Kamuning Bakery Café Celebrates #WorldPandesalDay
In time for the celebration of annual #WorldPandesalDay on October 16, some celebrities and customers of 84-year-old Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City shared their favorite ways of eating Pandesal breads. Movie actress, former Batangas Governor and former Deputy Speaker Vilma Santos Recto said: “My favorite is coffee and cheese in my Pandesal!!!” Movie producer Mother Lily Y. Monteverde said ever since a kid, her favorite way of eating Pandesal breads is with “bukayo” or sweetened coconut strips.
National Artist for music Ryan Cayabyab said: “My favorite is pan or oven-warmed Pandesal with hardened butter, dunked in a cup of hot tablea or traditional chocolate, making sure butter is not completely melted. Yummmmy!” National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee said: “I love eating Pandesal with peanut butter, sometimes cheese. I don’t drink coffee.”
Comedian Giselle Sanches said: “I like eating Pandesal with cheese. Kesong Puti is the best cheese for Pandesal. The Italians would go wild once they get to taste Pandesal with Kesong Puti. Cheapest nutritious merienda out there.” Actor and painter Jao Mapa said: “I love toasted Pandesal bread with butter or sometimes with peanut butter.”
Quezon City Councilor and actor Alfred Vargas said: “My favorite way of eating Pandesal is when it’s fresh and hot straight from the ‘pugon’, then I’ll put Kesong Puti as ‘palaman’ or Coco Jam when I’m craving for something sweet. I’ll have the local hot chocolate with it to complete the treat. That is the way we do it in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, my hometown.”
The first “World Pandesal Day” civic and cultural project was launched on October 16, 2015 at Kamuning Bakery Café in Quezon City with special guests GMA Network, Inc. Chairman Atty. Felipe Gozon, Senator Sonny Angara and National Youth Commission (NYC) Commissioner and actor Dingdong Dantes.
Among top leaders who sent greetings to the annual World Pandesal Day include Vice-President Sara Duterte Carpio, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and others.
The public is invited to annual #WorldPandesalDay celebration on October 16, 2023 Monday 10 am for free foods of 100,000 Pandesal breads, cheese, sardines, hams, juices and other foods to be given at 84-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe at Judge Jimenez Street corner K-1st Street, Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City. Special guests to lead the ceremony at Pandesal Forum will be Senate Agriculture & Food Committee Chairman Senator Cynthia A. Villar. October 16 is also United Nations’ “World Food Day” to highlight global problems of hunger and food security.
The public is also invited on the eve of #WorldPandesalDay on October 15 Sunday from 8 am to 12 noon at Kamuning Bakery Café for a Free Medical and Dental mission. This shall be undertaken with volunteer doctors, dentists, nurses and staff of Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce & Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) and Chinese General Hospital (CGH).
4 public schools near Kamuning Bakery Cafe with representatives to the Oct. 16 kick-off ceremony of free Pandesal distribution are Kamuning Elementary School led by Principal Luisito O. Cleto, Tomas Morato Elementary School Principal Aleth Bautista-Molina, Quezon City High School Principal Josephine Maningas and Don Alejandro Roces Sr. Science & Technology High School Principal Marivic Francisco.
The historic, artisanal Kamuning Bakery Café is Quezon City’s pioneer bakery and its owner, realty entrepreneur and writer Wilson Lee Flores has turned it into a social enterprise with profits going to civic and cultural charities like rural public schools donations and the annual World Pandesal Day.
Started on October 16, 2015 with special guests GMA Network, Inc. Chairman Atty. Felipe Gozon, Senator Sonny Angara and former National Youth Commission (NYC) Commissioner Dingdong Dantes, Kamuning Bakery Cafe owner Wilson Lee Flores said the goals of “World Pandesal Day” are to honor the humble yet great Pandesal as national bread of the Philippines and to highlight the need to solve the age-old problems of hunger and poverty. Other leaders who have expressed support for World Pandesal Day in the past included Vice-President Sara Duterte Carpio, former President Rodrigo Duterte, former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, former President Joseph Estrada, late President Fidel V. Ramos, former Vice-President Leni Robredo, late Senate President Edgardo Angara, Senator Imee Marcos, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Q.C. Mayor Joy Belmonte and others.
Wilson Lee Flores said this philanthropic project of giving away 100,000 free breads and other foods to urban poor families and orphanages every October 16 was inspired by the miracle in the Bible of a humble boy who donated five loaves of breads and two fishes, which Jesus Christ multiplied to feed thousands of people.
The World Pandesal Day has the support of FFCCCII, Chinese General Hospital, Philippine Foremost Milling, San Miguel Mills, Mondelez Philippines, Hobe Noodles, Mega Sardines, King Sue Ham, Yan Yan International Phils. Inc., Nash Coffee, Caltex in Iba Malhacan Road in Meycauayan Exit, of Bulacan, Cathedral Cargo Movers Trucking and Pagcor.
