A Taste of Filipino Culture
Yup-e.com

Traveling has always been an interest for Jovel Cipriano. Aside from the fact that traveling has been a part of their family's lifestyle - with his mother engaging herself in the tourism business and their family history rooted in the Island of Panay - his mom is from Iloilo and his father is from Kalibo, Aklan - roving around the cities and barrios in the Philippines outside his father's home Quezon City has become a passion for Jovel.

Who wouldn't anyway, when each little sitio in this 7,101 island archipelago has a culture all to itself? Aside from varying norms and intonations of the dialects, each Filipino local groups has its own set of ways to approach life. And this could be seen the greatest in their way of eating.

Particularly in the indulgence of local delicacies, each Filipino region has developed a character all its own. And this is what Jovel has long recognized.In all this travel, he made it a point to bring some of these delicacies back home as pasalubong. Some danggit perhaps or some mangorind (his favorite). He just had the need to share these delightful sweets and pastries to his loved ones. 

Soon enough, his relatives and friends got hooked on such delicacies and pleaded with him to buy some more for them on his next return trips. They promised to pay him later of course. He gladly obliged, thinking this was quite a convenient way for him to earn some money on the side.  But things didn't start out so smoothly though. His relatives brushed their payments aside for later, and later and later until later became never.  Upon remembering those times, Jovel laughed it out saying, "Ganyan talaga ang buhay. Mahirap talaga pag kamag-anak".

Eventually, he learned to be more businesslike in his dealings. No money, no pastry. So he sold his delicacies cash on delivery. And his persistence paid off. Now Jovel along with his sisters are distributing delicacies as a legitimate business.

The company presently sources delicacies made from seven key cities in the Philippines - Bulacan, General Santos, Iloilo, Bacolod, Cebu, Bohol and Davao- to privileged customers scattered around Luzon. Although its distribution is currently focused in Metro Manila, the company aims to distribute delicacies nationwide and eventually worldwide. The company has already forged linkages in Germany, Hongkong, Australia and the U.S.So what started out as a traveling side-venture has become a full-scale business deal for Jovel and his sisters. And to him it is definitely a story to share and something to smile about. For in this business, it is profit with a purpose. It is his way of sharing our local cultures to our brother Filipinos and to the rest of the World.

At Pinoydelikasi.com, traveling does not require airplane flights, boat trips or long bus rides. Traveling simply entails opening your mouth and satisfying your taste buds with our delicious, mouthwatering, all-Filipino delicacies.