients and fresh produce. As early as 7 a.m, Dina is already in the kitchen supervising the cooks, helpers, servers and waiters. And before 11 a.m., off they go to the various canteens they serve and to clients they cater. Their day ends at about 5 p.m. but not before planning the menu for the next day activities.

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, loving what you are doing or learning to do.” Pele

But with the growth of the business, challenges abound. First is working capital, as they need to buy ingredients on a daily basis while their cash flow is sometimes hampered by collectibles from clients they serve. To address this problem, Vic and Dina approached the Countryside Builders Multi-Purpose Cooperative, of which Vic is a member since 2005. They started with a P300,000 loan in 2010 which was fully paid after 6 months. Several business loan availments followed after. They also have a “fairy godmother” in the person of former LBP-EVP Simeona Guevarra who is their “call-a-friend” whenever they are in need of emergency short-term funds.

But with the couple’s innate industry, persistence and hard work plus Dina’s acquired knowledge of the business honed by years of helping her mother manage the business and Vic’s ”diskarte” , there is no difficulty that couldn’t be overcome.

Dina also acknowledged that both their journey as a family and as entrepreneurs has so far been easy and not with much difficulty. Dina attributes this to their faith. Both she and Vic are very prayerful persons. Aside from being regular church goers, they often visit the Shrines of our Lady of Manaoag and Padre Pio to pray and for guidance. Also, when their time permits, both go to Mt. Banahaw, which is known to be a sanctuary and a bottomless well of holiness. (Among pilgrims, Mt. Banahaw is considered a holy mountain. Devotees come to the mountain to seek divine intervention to overcome life’s challenges, and have a moment of peace.)

With God, all things are possible.

How did they cope with the pandemic noting their primary clients are students and office workers, and that schools and many offices were closed? Dina said that it was by the grace of God that one client, Flexco Manufacturing Corporation which is involved in the packaging of food and medicine, remained open during the pandemic and has, thus, became a steady source of income.

Vic and Dina were also grateful that their eldest, Victor Noel, passed the medical board in 2020 and got immediately employed at the Dialysis Center in Quezon City. Dr. Noel , helped pay the bills, and made things easier.

Today, Vic, Dina and their children are a picture of a successful, happy and grateful family. Their eldest is now a full-fledged doctor; their second, John Angelo, is a financial management graduate from Letran and now works at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The youngest, Victoria Diane, has also finished school and it is the couple’s wish that their youngest who is an HRM graduate continue the business they have started.

“Family is not an important thing. It is everything.” Michael J. Fox