Neighborhood panaderias are part of the childhood of many Filipinos. It is perhaps our first introduction to pan de sal, among the many other iterations of local bread. And growing up, even until now, the goods found on the shelves of these bakeries have been the items of choice when it comes to appeasing hunger in between meals.
Though many bread makers have emerged during the pandemic, these generations-old panaderias still offer something the new players don’t—nostalgia.
Kamuning Bakery
If you look at Kamuning Bakery along Judge Jimenez Street, you wouldn’t think it has been in operation for more than 80 years now. It has aged pretty well, thanks to businessman Wilson Lee-Flores who acquired the name and has done a great job in updating its look and brand without jeopardizing the products and process. Their breads are still baked in a wood-fired brick oven (not LPG) and their doughs don’t have any preservatives. They don’t compromise on ingredients too—no canned pineapple for their pies, only fresh. Perhaps it’s the secret to how they have withstood the test of time.
Panaderia Dimas-Alang
This bakery along A. Mabini Street in Pasig is over 100 years old, which can only mean that it has provided bread to three to four generations already. We have Manolo Lozada, who inherited the business upon the passing of his mother in 1980, to thank for continuing this institution. It was his widowed grandmother Teresa Raymundo, with the help of her four children, who kept the brand alive over the years. Manolo is happy to prolong the legacy and allow those who were brought up in Pasig to relive memories by enjoying favorites like biscocho, kababayan, camachile, and Tinapay ni San Nicolas.
Liberty Food Mart
The progression of 81-year-old Liberty Food Mart can be seen through its wide range of products, which currently includes items such as bacon and mushroom pizzas, sourdough bread, healthy loaves, and even French macaroons. It’s a far cry from the humble panaderia selling pugon-baked pan de sal and pan de suelo from the 1940s. Founded by the Santos family, Liberty Bakery was bought by Chinese migrant worker Ah Nam back in 1954. Since then, it has gone big time, with its products reaching supermarket shelves. A lot may have changed, except for the original logo, which can be a reminder of its humble beginnings.
Panaderia de Molo
The oldest in the lot, Iloilo’s pride Panaderia de Molo was originally run by Luisa Jason Sanson in 1872. Back then, masons used egg whites to glue the bricks that made up the church’s walls. Out of ingenuity and the intention not to produce waste, the yolks were used by women to make biscuits and cookies. Hence, Panaderia de Molo was born. The brand is now found in three locations, offering much loved items such as galletas, biscocho, broas, toasted mamon, and even pre-cooked molo dumplings, with wrappers lovingly made from scratch and by hand.
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