Xilca Alvarez – Winning Cases In The Courtroom And On The
Farm
Xilca
Alvarez
It was supposed to be a joke, a crazy idea
thrown into the conversation for a shallow laugh. But some people took Xilca
Alvarez, 31, seriously and thought her idea could actually work. Among them as
Gawad Kalinga (GK) founder Tony Meloto, who put her good-humored proposition to
the test.
It seemed funny then, but it’s now all
serious business as Xilca, a government lawyer by profession, oversees
operations for Gourmet Keso. “Prior to getting into this food endeavor, I was
doing litigation for six years. It might sound boring, but I loved filing
pleadings, debunking arguments of opposing counsel, and of course, winning cases
that captured public interest. And what I loved about being a public defender
was fighting for my indigent clients’ rights.”
Apart from defending them, Xilca also
sought every opportunity to help the underprivileged set. She gave first-time
offenders and ex-convicts a chance to earn a living, partnering with them to
produce dishwashing liquid and fabric conditioner under a brand called Clean
Slate. This first venture in social entrepreneurship fueled her passion even
more. She attended the GK Center for Social Innovation forum at Ateneo de
Manila University and became so enthralled with the idea of Gawad Kalinga being
a sort of Silicon Valley for social enterprises. The very next day, she trooped
to GK’s Enchanted Farm in Angat, Bulacan, where a piggery became subject to her
humor. “Why not an agri-business called Gawad Kambingan, which will supply
Gatas ng Kambing and even Gourmet Kaldereta?” Tony saw the potential behind the
humor and gave Xilca a copy of his book, Builder of Dreams, to inspire
her. It worked.
Enchanted
Farm Café
In February 2011, the lawyer buried her
head in books and studied cheese-making, bought and brought goats from Batangas
to Bulacan, experimented on the production of cheeses, and not long after, came
up with the Gourmet Kaso line – feta in extra virgin olive oil, ricotta, kesong
puti, and plain and flavored chevre. Since then, Xilca has gone on to build
an operational dairy kitchen at the farm and produce another item, Café de Sug,
coffee from Sulu. “I get a kick out of it when people mistakenly think our
items are imported. They’re floored when I say that the cheeses and coffee are
made by the residents of the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm.”
Gourmet Keso is available at Enchanted Farm
Café at Unit 2A 463 Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City or at the GK Enchanted
Farm in Barangay Encanto, Angat, Bulacan. For more information, call
0917-8194522 or 211-1455.
Say
cheese!
Want to learn the art and business of
cheese-making? Take your cue from Xilca Alvarez.
Say
cheese!
·
Take a risk!
“I think you
have to be a little crazy. You have to be willing to take risks even if logic
dictates otherwise. And by logic, I mean your parents, your savings, your law
degree. Sincerity, coupled with a little craziness, is the right recipe for
getting into the cheese business.”
·
Love what you make
“I make no
business experience, no formal training in cheese-making. I don’t consider
myself a connoisseur but I love to eat cheese, so I can say my marketing
background is based on me being a long-time consumer of the product.”
·
Be ready to work hard
“Logistics and
transport of dairy products can be difficult, so be patient. The products are
highly perishable; they have to be transported and stored in a chilled
environment; and they must be made under the most sanitary conditions. It’s an
ongoing challenge for me.”
