CARLA BIANCA RAVANES-HIGHAM
Jessica Gallegos is as beautiful as beautiful gets. With round eyes, a charming smile, and alluring per-sonality, Jess has always been known as the “pretty girl” on the block. She graced covers of famous magazines while also showcasing her hosting abilities with the cult favorite, 5 and Up.
As a child, Jess recalls being naturally inclined towards the arts. “I was born with a talent for singing and acting. I joined theater at the age of 8,” she opens.
Growing up with 11 siblings helped mold Jess to become a jack-of-all-trades in order to keep up with the creative members of the family.
“My siblings are a mix of talented, smart, and unique brood. Most of them can sing well, can cook well, and one is even a Math guru. Being the 11th child, I saw my siblings grow up and excel in almost all the fields they got involved in making me wanting to follow in their footsteps,” she intones.
Using her siblings’ achievements as an inspiration, she then joined activities given by members of Opus Dei. Jess reflects that it wasn’t only her talents that were honed but also her values, learning the importance of doing good and being of service to others.
It was this foundation that made her realize the importance of putting others first and helping out as much as you can. Eventually, it encouraged her to take up Early Childhood Education in college while also pursuing a career in commercial modeling. The latter has helped her complete her college educa-tion.
Jess and Kiko
“The pressure that came from being a working student developed important life skills, like making good use of my time, being organized, and setting goals,” explains Jess.
All these developed Jess into a well-rounded person who was ready for anything and so it wasn’t a surprise when she took on her new business, The Butchery.
She gamely recalls, “One of the gifts God gave me as a kid was the knack to spot business opportuni-ties. I remember buying and sorting chips and selling them to my siblings when I know they would have late night cravings but won’t have access to a grocery store.”
This, along with other small entrepreneurial efforts, was developed through the years.
Growing up in a Kapampangan household with a family that loves to eat and cook, food was always the focus of her entrepreneurial efforts.
Jess with family
Jess started The Butchery in 2013 along with her partner Kiko Dy after taking sausage-making classes in New York.
“The Butchery was made out of love. After taking classes in New York, we decided to create artisan, lean, organic and fresh sausages with our favorite herbs and spices,” she declares.
And soon after, The Butchery influenced the food industry in the country by introducing a new way to enjoy sausages in healthier manner. Making sure that everything they produce is made from the freshest ingredients, The Butchery’s line of sausages, spreads, and even nuggets have created a food trend in the country.
Jess also puts her heart for social work in the business by supporting local farmers. “We get our pro-duce from coops all over the country but we are particularly affiliated with the San Fabian Organics farm in Echague, Isabela. The profits of the farm go directly to Barangay San Fabian,” she elucidates.
With Jess and Kiko’s guidance, The Butchery heeds towards sustainable agriculture, which creates food that improves the lives of people while protecting the environment.
Jess at work
“Most of our local farmers do not make enough income to sustain their families. In organic farming, farmers are able to better maximize their land by earning more per square food of crop, they spend less on inputs, they save more on wastage, and send their children to school,” reflect the duo.
They believe that this is what will improve the quality of life for those they help affecting not just the present but the future as well.
For Jess, it goes beyond the business, proving to everyone that businesses are not fully self-serving.
And with that, we now see that, yes, the girl with the golden face can also have a golden and brilliant heart.
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