With consistency and innovation, Tisa’s siomai vendors thrive

TISA'S PRIDE. Officials of Barangay Tisa, Cebu City lead the celebration of the Siomai Festival on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. 
(SUNSTAR FOTO / ALAN TANGCAWAN)
TISA'S PRIDE. Officials of Barangay Tisa, Cebu City lead the celebration of the Siomai Festival on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019. (SUNSTAR FOTO / ALAN TANGCAWAN)

MANY street foods have gained popularity among the budget-conscious Cebuanos. But through the years, the “Siomai sa Tisa” has managed to keep its loyal customers.

Their secret? Consistency and innovation.

For 16 years, the steamed Chinese dumpling has been the bread and butter of the Cañete family of Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

Michelle Cañete said that by being consistent and innovative in product marketing, she has been able to keep her siomai appealing to her customers even though other varieties of cheap food are already available in the market.

“What’s important is that you maintain your quality. Yes, there are times that the ingredients cost a lot but I do not adjust the recipe and the taste of my product because it’s what my siomai is known for. To maintain customer loyalty, you also have to keep up with your service,” she said.

On Sunday, Sept. 29, 2019, the Cañetes’ siomai was among those served to guests of the Siomai Festival 2019 held in Tisa.

Cañete said they guarantee good customer service and proper sanitation at all times.

“In business, competition is normal. So what I do is I offer promos. For instance, whenever my customers buy a certain quantity, I give extra pieces for free. Sometimes I also give away freebies such as steamers,” she shared.

Michelle hopes her children would continue to run their siomai business in the future.

“That’s what I keep telling them. We need to take care of this business because it’s not only for our present needs but also for our future,” she added.

The same sentiment is shared by Justine Quillos, 25, whose family has also been selling siomai in Tisa for 15 years.

Before venturing into the siomai business, her parents sold rice cakes. The sales declined, though, at a time when their family needed a bigger source of income for the treatment of her sister’s lupus.

“We did not have any other recourse but to get into the siomai business, which was flourishing at the time,” she said.

Siomai has always appealed to the Cebuanos because of its affordability, Quillos said.

“Ours is homemade. We are also very generous with our siomai sauce. The thing about siomai is that it’s inexpensive. For just a small amount, you get very full,” she said.

Leah dela Fuente, also a siomai supplier and retailer, said social media has helped them a lot in promoting their business.

She said it also helps that they have barangay officials who are supportive of the people’s business.

Joel Alcazaren, this year’s Siomai Festival executive director, said the festival is their own way of establishing the barangay’s identity.

“Our main objective is to give Tisa an identity. Barangay Tisa has always been attached to Barangay Labangon. Many people did not realize that Labangon and Tisa are two different barangays,” he said.

“Second, it’s our means to promote the livelihood of our people in Tisa because ‘Siomai sa Tisa’ is known not only in Cebu but also in different regions in the Visayas and Mindanao and even in Manila,” he added.

To help the siomai vendors, Alcazaren said they encourage the business owners to maintain their standards.

“Hopefully, by trying to encourage the manufacturers in the siomai business, they would have world-class presentation of their products,” he said.

Ten contingents from nine zones of the San Lorenzo Ruiz Parish of Tisa, including an LGBTQ group, joined this year’s Siomai Festival.

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