For Maureen Mitra Pasiolco, owner of Pasciolco Agri-Venture, coconut products have greatly changed her life. Her company manufactures coconut-based products such as virgin coconut oil, nata de coco, coconut vinegar, coconut jam, coco-nut sap sugar, coconut sap syrup and other coconut by-products.
She started her business in 1993, when demand for nata de coco picked up in Japan. Now they developed their own natural coconut vinegar, their very famous coconut jam, virgin coconut oil (VCO) and lately the coconut sap sugar and coconut sap syrup for diabetic people. The Agriculture and Trade Department as well as the Philippine Coconut Authority assisted Maureen in terms of marketing and promotion. The Department of Science and Technology gave them trainings making their products known not only locally but also in the international market.
Maureen is happy that her Virgin Coconut Oil and other products are now being exported to US, Canada, Japan, Europe and Asian countries. The goods of Pasciolo Agri-Venture got recognition as Kosher Certified and Organic Certified products. This gives her more reason to make sure that the good quality of the products is maintained.
At present, Maureen is happily married to Lito Pascioclo. They have four children, namely, Mary Anjaneth Pasci-olco, a secon year medical student of UERM, Marianne Pasciolco, a dentistry student at UP Manila, Michelle Pasciolco who is taking up Physical Therapy at UERM and Mark Joseph Pasciolco, a Chemical Engineering student at UP Diliman. Maureen says that despite her busy schedule, she makes sure that she spends quality time with her family.