When It Rains, It Pours…3 Comfort Foods + Gut Care Musts

Rainy days can feel like a downer — gray skies, slow routines, and moods that sink as quickly as the temperature. Most of the time, this season also brings the inevitable cough and colds and a general feeling of being under the weather.

But every downpour has its perks: the little rituals and guilty pleasures that make staying in worth savoring.

You could curl up with a book, nap the afternoon away, or binge your favorite shows — but nothing lifts spirits quite like comfort food. Warm, hearty dishes have a way of hugging you from the inside out, turning gloomy weather into cozy, joy-filled moments.

Many Filipino favorites are sure to spark memories of rainy afternoons spent at home or gathered around the table with family. And sure, indulging feels amazing — but with a few tweaks, your go-to rainy day comfort food can also be a little kinder to your gut and help give your immune system a little boost: 

1. Champorado with Tuyo

Champorado — the chocolate rice porridge we all grew up with — is a certified rainy-day classic. Sweet, warm, and nostalgic on its own, but pair it with salty tuyo and you’ve got the ultimate comfort combo: cozy, homey, and the perfect pick-me-up for any gloomy morning or lazy afternoon.

To make this recipe a bit kinder to your gut, try swapping out the sticky white rice with whole grains like brown rice and avoiding using packaged tsokolate, and using pure dark chocolate instead.

2. Pandesal with Hot Tsokolate or Kape

Pandesal is the ultimate Filipino staple, loved by all, rain or shine, young or old. Soft, warm, and endlessly versatile, it pairs well with just about anything. But nothing beats the classic combo: pandesal with hot tsokolate or kape, a simple yet comforting duo that instantly brightens hazy mornings and gloomy meriendas.

Give this classic a gut-friendly twist—swap your pandesal for whole grain, go for pure dark choco in your tsokolate, or shake things up with a soothing peppermint or ginger tea.

3. Lugaw or Arroz Caldo

Lugaw or Arroz Caldo is more than just food — it’s a hug in a bowl. It brings back memories of mom taking care of you when you were sick, but its soothing, hearty, and easy-to-digest goodness also makes it the perfect companion for chilly, cozy nights when you just need to warm up from the inside out.

Give your Lugaw or Arroz Caldo a gut-friendly upgrade with brown rice, lean chicken breast, and even a handful of legumes, like peas or chickpeas, for extra goodness.

Cozy Bites and Gut Care Musts: Finding Balance on Rainy Days

Rainy-day cravings calling? Indulge away — just keep it balanced so your gut can weather the storm, too.

Comfort foods may lift your mood, but don’t forget your gut needs extra love when your immune system is down. Rainy days also bring a higher risk of water contamination from leaks, floods, or stagnant puddles during those momentary pauses, which means this is also the time when your drinking water isn’t always the cleanest.

So, aside from hydrating and making your fave treats a little more gut-friendly, a daily dose of probiotics like Erceflora might also be helpful with proper diet and exercise.

Erceflora Probiotics with billions of 4-strain Intelli-spores is for all ages above 6 months old. It aims to aid in the enhancement of natural resistance to intestinal infections, the enhancement of intestinal ecology, the improvement of digestion, and the improvement of lactose malabsorption with proper diet and exercise.

Erceflora Gut Defense helps improve digestion with 2 billion Intelli-spores—especially during routine changes or travel with proper diet and exercise. Erceflora Gut Restore delivers 4 billion Intelli-spores— one mini bottle per day for 7 days from the onset of gut infection symptoms or as directed by a physician with proper diet and exercise.

When it pours, it’s the perfect excuse to cozy up, dig in, but always remember to keep your gut happy and healthy too.

MAHALAGANG PAALALA: ANG ERCEFLORA GUT DEFENSE AT ERCEFLORA GUT RESTORE AY HINDI GAMOT AT HINDI DAPAT GAMITING PANGGAMOT SA ANUMANG URI NG SAKIT.  

 ASC Ref. No. S0236P091125E

A TASTE OF HOME: MERIENDA BY PAN DE MANILA NOW SERVING AT SM CITY MARILAO

As tradition calls, a day wouldn’t be complete without the nostalgic Filipino food favorites often associated with merienda. More than the food, memories of merienda often remind us of the time spent with friends and loved ones over a meal, of comfort eating during a long day, of a harmony of flavors bursting into the mouth, and sometimes, just of the simple taste that reminds us of home.

At SM City Marilao, home is just a few steps away as Merienda by Pan de Manila officially opens its door to Bulakenyos. The latest food venue offers a wide range of menus that includes Crunchy Beef Tapa, Aligue Pasta, Vegetarian Tofu Sisig, or Lechon Belly Batchoy for a heartwarming delight.

Merienda by Pan de Manila also offers unique sandwich recipes such as Grilled Pandesal with Kesong Puti and classic Pinoy desserts such as Ginataang Bilo-bilo, Trio Suman, and Bibingka Espesyal, among others.

Every meal’s a remembrance at Merienda by Pan de Manila. Visit them now at the ground level of SM City Marilao.

Media Forum Dissects: Diabetes, Obesity, and the Sweetened Beverage Tax

A media forum held in the 84-year-old Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City discussed the proposal to increase the excise tax on sweetened beverages. Called the “Pandesal Forum,” the event welcomed health and economic experts to dissect the issue, citing recent available data on diabetes and obesity rates in the Philippines as sources. The forum sought to understand why diabetes and obesity rates in the country continue to rise despite efforts to reduce consumption of sweetened beverages through the excise tax. 

The panel of experts invited to the forum included Chona Patalen, Senior Science Research Specialist from the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). According to data from the FNRI, the per capita consumption of sweetened beverages has decreased significantly from 2015 to 2019. This decline was most evident among urban households. The Sweetened Beverage Tax was implemented in 2018 and imposed a P6.00 tax per liter on beverages which contained added pure sugar or non-caloric sweeteners like aspartame, or a combination of both. A tax of P12.00 per liter was imposed on beverages which contained High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS. 

Obesity and Diabetes Rates Continue to Rise 

In addition, consumption of sweetened beverages has decreased across all age groups in the Philippines, with adolescents and adults showing the sharpest decline. In contrast, Ms. Patalen shared obesity rates among Filipinos have only increased from 2015 to 2018, and even up to 2021. Among those aged 20 and above in the country, 38.6% are overweight and obese. This data translates to 17.8 million Filipinos who are overweight, and 5.6 million who are obese. 

The data for Diabetes rates in the Philippines shows the same story. From 2013 to 2019, the number of Filipinos with borderline diabetes has more than doubled, translating to about 17.6 million people. In 2018 when the Sweetened Beverage tax was proposed, the reasons cited for the tax included helping curb obesity and diabetes rates. As the data shows, the number of Filipinos with obesity and diabetes continues to rise, despite the imposition of the excise tax on sweetened beverages. The FNRI is currently conducting the 2023 National Nutrition Survey, which is held every 5 years, which will reflect more updated obesity and diabetes rates, among other health measures.  

An Increase in Excise Tax will Impact Middle- and Lower-Income Classes 

Another member of the media forum panel was Dr. John Paulo Rivera, Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Andrew Tan Tourism Center. Dr. Rivera is also the Chief Economist of Oikonomia Advisory & Research, Inc. In his discussion he noted that it is important to discuss the proposal to increase excise taxes on sweetened beverages because of the impact it may have on inflation, particularly on food. “As of the moment, inflation rates continue to be high, but we see this declining by the end of 2023 up to 2024,” explains Dr. Rivera. “However, if the excise tax on sweetened beverages is pursued, it will have an impact on consumption among middle and lower classes of consumers. This is because of the role that sweetened beverages play in their daily lives. If additional taxes are imposed on sweetened beverages, the prices of these will increase and will make purchasing them harder for consumers to purchase. While we understand that the goal of the excise tax is to limit consumption of sweetened beverages, we should also ask the question if these consumers have alternatives to these sweetened beverages.” 

Dr. Rivera goes on to explain that while upper income classes may find alternatives easily, those in the lower brackets may not be able to do so, and as such the excise tax will impact their daily lives. If a tax is imposed, prices will similarly increase and consumers will bear the brunt of the impact. He adds that perhaps the government can find other ways to increase revenues other than an excise tax. In addition, he proposes that if the government would like to limit consumption of sweetened beverages, projects to help improve physical activity like public open spaces to counter diseases can be given focus. 

Exercise is Medicine: Physical Activity and a Balanced Diet against Obesity and Diabetes 

“We promote exercise because it serves as a hub to change lifestyles,” shares 3rd panel member Prof. Hercules Callanta, National Coordinator for "Exercise is Medicine" of the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity (PASOO). Prof Callanta is also a faculty member of the College of Human Kinetics of the University of Philippines Diliman. He relates that when people start doing exercise, they start to notice other aspects of their health, like the need to diet and even to sleep better. While it is common knowledge that having a balanced diet and being physically active are the keys to avoiding illnesses, Filipinos do not always practice both. 

He clarifies however that while workouts are great for keeping fit, everyone should just start moving every day to be healthy. “We should all just start moving, start looking at our plates, adapting the “mind over plate,” he adds. He also supports the idea of walking more or even biking, taking the stairs, and avoiding using transportation if possible. 

Professor Callanta adds that to help curb obesity and diabetes, there is a need to make nutritious food more affordable. “What we want to see is for healthy food to be more affordable especially for the poorer portions of the grand population,” he explains. He also adds that improving physical activity rates among Filipinos should also be a priority of the government by promoting more walkable places in communities. 

The forum ended with the conclusion that, as the data shows, to help reduce obesity and diabetes rates the solution lies not in taxation but in the need for proper diet and exercise. 

70,000 Breads & Other Food Given by Quezon City’s Oldest Bakery in #WorldPandesalDay

Quezon City Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte, GMA Network, Inc. chairman Atty. Felipe Gozon and Congressman Neri Colmenares led guests who assisted Kamuning Bakery Café owner Wilson Lee Flores in giving away 70,000 pandesal, cheese, sardines, noodles and other foods on the 4th “World Pandesal Day” on October 16.

Despite a February 6 fire from a neighboring resto bar which burned down Quezon City’s pioneer and award-winning 79-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café, its owner Wilson Lee Flores, staff and bakers are still optimistic.He is not discouraged, because he said he has overcome many other past crises ever since the death of his father when he was only seven years old and he had also witnessed his late teacher mother’s strong faith.

Wilson Lee Flores is a writer, teacher and realty entrepreneur who bought and revived Kamuning Bakery in 2014 due to his passion for history and good food.

On Oct. 12 at Quezon City’s 79th anniversary celebration at Crowne Plaza Galleria Hotel, the city government led by Mayor Herbert Bautista, Vice-Mayor Joy Belmonte and City Council Majority Floor Leader Franz Pumarengave Wilson Lee Flores the “Manuel L. Quezon GawadParangal Award” for being one of Quezon City’s most outstanding citizens. The GawadParangalSelection Board included former U.P. President Prof. Emerlinda Roman, former Budget Minister Manuel Alba, writer Prof. Butch Dalisay, City Administrator Aldrin Cuña and former actress, former Vice-Mayor Connie Angeles.

Wilson Lee Flores said he accepted the Manuel L. Quezon GawadParangal Award in behalf of his late parents who died when he was young but who inspired him, his supportive younger sister Marilou F. So, his loyal and hardworking staff and bakers.

The annual #WorldPandesalDay as civic & cultural endeavor.

The 4th “World Pandesal Day” was held on October 16, 2018 at the burnt ruins in Judge Jimenez Street corner K-1st Street, Barangay Kamuning, Quezon Citywhere Kamuning Bakery Café gave free 70,000 pandesal breads and other foods.

On October 28 Sunday 8 a.m., the public is also invited to a free medical, dental and optical mission at Kamuning Bakery Café in cooperation with Chinese General Hospital led by its CEO Dr. James G. Dy.

These Oct. 16 and Oct. 28 events are the last two events to be held here, before Kamuning Bakery Café’s burnt ruins shall be totally demolished, except for two surviving pugonbrick ovens which shall be retained for heritage preservation during its reconstruction.

With hashtag #WorldPandesalDay, this is a unique socio-civic and cultural endeavor to highlight the importance of the Philippines’ humble yet popular pandesal bread, to underscore the importance of all people helping solve the age-old problem of hunger.

Wilson Lee Flores said an inspiration for World Pandesal Day is the Bible story of a poor boy who gave 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, which faith in Godmultiplied to feed thousands.

The non-partisan Pandesal Forum, donating public schools

As part of its non-traditional civic and cultural causes, Kamuning Bakery Cafe also hosts the tertulia-inspired and non-partisan “Pandesal Forum” for newsmakers and leaders to dialogue with media and intellectuals over meals of pandesal with other foods and coffee brewed from Benguet province arabica beans. Kamuning Bakery Café owner Wilson Lee Flores said: “In this liberal and informal Pandesal Forum which is part of this company’s unique CSR or corporate social responsibility, discussions focus on socio-economic, gut or “pandesal” issues affecting the people, and other topics. The pandesal is unique to the Philippines, loved by the masses, middle-class and by all, it symbolizes people’s simple happiness and wish for liberation from hunger.”

Kamuning Bakery Café is also the first Philippine bakery café to celebrate “World Poetry Day” every March 21, by inviting the public to send in original poems as payments for their coffee or tea.

Ever since Wilson Lee Flores took over and revived Kamuning Bakery Café, it has championed diverse socio-civic, cultural, arts and other causes including the donation of four public schoolbuildings. The first public school was donated in the historic seaside town of Balangiga in Eastern Samar province. This fourth-class municipality was victim of cruel colonial war over a century ago from 1901 to 1902, with its stolen church bells still in the U.S.

Possible Return of Stolen Balangiga Church Bells is Victory of Philippine Independent Foreign Policy & Struggles, not American Benevolence

Speakers at Kamuning Bakery Café’s non-partisan Pandesal Forum in Quezon City on August 14 were Balangiga Battle hero Capt. Eugenio Daza’s grandson and president of Kaanak 1896 (association of descendants of the Philippine Revolution and Phil-American War era) Eugenio Roy Daza, “Balangiga: Howling Wilderness” film director & co-writer Khavn de la Cruz and producer/co-writer Achinette Villamor, geopolitics analysts Butch Valdes and George Siy of Integrated Development Studies Institute (IDSI). Moderator is writer Wilson Lee Flores.

The Pandesal Forum agrees that the possible and long overdue return of the Balangiga bells is a victory of Philippines’ independent foreign policy and struggles, not American benevolence
Return Balangiga church bells, other loot, issue official apology
University of the Philippines (U.P.) Prof. Bobby Tuazon of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) gave this message to the Pandesal Forum: “The return of the Balangiga Bells is long overdue and a historical injustice of American colonizers. The return should not be seen as American benevolence, but rather as a victory of the Filipino people who have fought hard and long for their return.”
Prof. Tuazon added: “Much of our history, by the way, was looted by the American aggressors during the Philippine-American War---relics, archives, treasures, etc. remain in the U.S. until today---are in museums such as the Smithsonian, collectors, etc. These should also be returned.”
Tuazon said: “No apology has been given for the 1 million Filipinos---revolutionaries and civilians---who died during the Philippine-American War. If the U.S. really cares for ‘friendship’, they should at least apologize.”

Retelling history from viewpoint of the defeated… Balangiga: Howling Wilderness

In the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) from August 15 to 21, the Pandesal Forum highly recommends that the public watch watch the award-winning “Balangiga: Howling Wilderness” which had won 3 times as best film at the QCinema 2017, the Urian and Famas.

The artists behind “Balangiga: Howling Wilderness” are director and co-scriptwriter Khavn de la Cruz, co-writers Achinette Villamor and Jerry B. Gracio. There are no celebrity stars in the cast led by Justine Samson, Pio Del Rio, Warren Tuaño.
Producer and co-scriptwriter Achinette Villamor said the injustice that happened in Balangiga is “part of the numerous national wounds in the consciousness of the Philippines”. She said: “History is usually written by the victors, such as many accounts of the Philippine-American War whoch were mostly authored by the colonizers, the white men, there is a need to tell history from the points of view of those who were defeated and conquered, like us Filipinos. The Balangiga film project is one such attempt.”

It is unique that this movie stands out for its good attempt at artistry, its uncommon courage and its seeking to retell a sad, controversial and violent episode in Philippine history from the refreshing, innocent perspectives of little children.

This well-crafted movie is set in 1901 in seaside town of Balangiga in the Philippines’ third largest island of Samar. Eight-year-old Kulas flees the town with his grandfather and their carabao to escape U.S. General Jacob Smith’s controversial “Kill & Burn” military order. He finds an infant amid a sea of corpses and together, the two boys struggle to survive the American military occupation.

Remembering history, to create a better future… Read this U.S. account of the past

J. P. Lawrence wrote last year in the “New York Review of Books” on this sad episode of Philippine history which followed local Filipino rebels decisive military victory in Balangiga over U.S. occupation troops:
“US troops returned to Balangiga in force. They bombarded the town with cannons, and set it ablaze. The three bells remained in the ruins of the church. But the retribution did not end there. General Jacob Smith told his troops he wanted a ‘howling wilderness’ and ordered any male over the age of ten killed. ‘I want no prisoners,’ he said. ‘I wish you to kill and burn; the more you kill and burn the better it will please me.’ Theodore Roosevelt, who was responsible for the conduct of the war in the Philippines for part of 1902, had earlier reflected on the justification for such harsh tactics. ‘In a fight with savages, where the savages themselves perform deeds of hideous cruelty, a certain proportion of whites are sure to do the same thing,’ he said. In the reprisals for Balangiga, US troops are said to have killed as many as 50,000 Filipinos.”

Lawrence also wrote: “Forty-eight US soldiers died at Balangiga, America’s worst military defeat since the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876. To commemorate their lost men—or perhaps to avenge them—American troops brought the three bells of Balangiga home with them. Over the next century, the bells passed through various military bases. Two are now in Wyoming, and one is on an army base in South Korea, displayed to memorialize the battle.”

History---whether sad, happy, tragic or triumphant---is part of our present and influences our future. May these two indie movies on our history not just entertain, but hopefully educate, awaken, conscienticize and inspire us to help create a better and more just future.

Pandesal Forum, background & purpose

The non-partisan, liberal and tertulia-inspired Pandesal Forum hopes to help elevate the quality of public discourse on national and global issues by having leaders and newsmakers dialogue with media and intellectuals over simple pandesal meals and coffee or tea.

Pandesal Forum’s Moderator is writer Wilson Lee Flores of Quezon City’s pioneer 79-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café. KBC burned down on Feb. 6, 2018, but it is still baking and selling outside burnt ruins and plans to someday fully reopen.

Analysts Laud Duterte’s Successful Diplomacy on Arbitration Decision & Spratlys

July 12 marks second anniversary of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, Netherlands on the case filed by the Philippines against China on the territorial dispute in the Spratlys and the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea, causing problems in bilateral diplomatic and economic relations as well as increasing tensions in the region.

On July 9, the non-partisan Pandesal Forum with media in Quezon City had three geopolitics and diplomacy experts former Undersecretary Butch Valdes, former Philippine diplomat to Washington, D. C. Adolfo “Ado” Paglinawan and Ateneo de Manila University lecturer Lucio Pitlo III to discuss this issue, and they lauded President Rodrigo Duterte’s “pragmatic approach of normalizing diplomatic ties with China and engaging in bilateral negotiations without forsaking the Philippines’ territorial claims and without losing the PCA victory”.  Moderator of Pandesal Forum is Wilson Lee Flores, owner of the 79-year-old Kamuninhg Bakery Café.

The three experts said the Duterte administration’s wise and sober handling of the PCA decision and upholding an independent foreign policy of befriending all the world’s big powers USA, China and Russia have “resulted in lowering tensions in the region and contributing to peace in Asean as well as Asia”.

Three geopolitics analysts recently said this is the second anniversary of the Duterte administration’s “successful high-level diplomacy and independent foreign policy which advance and protect the Philippines’ national interests without forsaking territorial claims”.

Pagkalinawan and Valdes pointed out that the PCA isn’t a United Nations body and not a court, but an ad hoc arbitration mechanism similar to a local barangay hearing to arbitrate with two conflicting persons after which an unsettled dispute can thereafter be elevated to a real court. They pointed out that the PCA also has no enforcement mechanism and that the other party, China, had refused to participate. Valdes and Pagkalinawan concluded that the previous Aquino administration’s filing of this case at this PCA without China’s participation had therefore rendered the ruling as “more for propaganda purposes rather than as a way for resolution of the territorial dispute”.

Valdes and Paglinawan both lauded the Duterte administration’s “wise, pragmatic and high level diplomacy” approach to setting aside the PCA decision, but not forsaking it, while normalizing the ancient bilateral diplomatic and economic ties of the Philippines with the world’s No. 2 economic superpower China.

Valdes and Pagkalinawan agreed with President Duterte’s openness to possible joint exploration of the disputed area and joint development of any resources in the Spratlys, pointing to the Philippines’ joint venture with Western countries in the gas project of Malampalaya, Palawan as an example.

Academic scholar Lucio Pitlo III said bilateral negotiations between the Philippines and China has good precedents based on two countries’ histories. He said the Philippines has successfully, peacefully settled with Indonesia on our maritime borders after 20 years of patient, bilateral negotiations, while China has also successfully concluded its border demarcation boundaries with 13 countries out of 14 neighbor countries that have land borders with China such as Russia, Mongolia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afganistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.  As of today, China have settled its border disputes through years of peaceful, bilateral negotiations with 13 of the 14 countries (all except India).

Kamuning Bakery Cafe Burnt, but Continues to Bake

Quezon City’s pioneeer, artisanal and iconic 79-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe wishes to express sincere gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of concern and support by multi-generation customers, friends, the general public and others including many artists, intellectuals, government and business leaders, diverse NGOs, etc. after it suffered an accidental and destructive fire last February 6, 2018.

            Special thanks to the media for support in this difficult and sad crisis.

            Kamuning Bakery Cafe also wishes to thank the Quezon City local government and firemen as well as many Filipino Chinese volunteer fire brigades of Quezon City, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Kalookan, Valenzuela, Bulacan and others for their assistance.

            The plan of Kamuning Bakery Cafe is to somehow, in time and after good planning, rebuild with a special focus on restoration and heritage preservation. The two antique “pugon” or wood-fired brick ovens, parts of the building facade and some memorabilia survived the fire.  

            

Despite the burning of Kamuning Bakery Cafe on February 6, 2018 from   12:52 a.m.to 2:43 p.m., which destroyed most of the establishment and its equipment’s estimated by the Quezon City Fire Department in its February 21, 2018 official report at P22,384,054.46 million pesos in total losses or damages, KBC announced that it has resumed selling some breads and pastries outside the old site at Judge Jimenez Street corner K-1st Street, Quezon City starting February 22, 2018. Its selling hours are shorter from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., due to lack of electricity. 

            Before the fire, Kamuning Bakery Cafe has already operated two small branches at 100 Scout Delgado Street, Quezon City (beside Annabel Restaurant, Morato Avenue) and at SM North Edsa’s 2nd-floor East Bridge (between parking building & main mall, near SM Cinema). These two small branches continue to serve customers despite the fire, with some baking facilities at the Scout Delgado branch.

            Kamuning Bakery Cafe shall continue its various socio-civic undertakings, such as the non-partisan and tertulia-inspired Pandesal Forum with media and intellectuals. Pandesal Forum hosts leaders, newsmakers, artists, and reformers for dialogue with media and intellectuals, with the goal of helping elevate the quality and idealism of public discourse on issues.

Duterte’s handling of Arbitral Tribunal case described as “win-win diplomacy”

Defense/diplomacy expert General Victor Corpus and geopolitics analyst former Education Undersecretary Antonio "Butch" Valdes on July 11 at non-partisan “Pandesal Forum” of 78-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City said President  Rody R. Duterte's wise, nationalist and pragmatic handling of the July 12, 2016 Arbitral Tribunal decision victory of the Philippines "has brought about stability to Asia, lessening of regional tensions, promoted a win-win strategy benefiting both the Philippines and China, upholding our pursuit of a truly independent foreign policy".

General Corpus said the Philippines had basically two approaches to handle the arbitrary case, the win-lose option or the win-win option. He explained that the win-lose approach calls for pushing the Philippines' total win at the arbitral tribunal and to force the non-participant party China into a total loss position, while Duterte's successful win-win strategy now allows both countries not to surrender or compromise any sovereignty rights and also not endlessly quarrelling, but both countries agreeing to disagree while continuously negotiating, improving the two countries’ ancient bilateral diplomatic and economic relations.

Corpus said President Duterte’s independent foreign policy reform still asserts the Philippines’ sovereignty claims in the Spratlys vis-à-vis those of the rival claims of China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and others, but these territorial disputes shouldn’t sour the Philippines’ important diplomatic and economic relations with all these Asean and Asian neighbors. On the question on how best to respond to China’s constructions in the disputed Spratlys, General Corpus said that he believes the best Philippine response is the Duterte administration’s current policy of maintaining the status quo in the region: the Philippines continues to occupy and build on islets we hold on to, while China and other Asian governments can do so in their respective areas that they now physically hold on to, negotiating for demilitarization of the region and for a Code of Conduct for the region.

Valdes said that President Rody R. Duterte’s independent foreign policy has stabilized Asia, that peace isn’t just the absence of war and that the Philippines’ new “win-win” approach to diplomacy is bringing more economic development benefits to the country and to the whole region.

General Victor Corpus also added that President Duterte’s adroit handling of the Arbitral Tribunal case victory and his high-level statesmanship helped “prevent the possibility of war breaking out in this region”, because Duterte has lessened the possibility of war and of the Philippines becoming a target country in case of superpower rivalry between our military treaty ally U.S.A. and China. Corpus explained that he Duterte is correct in analyzing that China is willing to go to war for the disputed Spratlys and has built port facilities in the disputed islets because it doesn’t want the strategic Straits of Malacca to be blockaded by any foreign country since that area is where much of China’s global trade and imported oil pass.

Corpus also pointed out that China’s government has built up its defense capabilities in this region, in order to safeguard against or block any nuclear and other military strikes against its economically vital coastal cities.

General Corpus said President Duterte’s “successful, nationalistic and win-win diplomacy should be supported by all sectors of our Philippine society”. He said that the Philippines’ independent foreign policy should be guided only by what is beneficial for the national interests and sovereignty of the country, not to be beholden to or dictated upon any big power.

Both Corpus and Valdes said Duterte’s independent foreign policy has resulted in the Philippines becoming now a friend and trading partner of all the world’s big powers USA, China and Russia, the country is no longer considered a foe or a threat to any big power. They both said that the Philippines is becoming more similar to any normal sovereign Asean or Asian country, an ally to all big powers in an equidistant manner and gaining from economic and strategic advantages from all these big powers.

The non-partisan, tertulia-inspired Pandesal Forum of the 78-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café hopes to help elevate the quality of public discourse on national and international issues, current affairs, focusing more on reforms. The Pandesal Forum invites newsmakers, leaders and experts to dialogue with media and intellectuals.

This July 11 Pandesal Forum on the Arbitral Tribunal Case was co-organized with the Integrated Development Studies Institute (IDSI) and the Phil-BRICS Strategic Studies.

Singapore envoy marks World Poetry Day, extols bilateral ties & Asean progress at Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Café

Singapore Ambassador Madame Kok Li Peng joined award-winning poets Jose F. Lacaba and Marra Pl. Lanot on March 21 morning to celebrate UNESCO’s “World Poetry Day” at the Pandesal Forum of 78-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City. The envoy also discussed Philippine-Singapore relations and Asean issues with the media and intellectuals at the two-hour forum. This artisanal café also gave away free coffee or tea drinks the whole day to all people who came to pay with their original poems, in a unique civic and cultural project.

            To celebrate “World Poetry Day”, Kamuning Bakery Café’s Wilson Lee Flores invited Singapore Ambassador Kok to recite one of her favorite poems entitled “The road not taken” by Robert Frost. Lacaba and Lanot both also each recited their original poems in the Filipino language.

            During the free-wheeling Pandesal Forum with local and international media, Ambassador Kok extolled the warm diplomatic and economic ties between the Philippines and Singapore, as well as the general optimism of the Asean region as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a high-level summit hosted by chairman the Philippines. She said that there are high hopes on the RCEP economic agreement being worked out between the 10-member nations of Asean region and China, that she thinks both this RCEP and even the TPP are all good initiatives to promote freer global trade.

            Ambassador Kok declined to comment to media’s questions on controversies like some Western criticisms of the draconian war on illegal drugs and the new death penalty bill, she reiterated that Singapore respects the sovereignty of its nation to govern itself and solve its own problems. She said Singapore has a very strong policy against illegal drugs. Kok also declined to comment on territorial dispute issues, since Singapore isn’t a claimant state but expressed hopes that Asian regional peace and stability shall be maintained by all Asian countries in order to sustain the region’s strong economic growth.

            Kok also said that Singapore’s founding father the late Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Philippine President Duterte live in different eras and face divergent challenges, but Ambassador Kok said that both Lee and Duterte are similar in their “strong political will and being doers”. She said during President Duterte’s state visit to Singapore, she had witnessed his “magnetic appeal”, charisma and humility in meeting with ordinary people at his short walk at a mall.

            Ambassador Kok said that Singapore is optimistic about bilateral ties and the Philippines’ economic future, especially with strong economic growth and strong will to achieve national peace. She lauded government’s on-going peace negotiations with the Communist rebels and the Moro secessionist rebels.

Duterte’s Independent Foreign Policy benefits Philippines economically & strategically, will make country safe from possible nuclear attack in any superpower rivalry, analysts say

At the February 8 Pandesal Forum with media at Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City, it was the consensus of various geopolitics and economics analysts that President Rody Duterte’s independent foreign policy of balancing Philippine diplomacy with a pivot to Russia and China has numerous strategic and socio-economic benefits, and it safeguards the country from the danger of a possible nuclear attack during a conflict between rival superpowers.

            The analysts said that not only has this reform in foreign policy direction gained new trading partners and allies such as the world’s second largest economy China and energy superpower Russia, Duterte’s independent foreign policy has gained record-high economic gains from traditional ally Japan and also expected to boost USA’s traditional ties with the Philippines under new President Donald Trump.

            The geopolitics and economics experts who shared their multi-disciplinary analyses were General Victor Corpus, former Senator Francisco Tatad, former Undersecretary Butch Valdes, analyst Rod Kapunan, ex-diplomat Ado Pagkalinawan, Catholic University of Louvain graduate and strategic analyst Celso Cainglet, Phil-Brics Strategic Studies, Inc. founder Herman T. Laurel, and the Integrated Development Studies Institute (IDSI) director, Wharton-educated economist and geopolitics analyst George T. Siy.

            The experts said that an independent foreign policy is mandated in the Philippine constitution, that President Duterte is the only Philippine leader in modern times to have upheld this policy not only in terms of balanced and pragmatic diplomacy to make the country an equidistant friend of all major powers, this policy also seeks to uphold the all-important goal of economic sovereignty.

            The analysts said that President Duterte’s reform of seeking neutrality of the Philippines with regards to the strategic rivalry and possible military conflict between the big powers USA and China, USA and Russia will ensure the long-term safety of the Philippines from any nuclear attack by the powers, in the same way most Asean countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and others are not militarily tied up with or strategically beholden to any of the major powers.  

            The analysts said the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the U.S. was signed in 1951 at the height of the Cold War between the capitalist countries and Communist countries, but the world has changed a lot since then and the Cold War ended in 1991, but the country’s leaders had failed to renegotiate the Mutual Defense Treaty and to reform Philippine foreign policy directions.

            The experts said that in March 2015 at the highest point of the tensions over the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea controversy the SWS conducted a survey of the Filipino public sentiment over the prospect of armed conflict between the Philippines and China. The survey showed that 84% of the Filipino public were “worried” about armed conflict with China and half of the people were “worried a great deal”. This is the wisdom of the Filipino people speaking, a sentiment President Rodrigo R. Duterte respects.

            In September 2016 President Duterte set the new pro-Philippines direction, “We will observe and I must insist – I repeat, I must insist – on the time honored principles of sovereign equality, non-interferen ce and commitment to the peaceful settlement of disputes to best serve our people…”

            President Duterte launched the Philippines’ Independent Foreign Policy (IFP) with uniquely Filipino characteristics, re-opening bilateral dialogue with China which immediately bagged $ 25-Billion of investments, soft loans and assistance from China, boosted tourism and agricultural exports.

China’s initiative and prompted other other competing countries such as Japan playing to play catch up and offering $ 19-Billion of its own funding and support to the Philippines. President Duterte’s IFP has also opened the huge potential markets of Russia for Philippine agricultural exports and imports of 4-million barrels of cheaper Iranian oil.

            The normalization of ancient close ties with China also brings the Philippines a special seat on the gigantic 21^st Century “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR) project of infrastructure, communication, innovation and trade links that cross from Asia to Europe and back to Asia via the sea, and the Philippines offers the unique prospect of making that New Silk Road circumnavigate the global as OBOR’s eastern hub to the Pacific.

            The experts at the Pandesal Forum said that the Philippines under Spanish colonial rule was an entrepot between the robust China trade with Mexico, Spain and Europe via the fabled “Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade”, that the new independent foreign policy of President Duterte can revive this strategic trade importance of the Philippines via the China-led trans-continental “One Belt, One Road” project.  

            As part of efforts to diversify sources of economic support, the Philippines’ new independent foreign policy reform can also help expand the country’s source of huge infrastructure development funding through the Beijing-led Asian Infrastructure International Bank (AIIB) of which even many USA allies Canada, South Korea and Germany are also already founding members.

            Most important of all is the crucial emerging role the Philippines now plays under President Rodrigo R. Duterte as the Pivot for Peace in the Asia-Pacific, being the fulcrum for the balance-of-power in a Multi-Polar World, especially this year 2017 when the Philippines is assuming the role as chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Kamuning Bakery opens at SM North Edsa, 1st branch in 77 years

Quezon City’s pioneer and iconic bakery Kamuning Bakery Café has opened a new branch on December 23 at SM City North Edsa’s East Bridgeway, 2^nd floor, this is its first ever branch in its colorful 77 years history.

Founded in 1939 upon the invitation of Quezon City co-founder the media tycoon Don Alejandro Roces, Kamuning Bakery Café’s founder was Atty. Leticia “Letty” Bonifacio Javier, it was bought and revived in 2014 by writer and realty entrepreneur Wilson Lee Flores.  

Kamuning Bakery Café has steadfastly continued its unique pugon-style, artisanal, no-preservatives, all hand-made and Filipino/Spanish baking traditions.

Since September 2015, Kamuning Bakery Café has also hosted the non-partisan “Pandesal Forum” where leaders and newsmakers dialogue with media and intellectuals over pugon-baked breads and excellent Philippine coffee

. History of Kamuning Bakery Cafe with intellectuals, artists & reform stalwarts: Kamuning Bakery was founded in 1939 as Quezon City’s first bakery by Atty. Leticia “Letty” Bonifacio Javier and her husband Lt. Marcelo Javier (who died fighting the Japanese invaders of World War II in the Battle of Manila). It was acquired and revived in December 2013 by writer, history buff and realty entrepreneur Wilson Lee Flores, he restored the old cafe on March 20, 2015. Kamuning Bakery Cafe continues its artisanal and pugon or wood-fired brick oven baking.

Among its many colorful clients include pre-war media tycoon Don Alejandro Roces who facilitated sale of gov’t. land in 1939 at 50 centavos per square meter, his son the newspaper publisher & activist Joaquin “Chino” Roces, press freedom stalwart U.P. Dean Armando Malay, the late President Cory C. Aquino, national artists like Nick Joaquin and Levi Celerio, many showbiz celebrities, to a public school student who used to walk here to buy pugon-baked breads and is now the first female Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

2017: charter change, fastest Philippine economic growth of 7.5% to 8%, sports reforms

“We at the House of Representatives guided by the priorities of President Duterte and under the leadership of Speaker Alvarez, we shall prioritize charter change for new year 2017 and other socio-economic reforms. We foresee the fastest ever Philippine economic growth ranging from 7.5% to 8% a year for the coming 5 years due to more massive new infrastructure projects and other reforms” 1-Pacman Partylist Congressman Mikee Romero said at the December 13 non-partisan “Pandesal Forum” of 77-year-old, artisanal Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City. Romero was accompanied by his partymates Congressman Eric Pineda and Pampanga Congressman Dong Gonzales.  

            At the free-wheeling Pandesal Forum of Kamuning Bakery Café, Congressman Mikee Romero said that legislators now in Congress are different in terms of successful daily quorum in attendance and in the speed of passing priority bills such as the National Budget for 2017.

            Cong. Romero foresees charter change towards federalism to move forward smoothly in 2017, with debates and public consultations for creating 12 new federal regions for the Philippines which shall hopefully improve political and economic democracy. Romero said if the charter change work moves on schedule, it is possible to hold a nationwide plebiscite in time for the 2019 mid-term elections.

            On President Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, congressmen Romero, Pineda and Gonzales all expressed strong support, saying: “The war on illegal drugs is a war on ‘narco-politics’, this war will dramatically improve peace and order nationwide and thus lead to better Philippine economic growth. We support President Duterte’s sincere wish and goal of ensuring social peace for the next generation of the Filipino nation by ending the illegal drugs menacel.” They said 2017 will see accelerated debates and public consultations on such new priority bills as the re-imposition of the death penalty on heinous crimes and the lowering of the age for criminal liabilities because many drug dealers have been using young people as illegal drug couriers or accomplices.

           

            Cong. Mikee Romero admitted that there is opposition to the death penalty bill by certain sectors, such as the Roman Catholic Church, but he said the legislators will hold debates and public consultations before making their final vote on this proposal. Romero also stressed that it is not true that the proposed death penalty will be unfair to poor offenders of heinous crimes since rich convicts tend to hire better lawyers, he stressed that laws apply to all rich or poor and what we should ensure is improvement of efficiency and fairness of the criminal justice system.

            Congressmen Mike Romero, Eric Pineda and Dong Gonzales also announced the good news for 2017 of the proposed new “Department of Sports”, this bill they had filed. They also shared the good news that President Duterte is giving government budget of P3 billion pesos for the construction of the new “Philippine Olympic Training Center” on 50 hectares of land in Clark, Pampanga. The legislators hope reforms can help make the Philippines become more competitive in international sports competitions, no longer a laggard in Asean or Asia.

            Congressmen Romero, Pineda and Gonzales lauded the good leadership and reforms by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Butch Ramirez, while severely criticizing the “failed leadership” of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, Jr. who just recently won his fourth term. Congressman Mikee Romero also publicly called for former Congressman Peping Cojuangco to resign from the POC, to give way to new vigor and new reforms in Philippine sports.

           

            Cong. Mikee Romero also appealed to Transportation Secretary Art Tugade to speed up reforms to solve what he described as “the horrible traffic mess in Metro Manila which people have been suffering daily for years”, and he lamented that DOTC has “not yet shown any positive results in the past six months”.

            Congressman Eric Pineda also made a public appeal for improvement of the country’s telecommunications services and the construction of more cell sites as among his legislative priorities for 2017.

Erap, Imelda, Atty. Gozon greets “World Pandesal Day” on Oct. 16

Free 50,000 pugon-baked breads & gifts packs, Free medical/dental/optical mission



Ex-President & Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada, Ilocos Norte Congresswoman Imelda Romualdez Marcos, GMA Network, Inc. CEO Atty. Felipe Gozon expressed support for the holding of the “World Pandesal Day” with gift-giving plus free medical/dental/optical mission on October 16, 2016 Sunday at the 77-year-old, artisanal Kamuning Bakery Café at No. 43 Judge Jimenez Street corner K-1st Street, Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City, Metro Manila, the Philippines. October 16 is globally marked every year as “World Bread Day”, but celebrated since 2015 as “World Pandesal Day” by Kamuning Bakery Cafe.



On October 16 from 8 a.m. to 12 noon, a free medical, dental and optical mission shall be conducted by 50 volunteer doctors and dentists by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII), the Philippine Chinese Charitable Association and the Chinese General Hospital for the less privileged and urban poor at the “World Pandesal Day”. The ceremonial gift-giving of 30,000 pugon-baked pandesal breads and gift packs will start at 9: 30 a.m.



Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada said: “My warmest greetings to the artisans, staff and operators of the celebrated Kamuning Bakery Café as they observe World Bread Day through their own adaptation known as the World Pandesal Day.”

Estrada continued: “This occasion is a fitting tribute to our humble and favorite Filipino breakfast staple which is a nourishing fixture in our dining tables as families start their day or as friends congregate in between breaks.”

“I commend the Kamuning Bakery Café and Wilson Lee Flores for expanding the relevance of the event by tackling the issue of widespread hunger. It is an issue that we are familiar with and currently addressing in the City of Manila through daily provision of free and nutritious breakfast set of vitamin-fortified bread and milk to thousands of malnourished elementary schoolchildren. In its initial implementation, we have seen how previously severely wasted students became healthy and active kids.”

Estrada added: “Further, I laud the historic cafe for honoring our local heritage by preserving traditional cooking methods, supporting local produce, and providing a venue for intelligent discussion of social issues. In this age of modernity and constant progression, it is encouraging to know that businesses can successfully thrive by remaining true to their roots.”





Ilocos Norte Congresswoman Imelda Romualdez Marcos said: “My warmest greetings to the Kamuning Bakery Café, for taking this initiative of honoring our well-loved pan de sal by celebrating the World Pandesal Day, concurrent with the global celebration of the World Bread Day.”

Congresswoman Marcos continued: “The humble bread of the Filipinos now takes the center stage as we honor its value, and the symbol it represents in every family. The pan de sal surely gives everyone a special memory of breakfasts and snack times shared with our loved ones. Like the pandesal that transcends every strata of our society, may we all be inspired to break social barriers and be advocates for poverty-alleviation. Congratulations and more power to you!”





GMA Network Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Atty. Felipe Gozon said: “Congratulations on Kamuning Bakery Café’s celebration of the ‘World Pandesal Day’ which coincides with the global celebration of the ‘World Bread Day’. It is only fitting that a recognized institution in traditional Filipino-inspired bread making would honor such an iconic recipe which has been part of our culture for many years. The pandesal is the only bread that transcends social classes in our country. The Filipino household will never be the same without the pandesal. I am also one with you in helping our underprivileged countrymen through your own simple way. Your modest act of generosity can create a rippling effect.”



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Why “World Pandesal Day”? —The pandesal is the historic and unique national bread of the Philippines, it is bread eaten by the masses, middle-class and by all. The pandesal is a basic necessity of the people, like rice. The humble pandesal bread represents the people’s simple wish for liberation from hunger. Hot freshly pugon-baked pandesal also represents happiness. In celebrating “World Pandesal Day”, Kamuning Bakery Café hopes to give honor to this humble yet great Filipino bread, and to remind all about the goal of eradicating poverty, inequalities and the age-old problem of hunger.





Backgrounder—“World Pandesal Day” was started on October 16, 2015 by Kamuning Bakery Cafe owner & writer Wilson Lee Flores at this historic bakery cafe at 43 Judge Jimenez Street corner K-1st Street, Kamuning, Quezon City, the Philippines which coincided with the annual “World Bread Day”. Wheat foods do make up 20 percent of the world’s calories, according to the United Nationsa

Hashtags: #worldpandesalday #ChristmasInOctober #kamuningbakerycafe

 

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Actor and then National Youth Commission official Dingdong Dantes graced the Oct. 16, 2015 launching of the “World Pandesal Day” at Kamuning Bakery Cafe in Quezon City.