AT present, San Pablo City is characterized by rapid industrialization and the conversion of arable lands to subdivisions and commercial areas. A large part of the agricultural land is planted to coconut, which has been a main source of livelihood for a big portion of its population. Blessed by its seven lakes, the abundant supply of fish tickle the city's fancy for culinary arts in native cuisine to the delight of daily commuters who stop by during their long trips to and from Manila. Street-dancing during the coconut festival every 13th of January draws visitors from far and near.

Trade and industry prosper. People turn to even small business ventures, producing local specialties for "pasalubong", native delicacies in restaurants sprouting like mushrooms beside highways and by-ways. This amazing perspective of becoming a recreational area in the region, and tourist attraction as a breakthrough for the city's economy serve as a turning point for the San Pableños prosperity at a time of national economic crisis.

This project research was conducted with the end view of giving our local specialties a bright perspective in the business ventures of the new millennium for the local producers in the City of San Pablo. We aim to explore local products produced from coconut materials and local delicacies now gaining popularity as "pasalubong" like buko pies, macapuno sweets, and locally-made candies. We aim to investigate new eating trends to promote our fish-based dishes in world recipes for healthy considerations. We aim to open awareness that we have toy manufactures here now exporting to other countries. Data were gathered to provide information on the present status of our local specialties. Results of study serve as guidelines; develop interest and curiosity among researchers. Problems were studied to suggest solution to further strengthen and develop local specialty business. The page will give a comprehensive report of our contest entry in relation to its importance economically and socially to the people of San Pablo and the progress of our community.

1. Percentage of students using the Internet at home : 20%
2. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom: Four of the eight classrooms have Computers connected to the Internet for teaching purposes. The school has 30 computers with Internet access in the school's computer laboratory
3. Connection speed used in the classroom : 128 kbps
4. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet : 7 years
5. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access: The school's internet connection is served by MSC.Net, which is owned by a sister company, MSC Communications Technologies, Inc. The school has its own server.

Sometimes, perfect means the imperfect. Even with considerable planning and scheduling goals were not reached. Since the project consists mainly of interviews, appointments have to consider the convenience and availability of the interviewees and the team's class schedules. Communication barriers had to be overcome since students have to deal with managers of companies, local producers and respectable people of the society. Communication skills in write-ups, research works, and designing calls for extra time and effort.

Nevertheless, cooperation and teamwork in any undertaking are guarantees for accomplishments such as the activities to support required course work and curriculum requirements. For goals to be reached - harmony, cooperation, and leadership must be developed among participants. Team building, once in a while, during meetings, helped in organizing the participants. Discussion, updates, problem discussions were done on regular meetings with the advisers.

Field workers' interview sessions with barangay captains (the head of the local government unit), small business and restaurant owners and the photo sessions are just some of the activities which the participants enjoyed.

Including environmental protection as one of the project agenda is an important aspect of the project. This is in coherence with curriculum requirement for the outreach community program required of every school in the new curriculum. Interviews and teamwork served well as practicum for the theories learned in school.

Coconut is the tree of life. Its versatility supplies the whole gamut of human needs. It broadens our knowledge of the many products we can create from the tips of its leaves down to its roots.

We have explored the present status of our local products. Its many aspects impregnate interest and curiosity among us and other students in the school. The experience brings to the core understanding of our nature as a people, enriched by our cultural heritage. The cooperation and teamwork resulted to work well accomplished as "everything that begins well, ends well." As we see the proverbial coconut tree around us, we can always say its not just coconuts - it’s a the nut that has a thousand and one wonderful surprises. With regards to learning, we learn some graphic designing tips.

In gathering the information needed for this project, tape recorders, picture scanners and digital cameras were used. The information was then processed using Pentium computers and various softwares for web design. These include Notepad, Dream Weaver, Flash, and Spider Writer. In downloading and enhancing pictures, Adobe Photoshop was used. All these equipment and software belong to the school and are readily available whenever the students need them.

The ever-reliable service vehicles of the school were alternately used in transporting the students to research or interview sites.

Trade Fairs and assemblies/meetings of local producers were common sites for interviews, which were the main source of information for the project. It is also during these events where product and company brochures were collected. Whenever possible, appointments with companies were made for on-site interviews and actual visits to factories or plants.

Most information regarding possible resource persons came from the local office of the Department of Trade and Industry. Students have to write a letter using the school stationery, duly noted by the School Principal and bring it personally to the Department to formally request for the database of registered firms.

After getting the database, letters were prepared for individual companies to ask for brochures and interviews regarding their products. Phone calls were made to follow up interview dates and clear other matters.

In all these communication, the students have to introduce themselves as students of MSC High School and that they needed the information for Cyberfair. People’s reaction was always that of surprise because they did not know that such a contest exists and that there is a school in the city or the province that joins such contest.

This project will definitely have a tremendous impact on our community since it will promote San Pablo products to an infinite volume of possible customers. The potential of selling these products to millions of people around the globe would be opened up, bringing a small entrepreneur’s clientele to swell a hundred-fold. It could uncover potent dollar earners for the city and the country, in general.

It will be a virtual one-stop shop for San Pablo City products, be it local fruits, processed food products or delicacies, and manufactured goods. It will be like taking a stroll in the San Pablo City Shopping Mall. People from around the world can have a peak into what San Pablo has to offer.

For the part of the people in the San Pablo City community, it is like having a new store or branch of their stores selling these products. They now realize the potential of the Internet and what it can do for them. They have found a new partner in marketing their goods, the MSC students who designed the website.

The teachers and students could not have made the project by themselves. It involved many people.

Mrs. Marilou Orijola, Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for Region IV deserves acknowledgement for her generosity in giving the students the information they needed. A database of registered establishments, which were included in the project, came from Mrs. Orijola as well as a schedule of activities they will have which will involve these companies. The information from her guided the students on whom to contact, interview and when and where they can be contacted.

Credit is also due to resource persons from the companies who were very accommodating when the students visited and interviewed them. These are: Ms. Perla Escaba, Mr. Wendell Articona, Ms. Cristeta Perez, Mr. Ed de la Cruz, Mr. Buddy Feliazar, and Ms. Helen Silva.

MSC Communications Technologies, Inc. (MSC Net), MSC High School’s Internet Service Provider and sister company, also deserves our thanks for hosting our web sites and for their full support.

As the students do the project, they realize that San Pablo City is not only blessed with the wonders of nature (the seven lakes, springs, hills, etc.), but also with people who are very creative and diligent in making use of resources available to them.

They did not know that the sweets and delicacies made here are also brought to different parts of the country, some even exported abroad. Surprising too was the discovery that many of the stuffed toys displayed in big expensive department stores in Metro Manila (the Philippines’ center of commerce) were made in San Pablo City.

But more importantly, the lessons they learned from the interviewed businessmen are the most significant thing they acquired in doing this project. How they started from a small family-operated business with very limited resources to a successful big time exporter. The lessons learned by these men will be their guide whenever they choose to be businessmen someday.