GSP Lechon Manok, now getting known in Cavite and Metro Manila seems to have the combination of such ingredients, including the human touch that goes with it.

There is of course nothing mysterious about the ingredients. These include hard work and perseverance, faith in God, humane treatment of workers, sound management, quality chicken and mouth watering savory sauce. Together they contribute to the growing success of GSP Lechon Manok, the roasted chicken that now titillates the discriminating palates of gourmets.

GSP Lechon Manok, "your kitchen for delicious chicken," now operates 27 outlets in Metro Manila and Cavite. But only few knows that this roasted chicken chain owned by couple Diego and Gerlita Pagtakhan had its humble origin.

The eldest of four children born to a poor family in Imus, Cavite, Gerlita learned early enough how to sell suman, camote and kangkong and value every peso she earned to help her family and support her college studies. She obtained a Banking and Finance degree from the Philippine Women’s University.

Poverty had made her resolve to succeed and give her family a taste of a better life. Shortly after they got married, the Pagtakhan couple decided to go into the business of marketing dressed chicken. They started with 50 chicken bought from growers which they dressed and sold by themselves in the market of Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Business was good and luck seemed to favor them. They soon averaged 200 chicken heads per day sold to market stalls in Dasmariñas and some directly to households. Before long they decided to purchase a second hand truck with their savings and a P100,000 loan they secured to expand their operation.

They were able to settle their loan after only four months and before they knew it, they already had a fleet of seven trucks delivering dressed chicken to different markets in Cavite and parts of Metro Manila. They were also able to build a three-storey house in Imus, Cavite.

Realizing the relatively high risk nature their business line entailed, particularly on credit and debit side, the couple decided to branch out and venture into the roasted chicken or "lechon manok" business which is largely carried out in cash basis unlike the dressed chicken marketing venture. They initially set up a store outlet in Imus, Cavite.

Perfecting the demands of discriminating palates for lechong manok in no time at all, their sales picked up rapidly and compelled them to open more branches. Their records sales went as much as 6,000 pieces of lechong manok a day during the Christmas and New Year seasons of 2005 and 2006.

Today, GSP Lechong Manok plans to expand further their existing 27 store outlets and share their business luck with other partners by going into franchising through the Association of Filipino Franchisors, Inc. (AFFI) which they joined recently.

Despite their success, Gerlie Pagtakhan said she has never forgotten their humble beginning and have made sure they liberally share their blessings with their workers whom they also regard as business partners.