MANY moons ago, when I was still very involved with the Association of Negros Producers and during our annual trade fairs in Manila, we would always marvel at the brisk sales of the food people and gloat with envy! Guests would always come to buy our delicacies, and it is exhilarating to know that selling food has indeed put food in so many tables not merely for the producers but for the hundreds under their employ!

I seldom write about food because I can't even fry an egg, but since I was requested to entertain a Filipina-Aussie who writes for a food magazine in Australia, I was inspired to find out more about our treasures of the palate, which I love to devour in the first place. Our guest was Yasmin Newman, a dusky pretty lass, whose mother is from Mindoro and father from Sydney, Australia (great combination), and our first stop was Bongbong's in Alijis.

"The Manny Pacquiao Blog". Click here for stories and updates on the Filipino boxing champ.

Bongbong's has really come full term. We were met by Nena Cañedo, mother-in-law of Bongbong whose birth name is Reynaldo Villen, who so amiably guided us in their production line. It was so interesting to see how piaya, which seems to be our most popular delicacy of Negros, was being mass-produced mechanically. How the muscovado was integrated into the flour, and turned into balls and then flattened and baked in stainless, open ovens. Rows upon rows of workers work sometimes in two shifts in order to supply the demand of its seven outlets here in Bacolod alone that are found in the two Gaisano malls, at Robinsons, SM, Lopues, the first store in Araneta, and the big operation in Alijis.

Most great things come from humble beginnings. As it is nurtured by showers of blessings plus hard work and family collaborative and collective effort, Bongbong is the success story that it is today because of all these encouraging factors. With a rolling capital of a mere P80, Bongbong, with the help of his family, started by peddling piaya in the sidewalk of the airport, made "libod" in the subdivisions, or sold to vendors in the "pantalan," Ceres terminal, and in Central Market. All these were done by tricycle or trisikad until blessings and hard work paid off and a store was opened near Yulo's Park. Then a bigger one near the litsonan, one in Greenplains, and finally to have their own building in Alijis that was inaugurated about seven years ago. Aside from the seven local outlets, Bongbong's has its own outlets in Cebu, Antique, and Roxas.

Our next stop was Virgie's in Rosario St. Virgie Ong Chua was not around because she was busy with the Bulawan Awards of the Showroom, being a two-time winner. Brother Tony Ong was there to meet us and gave us a few insights to the enterprise that is Virgie's. Of their heralded products, the mango tart and the caramel tarts seemed to be the most famous.

In a conversation with Virgie over the phone, Virgie is also the one who championed Governor Bitay's call to look for an alternative income-generating scheme to help augment the nil take home of so many including the many housewives that made up the core of the Association of Negros Producers. Virgie is one of the many food producers who we would just look with envy during the trade fairs when swarms of buyers would hover over her booth.

Virgie says that it was really to heed the call of the times that pushed her into the food industry. What started in 1974 has become a flourishing enterprise that has not only blessed Virgie but also the many workers that she has employed. Today, the building that now houses her many delicacies was once a rented home. With the success of Virgie's, she was not only able to survive the economic trials of life but was also able to purchase the property and finally build their store with the factory in the second floor. Isn't that just a lovely story? I'm truly a sucker for beautiful endings!

Virgie says that to this day, she has maintained the quality of her products and has not entertained the thought of commercializing her ingredients despite the lure of bigger bucks. Because of that faithfulness to quality over quantity, Virgie has established many links in Manila, Cebu, Iloilo, and Cagayan who buy from her regularly.

Yasmin wanted authentic, ancestral cuisine, so I suggested that we must visit Sweet Greens of Millie Kilayko and Tima Lacson in Lacson St. across PNB. I have journeyed with Millie and Tima from our ANP days, and their tandem has seen many revolutions and evolutions in their products and merchandise. From t-shirts to ceramics to plants to so many others until finally finding and settling with their original bliss... food! There are many original dishes whipped up by ancestors from the Locsin and Lacson sides that have now been revived by the two industrious ladies. Governor Bitay himself has created his own bottled bangus that is also a highlight of Casa Carmela, the company name of the goodies of Millie and Tima.

One innovation that truly struck me was the miniature piaya, which they call piayitos. They are bite-sized piayas and guess what... it's served in the business class and VIP lounge of Philippine Air Lines. Bravo! Take a bow! Millie says that she knows what class a person is flying when they mention that they have eaten their piayitos on board a Transatlantic or Pacific flight!

At a party once held at Sweet Greens, Millie and Tima served the piayitos with dulce de gatas. Geez, for the glutton that I am, I practically devoured a whole bowl of dulce de gatas with the piayitos! Que horror, but truly kanamit!

There are still so many delicacies of Negros, which I shall talk about in future write-ups. Despite the fact that I can't bake or cook (and have no ambition to include that in my future wish list), I am a great eater, and that should be reason enough for me to enjoy great cooking and even write about them!

The delicacies of Negros have brought much food to so many tables. From humble beginnings to finding one's bliss, food has been an important factor to our three features today! May God bless us always with the abundance of His grace and more trips to the dining table! Bon appétit!