Le projet

Irene Minano is a thirty eight (38) year old owner of V-vhois Pasalubong (pasalubong means "take home goodies") in Antipolo which is named after her nephew. V-vhois Pasalubong is a maker of kakanin (tidbits) made from malagkit (glutinous rice) called suman (rice cake cooked in coconut milk, and often steamed wrapped in leaves.) Antipolo is famous for its suman where they are abundant and sold around the areas near Antipolo Cathedral.

Their famous products are Suman sa Ibos (buri leaves or palm leaves) and Suman sa Lihiya (Lye). Suman sa Ibos is a simple kakanin recipe that requires glutinous rice and coconut milk and the wrap is made from buri or palm leaves. While Suman sa Lihiya is glutinous rice soaked in water for several hours before putting-in a portion of lye water and wrapping each serving in soft banana leaves. The wrapped mixture is then boiled until the glutinous rice is done. These are best eaten either with sugar or latik (this is the residue when coconut milk is simmered).

A year before Irene is born, her mother Josephine who was fond of eating kakanin made some suman and sold some to the neighbors to augment the income of the family from her husband's job as a jeepney driver. From then on, they received orders for some more until the manufacturing of suman became the main source of income. The kakanin business had sent Irene and her siblings to finish college.

Irene, after graduating from a management course had worked for Marikina Valley Rural Bank as a bank teller and seven (7) years ago quitted her job and set to formalized the family business in 2007. She still have her mother worked in the production of suman. For thirty nine (39) years, they have employed people from the Apia region in Antipolo that is the current place of residency of the Dumagat ethnic group. Currently they employ ten (10) workers with free board and lodging, half of which are females for manufacturing suman. The products they made are distributed around Antipolo area, Panagbenga Festival (Flower Festival) in Baguio City, Santa Marta de Pateros in Municipality of Pateros and during town fiestas (festivals) in Bicol, Bulacan in kiosk employing a dozen or more for doing sales.

Irene plans to add one kakanin which is Piaya (flat unleavened bread filled with muscovado sugar and a famous delicacy in the “sugar capital” of the country, Negros Occidental.)

Lendahand partners NPFC are helping V-vhois Pasalubong to get more raw materials to boost up production and support for incoming orders.