01/09/2026
๐๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ก๐๐ช๐ฆ | ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ-๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฟ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฝ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ง&๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐น
What began as a farm-fresh vision in November 2024 has grown into a remarkable success story. Hacienda T&C Food Processing, a family-run enterprise in San Antonio, Nueva Ecija, has officially secured its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) License to Operate (LTO)โa significant milestone in its journey toward becoming a compliant and competitive local food enterprise.
Led by proprietor Mr. Charlemagne Ucol, the Ucol family started with a simple yet ambitious goal: to transform locally available agricultural crops into safe, high-quality, and marketable food products. Their entrepreneurial journey took a pivotal turn after participating in a fruit processing training conducted by the Department of Food Science and Technology (DFST), CLSU.
Inspired by the training and recognizing the potential of locally grown calamansi, the family ventured into calamansi processing. Their commitment to learning and innovation eventually led to the development of their flagship calamansi beverage, ๐ก๐ผ๐๐๐ธ๐๐ถ๐, which has become a key product of Hacienda T&C Food Processing.
The journey, however, did not end with product development. Moving from kitchen-scale trials to commercial production required more than a good productโit demanded a strong understanding of food safety, quality assurance, good manufacturing practices, process control, and regulatory compliance.
This is where the continuing partnership between CLSU-DFST and Hacienda T&C played a vital role.
Beyond the initial training, the DFST team provided continuous technical mentorship, quality assurance guidance, process improvement support, and regulatory assistance. Through sustained collaboration, the Ucol family was guided in translating food science principles into practical systems that could support safe and consistent production and meet regulatory requirements.
The successful acquisition of the FDA LTO demonstrates what can happen when science, entrepreneurship, community engagement, and perseverance come together.
For DFST, the achievement represents more than a regulatory milestone for one enterprise. It reflects the Department's commitment to bringing food technology beyond the classroom and laboratoryโusing science and technical expertise to empower local entrepreneurs, strengthen agricultural value chains, and contribute to community development.
For Hacienda T&C, the FDA LTO marks a new chapter: from a family with an idea and a willingness to learn to a formally recognized food processing enterprise ready to pursue greater opportunities in the market.
The story of Hacienda T&C is a powerful reminder that local crops can become viable food enterprises when paired with the right knowledge, technology, mentorship, and determination.
From farm-fresh harvests to a growing food business, Hacienda T&C's journey truly demonstrates the impact of science-guided entrepreneurship.
Congratulations, Hacienda T&C Food Processing and the Ucol family, on this well-deserved milestone!
๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ. ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.
