Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

SUCCESS STORIES

Mer Layson and the Soybean Processing System
by Mila B. Gonzalez (October 6, 2015)
His was an amazing journey as a soya milk maker. Mer Layson, a photographer and a reporter, is now a soybean processor. He makes soya milk and soy coffee, and he is very happy about his processing ventures.

Mer and his wife, a fellow reporter, started their business on soybean processing in September 2013 after Mer attended a training on the same topic. They first tried their processed products on their kids. Their children liked soya milk and pastillas. But because pastillas is laborious to produce, Mer focused their energy and resources in processing only one product -- the soya milk which they named KKK after the names of their children Kyla, Kyle and Kevin.

The family business is doing well, processing 250 bottles of soya milk a day. These bottles are delivered to customers every day. Daily sales of soya milk reach P2,000 or P60,000 each month.

"PHilMech has been a great help to us…They taught me and lent me equipment for processing soybeans. We will have no soya milk business, without PHilMech. I will not also be able to hire workers...Through soya milk, I am able to send my children to school," said Mer.

"Before, I delivered soya milk by foot and with my second hand car. Then, we were able to buy a brand new tricycle. Now, I am using our Montero for soya milk delivery," shared Mer.

Because of the soya processing business, not only have Mer and his family increased their income, they are able to help generate employment.
Mer is also venturing now into soy coffee with the help of DA-PHilMech.