And in the past 6 months, Universal Harvester Group headed by Dr. How, forged numerous undertakings with Japanese and Chinese Business Giants on new distribution model/channels, Drinking Water Treatment Plant, Renewable Energy Plant, and Activated Carbon Plant.

Overall, the group employs around 2,000 personnel, sustained relationships with a nationwide network of more than 6,500 farmers’ cooperatives and associations, and translating that relationship to help 8.4 million farmers to maximize the benefits of the company’s products, services and assistance.

She is known to be a maverick, unorthodox and always thinking out of the box. She is comfortable working with professionals who understand her style, she wants her team to know how the business should work, how she expects them to pro-act and react in different business situation, anticipate and make good judgement at their level. One must achieve the necessary business acumen, endurance and attitude to pass her “average” standard.

Correspondingly, Dr. How maintains a unique incentive and penalty system. Generous enough to make one want to do it better next time, and if in an unfortunate circumstance of being penalized, such is clearly understood that everyone is a stakeholder, not to commit mistakes at the expense of the company. Pushing the envelope to strive for continuous improvement, “every year, we must raise the bar!”, as Dr. How always say, referring to the projects we undertake.

Dr. How always remembers her mother’s advice, “ensure that you build true stakeholders and loyal clientele while you share the fruits and blessings of your enterprise with others.” She added one dimension to this. She made sure that the business process results not just in success measured by the traditional parameters of business performance. For her, the true measure is happiness and satisfaction of her customers, partners and stakeholders. She does all this with her personal touch. Surprisingly in a gargantuan effort. Dr. How personally attends and visits to meet customers, partners and acquaintances to present gifts and token for every occasion, virtually to all that she comes across in her day to day routine. It’s literally Christmas everyday with Dr. How.

In a remarkable way, Dr. How initiated projects never seen in the agriculture industry. Beginning 2012, she led a nationwide private sector recognition system for “The Outstanding Farmers of the Philippines (tofarm.org)”, granting numerous awards to achievers in the agriculture sector. She also funded a research on cassava and maize site specific nutrition management with the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) where harvest can easily yield at least 300% more. She is also propagating a computer application (A Farm Story) with Japan company E-supportlink, Ltd., for farmer use to improve their productivity, knowledge sharing and directly connections to buyers. After the onslaught of typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), she immediately responded to help by launching the “Back-To-Farm” project which eventually became the “Adopt-a-Farmer” program aimed at providing free farm inputs to calamity stricken or poor agriculture communities until they can become sustainable again. On its second year, the first ever TOFARM Film Festival, a festival of films about farmers, agriculture and the bounties of nature. Now for her most recent venture, the 1st TOFARM songwriting competition with a theme “planting the seeds of change”. There is more, alongside these national projects, Dr. How under the banner of the Universal Harvester Group, put in place programs and systems to help farmers improve farm productivity, protect and preserve the quality of their soils, and improve their standards of living. Among these are training programs, study tours to help them engage and learn new technologies; on-site assistance for better farm input applications; and exploring integrated farming like high value crops, dairy and new business opportunities to augment their income during lean months.

The direction for the future includes the development of more relevant products for the farmers. The company initiated market studies and preparatory development of network and business alliance to support value chain enterprises and franchise “one-stop-shops” with a Japanese International Brand/Firm. This will support the farmers’ aspiration for an integrated and complete line of reasonably-priced farm inputs, the product line is being expanded to include seeds, farm implements, crop and life insurance, and other post-harvest facilities.

To support the need for an efficient value chains, Dr. How sets her vision at implementing a Commodities Exchange Program to serve as nucleus for agricultural commodity trading and will connect producers and users of agricultural commodities through origination, processing, marketing, and distribution capabilities and services. It will give opportunities to small and medium sized farms to become commercial enterprises and subsistence farmers to enter commercial production.

In Dr. How’s appointment as the ambassador to the Philippines by the International Fertilizer Association, a global network of fertilizer manufacturers/distributors. Dr. How is already working on new opportunities for the Universal Harvester Group to expand its market and build new value chain business locally and abroad.