The Taste of a Legacy: Tatay Manding’s Story of Tradition, Perseverance, and Success

Every specialty dish has its own way of being prepared. Traditional Filipino delicacies, or kakanin, in particular, require hours of patient stirring, careful preparation, and slow cooking. They cannot be rushed. Only when they are prepared properly and cooked at their own pace can their perfect texture and distinct flavor truly come through.

Armando Japones, fondly known in their town as Tatay Manding, has understood this for years.

He carefully prepares their signature bibingkang kanin, kalamay, puto, and kutsinta, patiently monitoring every step of the cooking process to achieve the quality and flavor that their customers have come to love.

Growing up in Saguday, Quirino Province, Tatay Manding did not learn the art of making kakanin from a culinary school or a textbook. Instead, he inherited the craft from his parents, whom he had helped since childhood. Through years of watching, assisting, and practicing, he learned the traditional techniques that would eventually become the foundation of his own livelihood.

In 1990, Tatay Manding got married. One afternoon, while enjoying their homemade bibingkang kanin, the couple decided to sell the extra pieces to their neighbors.

The response was encouraging.

The following day, they began selling again. While Tatay Manding stayed home to prepare the kakanin, his wife went from house to house carrying a single bilao of bibingka. Its distinct flavor quickly won the hearts of their neighbors, and word spread from one household to another.

What began as a simple afternoon snack soon became a local favorite. As demand grew, the couple expanded their offerings to include kalamay, puto, and kutsinta.

However, to support the education of their five children, Tatay Manding’s wife eventually went abroad for work. Without her, Tatay Manding had to temporarily put their growing delicacy business on hold.

When she returned in 2010, their savings from working abroad had already been spent on their children’s education. They were left without enough capital to restart the business.

Fortunately, that same year, they became clients of CARD MRI Rizal Bank, Inc. (CARD RBI), a microfinance-oriented rural bank that helped them rebuild their savings. In 2011, they obtained their first loan from CARD RBI and used it as fresh capital to revive the kakanin business they had always loved.

With the business back on its feet, they officially registered it with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that same year.

The loans they received from CARD RBI became an important financial lifeline for the couple. During difficult periods, Tatay Manding sometimes took short-term loans to help finance his children’s education. He would then repay them using income from their daily sales.

Because they consistently proved themselves to be responsible borrowers and good payers, their account officer continued to offer them higher loan amounts. They used these opportunities to sustain their business and gradually expand their distribution to other municipalities across Quirino Province.

As their kakanin developed its own distinct identity and flavor, it became more than just a source of income. It became a source of culinary pride for Saguday.

In 2024, Tatay Manding’s special bibingka and their story were featured in Spectrum, the official newsletter of the Saguday Local Government Unit (LGU).

The feature highlighted their product as an authentic taste of the towna reflection of home and heritage and a symbol of family unity and success.

Their dedication has also earned recognition in numerous provincial delicacy contests, where their kakanin have repeatedly won first place. Over time, their products have become an integral part of the community’s identity.

But as their brand became more popular, they also faced an unexpected challenge: people attempting to copy their identity.

Some customers bought their products, removed the original labels, and sold them under their own names. Others made their own delicacies and falsely claimed that they were made by Tatay Manding.

Yet the true taste of Tatay Manding’s kakanin was difficult to imitate.

Their loyal customers could immediately tell the difference.

“Haan met kun Tatay Manding ditoy.”

“This isn’t Tatay Manding’s.”

On one occasion, a businessman offered Tatay Manding PHP 50,000 in exchange for his secret recipe so they could mass-produce his products.

He firmly refused.

For Tatay Manding, the recipe was more than a business secret. It was a legacy inherited from his parents, one that he wanted to preserve and eventually pass on to his children.

Instead of selling the recipe, he offered to become the businessman’s wholesale supplier, allowing the products to be resold while still carrying the original brand.

Maintaining their traditional method of production, however, comes with its own challenges.

Making their kakanin requires considerable time and labor. When they receive a bulk order scheduled for pickup the following day, Tatay Manding and his family begin preparing and slow-cooking the products a day in advance. This ensures that every order remains fresh and achieves the texture and flavor they are known for.

It may be a slower process, but Tatay Manding and his family remain committed to it because they believe it is what makes their kakanin truly special.

Today, their products are ordered in bulk by cooperatives, major companies, and even international buyers who resell them in Macau and Hong Kong.

From selling a single bilao of bibingka to their neighbors, their products now reach other municipalities and neighboring provinces in Quirino. The business now earns them approximately PHP 30,000 per month.

The growth of their business has also improved their family’s quality of life. All of their children are now married except their youngest, and the couple now owns an e-bike, which helps them deliver their products more efficiently.

For Tatay Manding, sustaining the quality of their traditional delicacies while growing the business requires strong financial discipline.

He does not view microfinance as a burden, but as a tool for expanding their livelihood.

“Nu ag-loan ka, siguraduen nga pampalawaem ta negosyom.”

“If you are going to take a loan, make sure you use it to expand your business.”

He also emphasizes the importance of being a responsible payer and making loan repayment a priority in the family budget.

Looking ahead, Tatay Manding hopes to improve their product packaging to strengthen their brand identity. They also dream of opening a local food cart as their storefront and, eventually, making their business available for franchising.

Much like their signature slow-cooked bibingkang kanin, Tatay Manding and his wife’s success was never rushed.

It was built through patience, hard work, sacrifice, financial discipline, and staying true to their roots.

They built more than just a business.

They nurtured, protected, and preserved a legacy.

And today, with every bibingkang kanin, kalamay, puto, and kutsinta they carefully prepare, they continue to share the same authentic flavor that began as a simple afternoon snack and eventually became a lasting culinary legacy of Saguday.